Alfred Molina | |
|---|---|
 Molina in 2021 | |
| Born | Alfredo Molina (1953-05-24)24 May 1953 (age 72) London, England |
| Citizenship |
|
| Alma mater | Guildhall School of Music and Drama |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1970–present |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 1[2] |
| Awards | Full list |
Alfred Molina (bornAlfredo Molina; 24 May 1953) is an English and American actor. He is known for roles on the stage and screen. Molina has received aDrama Desk Award as well as nominations for twoBritish Academy Film Awards, aBritish Independent Film Award, anIndependent Spirit Award, fiveScreen Actors Guild Awards, and threeTony Awards.
He first rose to prominence in theWest End, earning a nomination for theLaurence Olivier Award for Best Newcomer in a Play for his performance in the production ofOklahoma! in 1980. He receivedTony Award nominations for his roles onBroadway playing Yvan inArt (1998),Tevye inFiddler on the Roof (2004), andMark Rothko inRed (2009). He returned to Broadway playing Professor Serebryakov in a revival ofUncle Vanya (2024).
On film, he made his debut asSatipo inRaiders of the Lost Ark (1981). He went on to receive twoBAFTA Award nominations for his roles asDiego Rivera inFrida (2002), and Jack Mellor inAn Education (2009). His other notable films includePrick Up Your Ears (1987),Enchanted April (1992),Boogie Nights (1997),Chocolat (2000),Luther (2003),The Da Vinci Code (2006), andLove Is Strange (2014). He has voiced characters inRango (2011),Monsters University (2013),Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018), andFrozen 2 (2019). He is also known for his portrayal ofOtto Octavius / Doctor Octopus inSam Raimi'sSpider-Man 2 (2004) and theMarvel Cinematic Universe filmSpider-Man: No Way Home (2021).
On television, Molina has received two nominations for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for his roles asBen Weeks in theHBO movieThe Normal Heart (2014), andRobert Aldrich in theFX miniseriesFeud: Bette and Joan (2017). His other notable television credits includeMeantime (1983),Murder on the Orient Express (2001), andThree Pines (2022).
He was born Alfredo Molina[3] in the Paddington district of London. His parents were both immigrants: his Spanish father —fromMurcia— was a waiter who had parachuted into France withSOE before D-Day, and his Italian mother worked as a cleaner.[4][5][6][7]
Molina grew up in a working-class district inNotting Hill[8] that was inhabited by many other immigrant families.[2] He attended Cardinal Manning secondary modern Roman Catholic school there.[2] He decided to become an actor after seeingSpartacus at the age of nine, and attended theGuildhall School of Music and Drama,[9] as well as auditioning for and becoming a member of theNational Youth Theatre.[10] Molina admitted in May 2024 that his father was disappointed in him for pursuing a career in acting.[11][12]
At the age of 21, heanglicised his name to Alfred, at the urging of his first agent.[13]
Molina appeared withLeonard Rossiter in the sitcomThe Losers (1978).[14] He made his film debut with a minor role alongsideHarrison Ford inSteven Spielberg's adventure filmRaiders of the Lost Ark (1981) asIndiana Jones' traitorous and ill-fated guide,Satipo, during its iconic opening sequence. Molina stated in an interview in 2013 that he owes his stage and film career to theIndiana Jones series. "I'm very, very proud of that, I have to admit I didn't think at the time, 'Oh, this is going to go down in movie history.' I'd never been in front of a camera before," Molina said about his short but memorable appearance inRaiders of the Lost Ark. He recalled getting the job as a "gift from God" and said, "I've publicly thanked Steven many, many times. That job saved my bacon, in more ways than one." About his now-famous line in the film, Molina stated that "I've never had a problem with people coming up to me about it. They'll shout that line to me, 'Throw me the idol, I'll throw you the whip!' I'm delighted that people still remember it."[15]
However, his big break came withLetter to Brezhnev (1985), which he followed with a starring role inPrick Up Your Ears (1987), playingJoe Orton's lover (and eventual murderer)Kenneth Halliwell. He was originally cast asArnold Rimmer in the TV sitcomRed Dwarf, but was replaced byChris Barrie.[16]
In the early 1990s, Molina was a ubiquitous presence on British television, with his highest profile role being the lead in the first two series ofEl C.I.D.. He appeared in the critically acclaimed films such asMike Newell's costume dramaEnchanted April (1992),Richard Donner's western comedyMaverick (1994), andJim Jarmusch's westernDead Man (1995). Subsequent film roles include the dramaNot Without My Daughter (1991), the science fiction horror filmSpecies (1995), the broad comedyDudley Do-Right (1999). With a midwestern American accent, Molina starred alongsideBetty White in the US television seriesLadies Man, which ran from 1999 to 2001.[17] In 1993 he appeared in the BBC miniseries adaptation ofA Year in Provence, playing the annoying Tony, along withJohn Thaw andLindsay Duncan.[18] In 1995, Molina starred withMarisa Tomei inThe Perez Family, playing Cuban refugees who pretend to be married so they can more easily stay in America.[19] Marjorie Baumgarten praised Molina as attaining "the right mixture of gentle honor and baffled stupefaction" to portray his character,[20] although Peter Rainer ofLos Angeles Times called Molina "so intensely sodden that he's like a great big scowling dark cloud."[21] Molina has worked twice withPaul Thomas Anderson, first inBoogie Nights (1997) and then inMagnolia (1999).[22]
In 2000, Molina appeared inLasse Hallström'sChocolat which received critical acclaim and anAcademy Award for Best Picture nomination. He gained wide recognition for his portrayal ofDiego Rivera alongsideSalma Hayek in the biopicFrida (2002), a role for which he gainedBAFTA andSAG award nominations. He played himself alongsideSteve Coogan in Jarmusch'sCoffee and Cigarettes (2003) and gained further commercial recognition when he portrayedJohann Tetzel inLuther (2003) andOtto Octavius / Doctor Octopus inSpider-Man 2 (2004),[23] which became one of the highest-grossing films of that year. For the latter, Molina was nominated for aSatellite Award as Best Supporting Actor. He reprised his role in thevideo game adaptation. In 2006, Molina portrayedTouchstone inKenneth Branagh's film version ofShakespeare'sAs You Like It and appeared inRon Howard'sadaptation ofThe Da Vinci Code. Molina provided the voice of the villainAres in the 2009 animated filmWonder Woman.[24]
Molina's stage work has included two majorRoyal National Theatre productions,Tennessee Williams'The Night of the Iguana (as Shannon) andDavid Mamet'sSpeed-the-Plow (as Fox). In hisBroadway debut, Molina performed inYasmina Reza'sTony Award-winning play'Art', for which he received a Tony nomination in 1998. In 2004, Molina returned to the stage, starring as Tevye in the Broadway production ofFiddler on the Roof. For his performance he once again received a Tony Award nomination, this time for Best Actor in a Musical. He received his third Tony Award nomination forRed in 2010, forBest Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play.[25]
In 2007, Molina narrated a 17-part original audiobook forAudible.com calledThe Chopin Manuscript. This serialised novel was written by a team of 15 best-selling thriller writers, includingJeffery Deaver,Lee Child,Joseph Finder andLisa Scottoline. The novel won the 2008 Audiobook of the Year Award from Audio Publishers Association.[26]
On 1 April 2010, Molina opened at Broadway'sJohn Golden Theatre in the role of artistMark Rothko inJohn Logan's dramaRed oppositeEddie Redmayne for a limited engagement through 27 June.[27] He had played the role to much critical success at theDonmar Warehouse in London in December 2009 and revisited that role at theWyndham's Theatre in theWest End in 2018.[28]
In 2010, Molina starred oppositeDawn French in the six-part BBC sitcomRoger & Val Have Just Got In,[29] with a second series in 2012.[30]
Molina has threeLego Minifigures modelled after him, namely Doctor Octopus fromSpider-Man 2, and Spider-Man: No Way Home, Satipo fromRaiders of the Lost Ark, and Sheik Amar fromPrince of Persia.[31] In July 2010, it was announced that Molina had joined the cast ofLaw & Order: LA as Deputy District Attorney Morales.[32] He previously guest-starred in a two-part crossover in 2005 in two otherLaw & Order franchise shows,Law & Order: Special Victims Unit andLaw & Order: Trial by Jury.[33]
Molina is a patron of the performing arts groupTheatretrain. He is also a longtime member of the Los Angeles theatre company The New American Theatre, formerly known as Circus Theatricals, where he often teaches Shakespeare and Scene Study along with the company's artistic directorJack Stehlin.[34] In 2017 he portrayed film directorRobert Aldrich inRyan Murphy'sFX limited seriesFeud: Bette & Joan. The series revolved around the filming ofWhat Ever Happened to Baby Jane? in 1962 and the relationship between actressesBette Davis andJoan Crawford played bySusan Sarandon andJessica Lange respectively. Molina received critical praise for the film as well as awards attention received nominations from thePrimetime Emmy Awards, andGolden Globe Awards for his performance.
In 2020, Molina appeared inDavid Oyelowo's dramaThe Water Man, andEmerald Fennell's black comedy thrillerPromising Young Woman. On 8 December 2020, it was announced that he would be returning as Doctor Octopus forSpider-Man: No Way Home (2021) in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), set to premiere on 17 December 2021.[35] Molina later confirmed that he would actually be reprising his role as theSpider-Man 2 incarnation of Doctor Octopus inNo Way Home,retconning his character's apparent death at the end of the former film. He wasdigitally de-aged to his 2004 self.[36] On 2 September 2021, it was announced that Alfred Molina was set to star inAmazon Prime police drama seriesThree Pines, which comes fromThe Crown producerLeft Bank Pictures. Molina playsChief Inspector Armand Gamache of theSûreté du Québec, the lead character fromLouise Penny's book series (includingStill Life, the first entry of the unnamed series), he also serves as executive producer for the show.[37] The trailer came out in October 2022[38] and the show premiered in December 2022. It was cancelled after one season.
In 2024, Molina returned toBroadway playing Professor Serebryakov in a revival ofAnton Chekov'sUncle Vanya (2024). The production was directed byLila Neugebauer and adapted byHeidi Schreck. Molina co-starred alongsideSteve Carell,William Jackson Harper,Alison Pill,Anika Noni Rose, andJayne Houdyshell.[39] He would also play the narrator in thefilm version ofHarold and the Purple Crayon.[40]
Molina resides in Los Angeles, California. He has been a dual U.K./U.S. citizen since 2004.[41] In 2017, he moved toLa Cañada Flintridge.[42] In addition to English, he is fluent in French, Italian and Spanish.[43][44]
Molina has a daughter, Rachel, from a previous relationship.[2] In 1986, Molina married actressJill Gascoine inTower Hamlets, London.[45] They remained married until her death on 28 April 2020 in Los Angeles fromAlzheimer's disease.[46] In November 2019, directorJennifer Lee confirmed that she was in a relationship with Molina, the two having worked together inFrozen 2 (2019), and they later married in August 2021.[1][47]
Molina is an advocate for people withAIDS. He donates towards AIDS research, participates in the Los Angeles AIDS Walk and appeared as himself in a documentary produced by Joseph Kibler[48] (who has been HIV+ andparaplegic since his birth, c. 1989) about Kibler's life titledWalk On, first screened in 2013.[49][50] When playing the role ofSayyed Bozorg Mahmoody inNot Without My Daughter, Molina was once physically assaulted on his way to a rehearsal by a man who mistook him for the real Mahmoody.[51]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Orchids | Cliff | |
| 2009 | Big Guy | Kent | |
| 2017 | Sam Did It | Himself | |
| 2019 | Frankenstein's Monster's Monster, Frankenstein | Aubrey Fields |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Chill Out, Scooby-Doo! | Professor Jeffries (voice) | [52] |
| 2009 | Wonder Woman | Ares (voice) | |
| 2017 | Justice League Dark | Destiny (voice) |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | The Losers | Nigel | 6 episodes |
| 1981 | Bognor | Waiter | 2 episodes |
| 1982 | Joni Jones | Giovanni | Episode: "JONI JONES Y Ffoadur" |
| 1983 | Reilly, Ace of Spies | Yakov Blumkin | Episode: "Gambit" |
| 1985 | C.A.T.S. Eyes | Det. Sgt. Cropper | Episode: "Blue for Danger" |
| 1986 | Casualty | Harry Horner | Episode: "Jump Start" |
| 1987 | Miami Vice | Esther's Attorney | Episode: "The Big Thaw" |
| 1989 | Saracen | Jose Morazan | Episode: "Proof of Death" |
| Revolutionary Witness | The Butcher/ Robert Sauveur | Episode: "The Butcher" | |
| 1989–92 | Screen One | Various characters | 4 episodes |
| 1989–95 | Screen Two | Various characters | 4 episodes |
| 1990–92 | El C.I.D. | Bernard Blake | 13 episodes |
| 1991 | Ashenden | Carmona | Episode: "The Hairless Mexican" |
| Performance | George Melly | Episode: "The Trials of Oz" | |
| Boon | Mike Hubble | Episode: "The Night Before Christmas" | |
| 1996 | Tracey Takes On... | Mr. Dragotti | Episode: "Royalty" |
| 1998 | The Wild Thornberrys | Elcio (voice) | Episode: "Only Child" |
| 1999–2001 | Ladies Man | Jimmy Stiles | 30 episodes; also producer |
| 2002 | Bram & Alice | Bram | 9 episodes |
| 2003 | Justice League | King Gustav (voice) | Episode: "Maid of Honor" Pt. 1[52] |
| 2005 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Gabriel Duvall | Episode: "Night" |
| Law & Order: Trial by Jury | Gabriel Duvall | Episode: "Day" | |
| 2007 | Monk | Peter Magneri | Episode: "Mr. Monk and the Naked Man" |
| The Company | The Sorcerer | 3 episodes | |
| 2010–11 | Law & Order: LA | Det. Ricardo Morales | 16 episodes |
| 2010–12 | Roger & Val Have Just Got In | Roger Stephenson | 12 episodes |
| The Life & Times of Tim | Chairman (voice) | 2 episodes | |
| 2011 | Harry's Law | Eric Sanders | 3 episodes |
| Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson | Geoff Peterson (voice) | 3 episodes | |
| 2012 | Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness | Ke-Pa (voice) | Episode: "Enter the Dragon"[52] |
| 2012, 2015–16 | Gravity Falls | Multi-Bear (voice) | 3 episodes[52] |
| 2012–20 | Robot Chicken | Lex Luthor / Various characters (voices) | 7 episodes |
| 2013 | Monday Mornings | Dr. Harding Hooten | 10 episodes |
| Drunk History | Arthur Conan Doyle | Episode: "Detroit" | |
| 2014 | Rick and Morty | Lucius Needful (voice) | Episode: "Something Ricked This Way Comes" |
| Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey | Alhazen (voice) | Episode: "Hiding in the Light" | |
| Matador | Andrés Galan | 13 episodes | |
| Wordgirl | Patrick Needlemeyer (voice) | Episode: "Putt with Honor" | |
| 2014–17 | Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero | Rippen (voice) | 53 episodes[52] |
| 2015 | Show Me a Hero | Henry J. Spallone | 6 episodes |
| Axe Cop | Various characters (voice) | 2 episodes | |
| Oscar's Hotel for Fantastical Creatures | Norbert (voice) | Episode: "Fishy Business" | |
| Long Live the Royals | Rupert / Neil (voice) | 2 episodes | |
| 2016–18 | DreamWorks Dragons | Viggo Grimborn (voice) | 19 episodes[52] |
| 2016–17 | Angie Tribeca | Dr. Edelweiss | Uncredited 14 episodes |
| 2016 | Close to the Enemy | Harold Lindsay-Jones | 7 episodes |
| 2016, 2020 | American Dad! | Tow Truck Driver / Kazim (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2017 | Feud: Bette and Joan | Robert Aldrich | 6 episodes[53] |
| I'm Dying Up Here | Carl Veisor | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| Welcome to the Wayne | Albert Molina (voice) | 3 episodes[52] | |
| 2018–23 | Summer Camp Island | Monster Under the Bed / Various characters (voices) | 12 episodes[52] |
| 2018 | I Feel Bad | Max | Episode: "My Kids Barely Know Their Culture" |
| 2019 | 3Below: Tales of Arcadia | Archie (voice) | Episode: "A Glorious End, Part Two"[52] |
| Vampirina | Sir Ghoulgood (voice) | Episode: "Haunted Theater" | |
| 2020–21; 2024–25 | Solar Opposites | The Duke (voice) | 9 episodes |
| 2020–22 | Big City Greens | Cogburn (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2020 | Harley Quinn | Mr. Freeze, Stew (voices) | 2 episodes[52] |
| Family Guy | Panamanian Man (voice) | Episode: "Coma Guy" | |
| Wizards: Tales of Arcadia | Archie (voice) | 10 episodes[52] | |
| Crossing Swords | Robin Hood (voice) | Episode: "Hot Tub Death Machine" | |
| Infinity Train | Chandelier (voice) | Episode: "The Debutante Ball Car" | |
| 2021, 2024 | Monsters at Work | Professor Derek Knight (voice) | 2 episodes[52] |
| 2021 | Maya and the Three | Lord Mictlan (voice) | 7 episodes[52] |
| 2022 | Roar | Silas McCall | Episode: "The Girl Who Loved Horses" |
| 2022 | Three Pines | Inspecteur-chief Armand Gamache | 8 episodes |
| 2023 | Praise Petey | Human Shih Tzu (voice) | 4 episodes[54] |
| 2024 | Star Wars: Skeleton Crew | Benjar Pranic (voice) | Episode: "Very Interesting, as an Astrogation Problem" |
| 2024–25 | Hamster & Gretel | Mordros the Annihilator (voice) | 4 episodes |
| 2025 | Chibiverse | Multi-Bear (voice) | Episode: "The Perfect Gift" |
| Blood of Zeus | Cronus (voice) | 8 episodes |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Anyone for Denis? | Eric | |
| 1983 | Meantime | John | |
| 1985 | Number One | D.C. Rogers | |
| Angels in the Annexe | Mike Brittain | ||
| 1989 | The Accountant | Lionel Ellerman | |
| 1994 | Requiem Apache | Hamish/Getaway Driver | |
| 2001 | Murder on the Orient Express | Hercule Poirot | |
| 2009 | Yes, Virginia | Francis Pharcellus Church (voice) | [52] |
| 2011 | Innocent | Alejando "Sandy" Stern | |
| 2012 | Loving Miss Hatto | Barrie | |
| 2014 | The Normal Heart | Ben Weeks | |
| 2016 | Sister Cities | Mort | Also executive producer |
| 2017 | Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie | Lasombra (voice) | [55] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Spider-Man 2 | Otto Octavius / Doctor Octopus | [56][52] |
| 2014 | The Elder Scrolls Online | Abnur Tharn | [57] |
| 2015 | The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited | ||
| 2016 | The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Edition | ||
| 2017 | The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind | ||
| Wilson's Heart | Bela Belascó | ||
| 2018 | The Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset | Abnur Tharn | |
| 2019 | The Elder Scrolls Online: Elsweyr | ||
| The Elder Scrolls Online: Dragonhold | |||
| 2020 | The Elder Scrolls Online: Greymoor | ||
| 2021 | The Elder Scrolls Online: Blackwood | ||
| 2024 | Indiana Jones and the Great Circle | Satipo | Likeness used only; role performed byJoe Hernandez-Kolski |
Media related toAlfred Molina at Wikimedia Commons
