Spanish actor (1917–1994)
In this
Spanish name , the first or paternal
surname is
Casado and the second or maternal family name is
Arambillet .
Fernando Casado Arambillet (20 September 1917 – 9 March 1994), best known asFernando Rey , was a Spanish film, theatre, and television actor, who worked in both Europe and the United States. A suave, international actor best known for his roles in the films of surrealist directorLuis Buñuel (Viridiana Tristana Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie That Obscure Object of Desire drug lord Alain Charnier inThe French Connection French Connection II
The debonair Rey was described byFrench Connection producerPhilip D'Antoni as "the last of the Continental guys".[ 1] Los Angeles Times El Cordobés in thebullring . Then your life is all before you to enjoy it."[ 2]
Rey was born inA Coruña , Spain, the son of Fernando Casado Veiga and Sara Arambillet Rey. He studiedarchitecture , but theSpanish Civil War interrupted his university studies. Rey and his father, an army colonel, fought on the side of theLoyalists against the forces ofFrancisco Franco . His family was wealthy, but by the end of the war they were impoverished. His father was sentenced to death after the war, but the sentence was suspended.[ 3] [ 4]
Fernando Rey withSilvia Pinal inViridiana , in the cover of the film script book. In 1936, Rey began his career in films as anextra , sometimes even getting credited. It was then that he chose hisstage name , Fernando Rey. He kept his first name, but took his mother's second surname, Rey, a short surname with a clear meaning ("Rey" is Spanish for "King").
In 1944, his first speaking role was theDuke of Alba inJosé López Rubio 'sEugenia de Montijo . Four years later, he acted the part ofFelipe I el Hermoso , King of Spain, in the Spanish cinema blockbusterLocura de amor
This was the start of a prolific career in film (he played in around two hundred films), radio, theatre, and television. Rey was also a greatdubbing actor in Spanish television. His voice was considered intense and personal, and he became the narrator of important Spanish movies includingLuis García Berlanga 'sBienvenido Mr. Marshall Ladislao Vajda 'sMarcelino Pan y Vino Orson Welles 'Don Quixote Don Quixote in different roles, if one counts the Welles version (for which Rey supplied offscreen narration in the final scene).
His brilliant performance in the role of a demotivated and doubtful actor inJuan Antonio Bardem 'sCómicos Luis Buñuel several years later. However, in the short term, Buñuel's disconcerting public remark on Rey's performance in another of Bardem's film,Sonatas (1959), "I love how this actor plays a corpse", could only increase Rey's apprehensions. Nevertheless, eventually Rey became Buñuel's preferred actor and closest friend.
International career [ edit ] Fernando Rey withGloria Grahame inTarot (The Magician , 1973). Rey's first international performance was inThe Night Heaven Fell Les bijoutiers du clair de lune ) a 1958 French-Italian film directed byRoger Vadim , where he acted alongsideStephen Boyd ,Marina Vlady andBrigitte Bardot . Previously he had played in an American TV series,It happens in Spain , the story of the exploits of a private detective, operating out in Spain, who helps distressed American tourists.
In 1959, Rey co-starred withSteve Reeves andChristine Kaufmann in the Italiansword and sandal filmThe Last Days of Pompeii
In 1961 Rey played in aEuropean Western ,The Savage Guns The Price of Power Compañeros The Magnificent Seven Return of the Seven Guns of the Magnificent Seven
It was his work with Orson Welles andLuis Buñuel during the 1960s and 1970s that made Rey internationally prominent; becoming the first 'international Spanish actor.' Rey starred in Buñuel'sViridiana Tristana The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie Le charme discret de la bourgeoisie) (1972) (asurreal movie which received the 1972Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film ) andThat Obscure Object of Desire Chimes at Midnight The Immortal Story
Rey played memorably the French villain Alain Charnier inWilliam Friedkin 'sThe French Connection Francisco Rabal as Charnier, but could not remember his name after seeing him inLuis Buñuel 'sBelle de jour [ 5] French Connection II
Along 1970s and 1980s Rey played in many international co-productions, some of his appearances beingcameos . These films includeLewis Gilbert 'sThe Adventurers Mauro Bolognini 'sDrama of the Rich Vincente Minnelli 'sA Matter of Time Valerio Zurlini 'sThe Desert of the Tartars Robert Altman 'sQuintet J. Lee Thompson 'sCaboblanco Frank Perry 'sMonsignor Elisa, vida mía Carlos Saura .
On his work inStuart Rosenberg 'sVoyage of the Damned Brú ; a cameo. They paid me a lot of money for less than six hours of shooting, in theBarcelona Stock Exchange building, withJames Mason . I got more money than Orson Welles, who played a great role ...".[ 6]
Fernando Rey, as Don Quixote, withAlfredo Landa , as Sancho Panza, inEl Quijote de Miguel de Cervantes In later years, Rey preferred to work in Spain, with successes as Francisco Regueiro'sPadre Nuestro José Luis Cuerda 'sEl bosque animado (1987) andJaime de Armiñán 'sAl otro lado del túnel (1992) as well as his portrayal ofDon Quixote , alongsideAlfredo Landa asSancho Panza , in the memorableManuel Gutiérrez Aragón 'sEl Quijote de Miguel de Cervantes Televisión Española .
His last appearance on the screen was in a supporting role in the Spanishblack comedy El cianuro ... ¿sólo o con leche? (Cyanide ... pure or with milk? ) (1994).
Recognition and awards [ edit ] In 1971 Fernando Rey won the best actor award in theSan Sebastián International Film Festival , for his performance inRafael Gil 'sLa duda , based, likeViridiana andTristana , on a novel byBenito Pérez Galdós .
Another of the successes of Rey-Buñuel's collaboration wasThat Obscure Object of Desire Michel Piccoli .
InLina Wertmüller 'sAcademy Award -nominated film,Seven Beauties anarchist who, as a friend of the protagonist and fellow prisoner Pasqualino Settebellezze, chooses a gruesome suicide, rather than spend another day in aNazi concentration camp .
Rey wonBest Actor award at 1977Cannes Film Festival for his performance inElisa, vida mía .
In 1988 he again won the best actor award in the San Sebastián International Film Festival, this time for his performance in two films: Francisco Regueiro'sDiario de invierno andAntonio Isasi-Isasmendi 'sEl Aire de un Crimen (The Hint of a Crime) .
Fernando Rey was also awarded the gold medal of the Spanish Movie Arts and Sciences Academy.
Personal life and death [ edit ] In 1960, Rey married Argentine actress Mabel Karr.[ 7] [ 8]
In 1992, he became chairman of theAcademia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas de España succeedingAntonio Giménez-Rico .[ 9]
He died ofbladder cancer inMadrid on 9 March 1994.[ 10] [ 11]
Selected filmography [ edit ] 1935:Fazendo Fitas 1936:Nuestra Natacha 1939:Los cuatro robinsones 1940:Leyenda rota as Extra (uncredited) 1940:El rey que rabió as Extra (uncredited) 1940:La Dolores as Extra (uncredited) 1940:La gitanilla as Extra (uncredited) 1941:¡A mí no me mire usted! as Viajero (uncredited) 1941:Escuadrilla as Extra (uncredited) 1944:Eugenia de Montijo as Duque de Alba 1945:Thirsty Land 1945:Last Stand in the Philippines 1945:Estaba escrito 1946:White Mission 1946:The Prodigal Woman 1947:Don Quixote 1947:The Holy Queen 1947:The Princess of the Ursines 1947:Fuenteovejuna as Frondoso 1948:La próxima vez que vivamos as Óscar Mulden 1948:Madness for Love Felipe el Hermoso 1948:Mare Nostrum 1948:Si te hubieses casado conmigo as Enrique Marín 1949:Sabela de Cambados as Narrator (voice, uncredited) 1949:Noche de Reyes 1949:Aventuras de Juan Lucas as Juan Lucas 1950:Agustina of Aragon 1951:Black Sky 1951:La trinca del aire 1951:Our Lady of Fatima 1952:Devil's Roundup 1952:La laguna negra as Miguel 1953:Les amants de Tolède (voice) 1953:Cabaret 1953:Welcome Mr. Marshall! 1953:Airport 1954:Crimen en el entreacto 1954:The Mayor of Zalamea 1954:Rebellion 1954:Comedians 1955:Miracle of Marcelino 1955:Tangier Assignment 1956:La vida en un bloc (voice, uncredited) 1956:The Adventures of Gil Blas 1956:Playa prohibida 1956:Don Juan 1956:Calle Mayor 1956:The Singer from Mexico 1957:Faustina 1957:Horas de pánico 1957:Madrugada 1957:Un marido de ida y vuelta as Paco 1957:Las últimas banderas 1957:El andén as Don Enrique 1958:The Night Heaven Fell 1958:La venganza as Escritor 1958:¡Viva lo imposible! as Narrator (voice, uncredited) 1959:Parque de Madrid as Don Luis 1959:Sonatas 1959:The Last Days of Pompeii Arbaces , High Priest of Isis 1959:Las dos y media... y veneno as Ramón 1959:Mission in Morocco as Prince Achmed 1960:La rana verde as Narrator (voice) 1960:Culpables 1960:Vida sin risas 1960:Don Lucio y el hermano pío 1960:The Revolt of the Slaves 1961:Teresa as Profesor Héctor De La Barrera 1961:Goliath Against the Giants 1961:Viridiana Luis Buñuel ) as Don Jaime 1961:Fantasmas en la casa as Raimundo Rodríguez de Toledo 1961:Siempre es domingo as Juez Andonelli 1962:My Son, the Hero 1962:Tierra brutal as Don Hernán 1962:Face of Terror as Dr. Charles Taylor 1962:Rogelia 1963:El valle de las espadas as Ramiro II, Rey de León 1963:The Running Man 1963:Shéhérazade 1963:The Ceremony 1964:Backfire 1964:El espontáneo as El Rico Pintor 1964:Los Palomos as Don Alberto 1964:Fin de semana as Entrevistador 1964:La nueva Cenicienta as Juan Echarre 1964:La hora incógnita as Sacerdote 1964:El señor de La Salle as Luis XIV 1964:Dulcinea del Toboso 1965:El Diablo también llora 1965:Son of a Gunfighter 1965:Legacy of the Incas 1965:I grandi condottieri as Lo straniero / The Stranger, Angel of the Lord 1965:Two Mafiosi Against Goldfinger 1965:Espionage in Lisbon 1965:El marqués (1965) as Ramos, The Publisher 1965:Chimes at Midnight 1966:Attack of the Robots 1966:Zampo y yo 1966:El Greco Luciano Salce ) as Felipe II 1966:Return of the Seven 1966:Navajo Joe Sergio Corbucci ) as Reverend Rattigan 1967:The Desperate Ones 1967:The Viscount 1967:Run Like a Thief 1967:Cervantes Vincent Sherman ) as Philip II 1967:Love in Flight 1968:The Immortal Story Orson Welles ) as Merchant Telling Clay's History (uncredited) 1968:Villa Rides 1969:Guns of the Magnificent Seven 1969:Un sudario a la medida as Marco Augusto 1969:The Price of Power Tonino Valerii ) as Pinkerton 1970:Land Raiders 1970:The Adventurers Lewis Gilbert ) as Jaime Xenos 1970:Tristana Luis Buñuel ) as Don Lope 1970:Aoom 1970:Chicas de club as Padrino Elisa 1970:La collera del vento Mario Camus ) as Don Antonio 1970:Compañeros Sergio Corbucci ) as Professor Xantos 1971:Historia de una traición as Luis 1971:Cold Eyes of Fear Enzo G. Castellari ) as Judge Bedell 1971:A Town Called Bastard Robert Parrish ) as Old Blind Man 1971:The Light at the Edge of the World Kevin Billington ) as Captain Moriz 1971:The French Connection William Friedkin ) as Alain "Frog One" Charnier 1972:This Kind of Love 1972:Antony and Cleopatra 1972:The Two Faces of Fear 1972:White Sister Alberto Lattuada ) as Jefe Médico 1972:The Doubt 1972:The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie Luis Buñuel ) as Don Rafael Acosta 1973:Tarot as Arthur 1973:High Crime Enzo G. Castellari ) as Cafiero 1973:One Way as Mr. David 1973:La Chute d'un corps as M. Nansoit 1973:White Fang Lucio Fulci ), as Father Oatley 1974:Pena de muerte as Oscar Bataille 1974:¿... Y el prójimo? as Luis Ignacio 1974:Dites-le avec des fleurs as Jacques Berger 1974:Drama of the Rich Mauro Bolognini ) as Il Professore Murri 1974:La Femme aux bottes rouges Juan Luis Buñuel ) as Perrot 1975:Corruzione al palazzo di giustizia Marcello Aliprandi ) as Judge Vanini 1975:French Connection II John Frankenheimer ) as Alain "Frog One" Charnier 1975:Seven Beauties Lina Wertmüller ) as Pedro, The Anarchist Prisoner 1976:Illustrious Corpses Francesco Rosi ) as Security Minister 1976:Manuela 1976:A Matter of Time Vincente Minnelli ) as Charles Van Maar 1976:The Desert of the Tartars Valerio Zurlini ) as Colonel Nathanson 1976:Voyage of the Damned Stuart Rosenberg ) as President Bru 1976:Striptease as Alfonso 1976:El segundo poder as Cardenal 1977:Jesus of Nazareth Franco Zeffirelli ) as Gaspar 1977:Elisa, vida mía Carlos Saura ) as Luis 1977:The Assignment Mats Arehn ) as Roberto Bidara 1977:Eyes Behind the Wall as Ivano 1977:That Obscure Object of Desire Luis Buñuel ) as Mathieu 1978:Le Dernier Amant romantique as Max 1978:Rebeldía as Don Luis 1979:Traffic Jam Luigi Comencini ) as Carlo 1979:Quintet Robert Altman ) as Grigor 1980:Caboblanco J. Lee Thompson ), as Police Captain Terredo 1980:The Crime of Cuenca 1980:Memorias de Leticia Valle 1981:The Lady of the Camellias Mauro Bolognini ) as Count Stackelberg 1981:Honey 1981:Chaste and Pure Salvatore Samperi ) as Antonio Di Maggio 1981:Trágala, perro as Juez 1982:Cercasi Gesù as Don Filippo 1982:A Estrangeira as André 1982:Monsignor Frank Perry ) as Santoni 1983:Bearn o la sala de las muñecas as Don Antonio 1984:The Hit Stephen Frears ) as Senior Policeman 1984:A Strange Passion 1985:A.D. Stuart Cooper ) as Seneca 1985:Black Arrow John Hough ) as Warwick 1985:Padre nuestro 1985:Rustlers' Rhapsody Hugh Wilson ) as Railroad Colonel 1985:The Knight of the Dragon Fernando Colomo ) as Fray Lupo 1986:Saving Grace Robert M. Young ) as Cardinal Stefano Biondi 1986:Elogio della pazzia 1987:Commando Mengele as Ohmei Felsberg 1987:Hôtel du Paradis Jana Boková ) as Joseph 1987:Mi general as Director Almirante 1987:El bosque animado José Luis Cuerda ) as Senor D'Abondo 1988:The Tunnel as Allende 1988:Pasodoble as Don Nuño 1988:Moon over Parador Paul Mazursky ) as Alejandro 1988:Diario de invierno 1988:El aire de un crimen 1989:Esmeralda Bay as Ramos 1990:Naked Tango Leonard Schrader ) as Juez Torres 1990:Breath of Life Beppe Cino ) as Gran Magno 1990:La batalla de los Tres Reyes as Papa Pablo V 1992:Don Quixote 1992:1492: Conquest of Paradise Ridley Scott ) as Marchena 1992:Después del sueño as Ramiro Lanza 1992:La marrana as Fray Juan 1992:L'Atlantide Bob Swaim ) as Father Mauritius 1993:Madregilda as Padre de Franco 1994:On the Far Side of the Tunnel Jaime de Armiñán ) as Miguel 1994:El cianuro... ¿solo o con leche? as Gregorio (final film role) ^ Thomas, Kevin (13 May 1987)."Star of 'Padre Nuestro': Fernando Rey: 'Last of the Continental Guys' .Los Angeles Times . Retrieved20 January 2025 . ^ Olive, Myrna (20 March 1994)."Fernando Rey, 76; Debonair Film Star" .Los Angeles Times . Retrieved17 December 2015 . ^ Fernando Rey, 76; Debonair Film Star Los Angeles Times Internet Archive . Retrieved August 16, 2023.^ Grimes, William (10 March 1994)."Fernando Rey, 76, Spanish Actor Known for Roles in Bunuel Films" .The New York Times . Retrieved3 August 2025 . ^ "William Friedkin on Casting Fernando Rey" .YouTube . AFISilverTheatre's channel. 3 March 2011.Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved4 October 2014 .^ Cebollada, Pascual,Fernando Rey , Madrid 1992 page 299. ^ "Muere la actriz argentina Mabel Karr, viuda del célebre actor Fernando Rey" .Hola! . Retrieved25 July 2019 .^ Ferrer Molina, Vicente (14 January 2016).Buenas noches y saludos cordiales: José María García. Historia de un periodista irrepetible ISBN 9788494425646 ^ "Fernando Rey, nuevo presidente de la Academia del Cine de España" .El País Prisa . 14 December 1992. Retrieved25 July 2019 .^ "Fernando Rey dies of cancer" .Star-News . Retrieved25 July 2019 .^ "Muere la actriz Mabel Karr, viuda de Fernando Rey" .ABC Vocento . 1 May 2001. Retrieved25 July 2019 .
Awards for Fernando Rey
1946–1975 1976–2000 2001–present
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