Raul Julia | |
|---|---|
 Julia asDracula (1977) | |
| Born | Raúl Rafael Juliá y Arcelay (1940-03-09)March 9, 1940 |
| Died | October 24, 1994(1994-10-24) (aged 54) Manhasset, New York, U.S. |
| Resting place | Buxeda Memorial Park Cemetery,Río Piedras, Puerto Rico |
| Education | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1963–1994 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2 |
| Signature | |
 | |
Raúl Rafael Carlos Juliá y Arcelay (March 9, 1940 – October 24, 1994) was a Puerto Rican actor and humanitarian. He was best known for his intense and varied roles on stage and screen. He started his career inthe Public Theater before transitioning to film. He received numerous accolades including aDrama Desk Award, aPrimetime Emmy Award, aGolden Globe Award, aScreen Actors Guild Award and nominations for fourTony Awards. In 2017,The Daily Telegraph named him one of the best actors never to have received anAcademy Award nomination.[1]
Born inSan Juan, Julia took an interest in acting while in school and pursued the career upon completion of his studies. After performing locally for some time, he was convinced by actor and entertainment personalityOrson Bean to move to New York City.[2] Julia, who had beenbilingual since childhood, soon gained interest inBroadway andoff-Broadway plays. He performed in mobile projects, including thePuerto Rican Traveling Theater. Julia was eventually noticed by producerJoseph Papp, who offered him work in theNew York Shakespeare Festival.[2]
In 1978, Julia starred alongsideMeryl Streep in a revival ofShakespeare'sTaming of the Shrew at theDelacorte Theater.[3] He received fourTony Award for Best Actor in a Musical nominations forTwo Gentlemen of Verona (1972),Where's Charley? (1975),The Threepenny Opera (1977), andNine (1982). Julia starred in the original Broadway production ofHarold Pinter'sBetrayal (1979). He also starred in revivals ofDesign for Living (1984),Othello (1991), and his final Broadway roleMan of La Mancha (1994).[4][5]
Julia gained prominence for his role asGomez Addams in two film adaptations ofThe Addams Family.[6] He receivedGolden Globe Award nominations forTempest (1982),Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985), andMoon Over Parador (1988). He is also known for his film roles inThe Panic in Needle Park (1971),One from the Heart (1982),The Morning After (1986),Romero (1989),Presumed Innocent (1990) andStreet Fighter (1994). In 1994, Julia suffered several health afflictions, eventually dying after suffering a stroke. For his work inThe Burning Season, he was posthumously awarded aPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor and aGolden Globe Award forBest Actor – Miniseries, or Television Film.[7][8][9]
Julia was born March 9, 1940, inFloral Park (Hato Rey), a suburb ofSan Juan, to Raúl Juliá Sr., an electrical engineer who graduated fromTrine University, and Olga Arcelay, amezzo-soprano who sang in a church choir.[10] He was the oldest of four brothers alongside sisters Maria Eugenia Juliá and Olga Maria Juliá.[11][12] When Julia was 19 years old, his brother Rafa died in a car accident.[13] Some relatives were also musicians, including his great-aunt María González, whom he credited as the inspiration behind his artistic career.[14] The family was Catholic.[12] His direct paternal line goes back to his great-great-grandfather, Francisco Juliá Brell, fromBarcelona, Spain, who settled inManati, Puerto Rico, in 1834.[15]
Raúl Juliá Sr. was the founder of La Cueva del Chicken Inn, a restaurant in San Juan.[16] The building was originally a gas station and auto body shop before being remodeled after a similar restaurant inMadrid, Spain, called Las Cuevas de Luis Candelas, which is intended to mimic the structure of a gypsum cave. He claimed that he had brought pizza to Puerto Rico after hiring an Italian cook in New York City who could prepare pizza.[16] The restaurant is also supposed to be the first to distribute chicken-in-a-basket in the archipelago, which Miriam Fitts helped him develop.[16]
Julia was enrolled in the Colegio Espíritu Santo in Hato Rey, a Catholic private school,[17] where most of the personnel spoke exclusively English.[14] There, he participated in his first play in first grade, interpreting the devil, with his performance earning him participation in all subsequent school plays.[18] After witnessingErrol Flynn's performance inThe Adventures of Robin Hood, he decided to pursue an acting career.
During his childhood, Julia's family followed a strict Jesuit practice, often taking homeless children into their household.[19] His mother received recognition from the Catholic University of Ponce for these efforts.[19]
By the seventh grade, Julia was able to speak English fluently and had gained interest in the works ofWilliam Shakespeare. Julia concluded his secondary education atColegio San Ignacio de Loyola, where he would organize plays ofJulius Caesar,Hamlet,King Lear, andThe Tempest.[20] Seeking to please his parents, he continued his education with a year atFordham University,[6] the well-known private Jesuit university in New York City, before returning home to enroll at theUniversity of Puerto Rico, where, just like his father, he joinedPhi Sigma Alpha fraternity.[21]
Julia continued acting in local plays and nightclubs[20] as he earned a bachelor of arts degree. Julia eventually realized that he had no interest in pursuing the law career favored by his parents, choosing to act full-time despite having doubts that he could sustain himself working as an actor.[20] His parents did not support this decision.[22]
Julia began performing in several plays that were held in San Juan, debuting inLa Vida es un Sueño.[22] He performed in a restaging ofMacbeth, which was held in one of the municipality's colonial castles in order to simulate the setting of the work.[23] Other works included playing the role ofRoderigo inOthello at a local drama production. Parallel to this, Julia began making presentations at theTed Mack Amateur Hour. After joining a musical group named the Lamplighters, despite receiving opposition from his parents, he was recruited byLillian Hurst to perform alongside her, eventually receiving work at a hotel named El Convento.[24]
During this time, he began considering the possibility of moving to Europe to take acting classes. During one of their acts, Julia was approached byOrson Bean, who was on vacation in Puerto Rico and provided him with contact information, wanting him to travel to New York and work there.[6][24] His parents were shocked by the proposal, but ultimately agreed to support his decision.[24] Julia's departure was postponed after his younger brother, Rafael, died in a traffic collision. During this time, he became engaged to Magda Vasallo Molinelli.[25]
In 1964, when he was 24 years old, he traveled to New York City, arriving in the middle of a winter storm. After establishing residence in Manhattan, Julia worked at a variety of odd jobs to pay his expenses, going so far as to attend sales training (provided by a distributor) in the proper way to sell pens.[26] When Hurst visited him, they attended a Broadway play, which prompted a discovery that surprised him—that it was possible to work as an actor full-time.[27] As a result, Julia began seeking employment in both Broadway andOff-Broadway plays. Seeking to further improve his acting, he took lessons fromWynn Handman, who was recommended by Bean; his class included future fellow starChristopher Walken.[27][28]
His first work was in a production ofPedro Calderón de la Barca'sLife Is a Dream, wherein he played Astolfo, thereby making himself eligible to receive his Actors Equity card fromActors' Equity Association.[29] Initially, Julia received an allowance from his parents, but after hiring manager Jeff Hunter, he landed a role in a production ofBye Bye Birdie, thereafter declining further financial assistance.[29] He began performing withPhoebe Brand's mobile theatre, presenting plays in low-income neighborhoods of New York. This wasn't always easy and the group was frequently attacked with cans and other items, including one incident in which a pillow was lit on fire and thrown their way.[22] In 1965, he married Vasallo Molinelli.
In 1966, Julia was cast in the role ofMacduff in a Spanish-language version ofMacbeth, and also performed inThe Ox Cart (La Carreta), a stage play written by Puerto Rican playwright René Marqués.[30]Míriam Colón Valle, who also participated inLa Carreta, established the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater, where he performed. In 1967, the founder of theNew York Shakespeare Festival (NYSF),Joseph Papp, attended a performance atDelacorte Theater, where Julia was reading patriotic Puerto Rican poetry.[31] Subsequently, Papp offered him the role of Demetrius in a staging ofTitus Andronicus.[32] After this play concluded, he contacted Papp who offered him the job of stage manager in NYSF'sHamlet.[6] While performing this task, Julia also performed in some of the plays.[33]
In September 1968, after auditioning four times for the role, Julia debuted in his first Broadway play, performing as Chan in a staging ofThe Cuban Thing.[34] The following year, he was cast in a production ofArthur Kopit'sIndians. During this time, Vasallo Molinelli and he were divorced. In 1970, Julia, in the role of Paco Montoya inThe Castro Complex, received notably favorable reviews.[34] While rehearsing for an off-Broadway play, he met Merel Poloway and began a relationship with her.[35]
As he gained prominence on Broadway, Julia was cast in two television series,Love of Life andSesame Street. He disliked his role inLove of Life, only appearing on the show for a brief time.[36] OnSesame Street, he was Rafael the Fix-It Man, a recurring character during the show's third season. Raphael the Fix-It Man's partner at the Fix-It Shop wasEmilio Delgado's character Luis, who after debuting with Julia, went on to a long tenure on the show. During 1971–1972, Julia earned roles in three films:The Organization,The Panic in Needle Park, and a film adaptation ofBeen Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me.[36]
While working onSesame Street, Julia was contacted by Papp, who offered him the role of Proteus inTwo Gentlemen of Verona. For his performance in this play, Julia received his first nomination for aTony Award and won the 1972Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Performance.[36] In 1973, he interpretedEdmund inKing Lear, followed by the role of Orlando inAs You Like It.[37] Julia noted that he cherished the roles he played in these Shakespeare plays, particularly the rhythm, music, and poetry present in them.[37] He also acted inVia Galactica's limited presentation on Broadway and, on television, played Dr. Greg Robinson, Jerry's brother, in the "Oh, Brother" episode ofThe Bob Newhart Show.
In 1974, Julia was cast as the titular role of Charley Wykeham in the comedy,Where's Charley?, receiving his second Tony Award nomination for his performance.[37] He subsequently joinedWerner Erhard'sErhard Seminars Training or "est", an organization that promotes self-motivation, by participating in its seminars.[38] In 1976, Julia played Mack the Knife inThe Threepenny Opera, interpreting the dialogue with a marked British accent.[39] The performance earned him a third Tony Award nomination. He then returned to film as Italian car racer Franco Bertollini inThe Gumball Rally.
That same year, Julia married Poloway in theCatskill Mountains.[40] The ceremony was led by SwamiMuktananda as part of a spiritual retreat. The couple had met the Swami through Erhard.[40] After this retreat, Erhard foundedThe Hunger Project, claiming that after traveling to India, he felt motivated to found a nonprofit organization to eliminate world hunger through philanthropic galas.[40] Julia joined the initiative at its conception,[6] establishing a personal goal of raising $1 million for the organization. In 1978, his interpretation of the lead role in the 1924 theatrical version ofDracula was well received.[41]
While performing asDracula, Julia also playedPetruchio inThe Taming of the Shrew in 1978.[6] His interaction with co-star Meryl Streep was tense at first, before developing into a friendship as the production advanced.[41] In 1979, he starred as Othello oppositeRichard Dreyfuss asIago, later reviving the role in 1991 withChristopher Walken as Iago.[42] Julia followed up his double-duty stage work with a role inPaul Mazursky'sfilm adaptation ofThe Tempest, spending several months in Italy while exploring its culture. During this time, he received the script forNine, the play that would garner him a fourth Tony Award nomination.[6][43] In preparation for his role in Harold Pinter'sBetrayal, Julia moved temporarily to London, hiring a dialect coach to train him in British pronunciation.[44] Julia subsequently used a British or trans-Atlantic accent for most of his film work, includingPresumed Innocent,The Addams Family films, andStreet Fighter.
In 1982, Julia played Calibanos in Mazursky'sTempest and Ray in the musicalOne from the Heart.[45] In 1983, his first son with Poloway, Raul Sigmund Julia, was born. That year, he also starred in the public television filmOverdrawn at the Memory Bank, which received a weak reception and was satirized onMystery Science Theater 3000. After not appearing in a film for two years, Julia played a political prisoner named Valentín in an adaptation of theManuel Puig workKiss of the Spider Woman.[45] Valentín's cellmate is a flamboyant homosexual (William Hurt), jailed for immoral behavior in Brazil, who passes the time by describing scenes from his favorite romantic movie to Valentín; slowly, the two form a bond based on mutual understanding and respect.[46] In view of the uniqueness of the script, Julia agreed to begin filming before receiving his salary and traveled to South America, where he interviewed rebels and ex-prisoners to familiarize himself with their experiences and ideology.[47] Upon its release,Kiss of the Spider Woman was a commercial and critical success. For his performance, Julia received a nomination for theGolden Globe Award and won theNational Board of Review of Motion Pictures award for best actor, along with co-lead actorWilliam Hurt.[48]
The following year, he appeared in his first Puerto Rican film,La Gran Fiesta, offering a monologue near the end of the film.[49] In 1985, he starred as Major Sergius Saranoff in an adaptation ofArms and the Man. This was followed by the role of David Suárez in the romantic comedyCompromising Positions. In 1986, Julia played a hairdresser named Joaquin Manero inThe Morning After. Following his usual procedure of practical preparation for a role, he took cosmetology lessons and worked at a hair salon for some time.[49]
In 1987, Julia had the lead role inThe Penitent. Later on that year, his second son with Poloway, Benjamín Rafael Juliá, was born.[50] In 1988, Julia played a corrupt official in Paul Mazursky's comedy,Moon over Parador, which received negative reviews from critics.[51] The following year, he co-starred withAnthony Quinn inOnassis: The Richest Man in the World, a biographic film covering the life ofAristotle Onassis. In 1989, Julia was cast as San Salvadoran ArchbishopÓscar Romero in the biographical movie,Romero.[6] During his life, Romero had been a staunch advocate of human rights, often publicly denouncing violations of these rights, which prompted his assassination during a mass. Julia accepted the role based on its political nature, seeking to draw attention to the issues in that region of Central America.[51] To prepare for the role, he read Romero's diary and autobiography, as well as listening to or watching recordings of his messages and masses, which prompted him to rejoin the Catholic Church. Poloway, who is Jewish, and he decided not to raise their children in a particular religion, believing that they should make their own decisions after reaching adulthood. The government of El Salvador refused to allow distribution of the film because of its content, so the film received only clandestine circulation.[52] Due to his activity between 1987 and 1989, Julia was ranked first in theVariety article "List of Busiest Hollywood Actors".[50] Julia then starred in the 1989 film adaptation ofThe Threepenny Opera, recreating the role of Macheath for the movie, which was renamedMack the Knife for its American release.
In 1990, he was cast to as a lawyer inPresumed Innocent, receiving solid reviews for his performance.[53] Prior to the filming, Julia spent time in courtrooms and studied the court system.[53] Also in 1990, he appeared oppositeRobert Redford inHavana, but chose to remain uncredited because the director,Sydney Pollack, refused to give him above-the-title credit. In 1991, when Joseph Papp died, Julia commented that the director was directly responsible for finding him roles besides that of "stereotypical Latinos", such as the "Latin lover".[54] Julia was cast to playGomez Addams in anadaptation ofThe Addams Family.[6] He was attracted to the role because of the character's irreverent portrayal, noting, "even his depressions are wonderful".[55] Since his earlier recollections of the role were of the Spanish-dubbed version of the first television series, he had to adapt the role directly from the original cartoons drawn byCharles Addams, receiving a nomination for aSaturn Award.
In 1992, Julia played the title role in a revival ofMan of La Mancha withSheena Easton, a Broadway musical adaptation of theMiguel de Cervantes novel,Don Quixote. The play originated in 1965, with the main character played by Richard Kiley; one of his favorite actors,José Ferrer, had been considered for the title role at the time.[56] Julia performed this role eight times per week. Subsequently, he reprised his role as Gomez Addams inAddams Family Values.[56] In 1994, Julia playedChico Mendes inThe Burning Season forHBO, for which he received critical acclaim.[57] He familiarized himself with the role by analyzing interviews and footage from Mendes' Xapuri Rubber Tappers Union.[44]
Despite his poor health, which began three years prior to his death, he completedThe Burning Season and was eager to playM. Bison inStreet Fighter, which was to be filmed in Australia in the autumn. Julia felt that this film would allow him to spend more time with his children, who were fans of thevideo-game franchise and helped him prepare for the role.[58] He received his second Saturn Award nomination for his performance, which was considered the high point of the otherwise poorly received motion picture. This would be his final role in a major film, with his last work being a leading role in the television dramaDown Came a Blackbird, which was filmed inToronto, Ontario during September and October 1994. His poor health was apparent in these last three films because of his substantial weight loss.
Unbeknownst to the public, Julia had suffered from stomach cancer for three years prior to his death and had undergone surgery for it in 1993. In early 1994, during the filming ofThe Burning Season in Mexico, he contractedfood poisoning after consumingsushi.[59] Julia was airlifted to a hospital in Los Angeles to receive medical attention. After recovering, he returned to Mexico to finish the film, although he had lost some weight and was physically weakened by his condition.[60] On October 16, 1994, after attending an opera at theMetropolitan Opera in New York City with his wife, Julia began feeling intense abdominal pain and was taken by ambulance to North Shore University Hospital inManhasset,Long Island. At first, he did not appear worried about his condition and was seen in his hospital bed eagerly reviewing the script for his upcoming role inDesperado, but his condition gradually worsened.[61] On the night of October 20, 1994, Julia suffered a stroke, fell into a coma, and was put onlife support.[62] Four days later, on October 24, 1994, Julia died at the age of 54 from complications to the stroke, having never regained consciousness.[6][62]
In accordance with Julia's instructions, his body was transported to Puerto Rico. A state funeral was held in San Juan on October 27, 1994, with Julia's body being escorted to the building of theInstitute of Puerto Rican Culture, where a funeral ceremony was held.[63] The service was attended by thousands of Puerto Ricans, with nativeplena music being played in the background. The burial ceremony was also attended by thousands, with "La Borinqueña" being sung byLucecita Benítez prior to the procession.[64] After stopping at San Ignacio de Loyola Church, the procession advanced to Buxeda Cemetery, where politician and activistRubén Berríos offered the final words. As Julia's coffin was lowered, a load of carnations was dropped from a helicopter while the crowd shouted "¡Viva Puerto Rico Libre!"[65] Julia was a supporter of thePuerto Rican independence movement; on one occasion, he convinced his agent to allow him to do an advertising campaign on behalf of thePuerto Rico Tourism Company.
Subsequent memorial ceremonies were held atJoseph Papp Public Theater in New York and in Los Angeles, where several actors and personalities, includingRubén Blades andEdward James Olmos, expressed their grief.[66] A Mass was celebrated in Miami and numerous private ceremonies were also held. The staff of Universal Pictures paid homage to him by dedicatingStreet Fighter to his memory, adding the phrase "For Raúl. Vaya con Dios." in the film's ending credits. Julia had been set to reprise his role as M. Bison in the video-game version of theStreet Fighter film, having already met with the production staff. The New York Shakespeare Festival bought an obituary notice inVariety, where his birth and death dates were accompanied by a quote from Shakespeare.[67] The Puerto Rican Traveling Theater established the Raúl Juliá Training Unit, giving free acting classes to young actors.
For his performance inThe Burning Season, Julia was posthumously awarded aGolden Globe Award, aScreen Actors Guild Award, aCableACE Award, and anEmmy Award. Although he did not make his screen debut before 1950, Julia was a nominee for theAmerican Film Institute'sAFI's 100 Years...100 Stars.[68] Actors such asHelen Hunt andJimmy Smits have cited him as a source of inspiration.[69][70] On November 21, 1994, then-Mayor of New York CityRudy Giuliani declared that date Raul Julia Day.[71] In 1996, he was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame on Broadway.[72] The Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce created the Raúl Juliá Scholarship Fund in 1997, intended to provide college education for teenagers.[73] His career was the subject of a poem,Inigualable Raúl Juliá.[10]
During his lifetime, Julia continued the charitable work done by his parents during his childhood, engaging in social and educational activities. His contributions were acknowledged with an invitation to join the New York Council for the Humanities.[74] Much of Julia's charity work was focused on at-risk youth, the Latin American community, and the arts. Concerned about rising levels of violence among teenagers, he sponsored scriptwriting programs in high schools and supported young actors.[69] To promote other Latin American artists, Julia actively lent his support to theHispanic Organization of Latin Actors (HOLA) and co-founded Visiones Luminosas, an initiative to foster screenwriters.[75] He continued to work in the NYSF, electing to donate his time.[72]
In a similar fashion, Julia co-operated with independent filmmakers in Puerto Rico by acting in their productions for free or receiving a reduced salary.[74] This constant involvement with the Latin American community earned him a posthumous Hispanic Heritage Award.[76] Julia also promoted interracial acceptance and cooperation as a member of Racial Harmony and served as the chairman of the Joseph Papp Celebrity Coalition for Racial Harmony.[77]
As part of his work forthe Hunger Project, Julia made monthly donations to a food bank.[78] He also promoted the program on television and radio and served as the narrator of bilingual videos about the Hunger Project. Julia somehow found time in his notoriously busy schedule to participate in multiple benefit galas on behalf of the organization as well.[78] Due to this work, the project gave him their Global Citizen Award. His involvement was also recognized in "Ending Hunger: An Idea Whose Time Has Come".[78] On March 24, 1992, Julia received the Courage of Conscience Award.[79] In 1994, the government of El Salvador recognized him for his human-rights activism, selecting him to serve as overseer of their general elections in representation of Freedom House.[80] During his visit to the country, he visited the tomb ofRomero, subsequently describing his experience in a piece published inFreedom Review.
In recognition of his wide-ranging impact, the National Endowment for the Hispanic Arts offers the Raul Julia Award for Excellence annually.[81] In 2002, actressSandra Bullock was presented with the award.[82] She received it for her work as the executive producer of theGeorge Lopez TV series, which offered work and exposition for Hispanic talent. In 2003,Daniel Rodríguez won the first Raul Julia Global Citizen Award from the New York-based Puerto Rico Family Institute, receiving the recognition for his charitable work.[83]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971–1972 | Sesame Street | Rafael, The Repairman | 4 episodes |
| 1974 | The Bob Newhart Show | Gregory Robinson | Episode: "Oh, Brother" |
| Great Performances | Edmund | Episode: "King Lear" | |
| 1975 | Death Scream | Detective Nick Rodriguez | Television film |
| 1984 | American Playhouse | Aram Fingal / Rick Blaine | Episode: "Overdrawn at the Memory Bank" |
| 1985 | Mussolini: The Untold Story | Count Galeazzo Ciano | Television miniseries |
| 1986 | Florida Straits | Carlos Jayne[84] | Television film |
| 1987 | The Alamo: 13 Days to Glory | GeneralAntonio López de Santa Anna | Television miniseries |
| 1988 | Onassis: The Richest Man in the World | Aristotle Onassis | Television film |
| 1994 | The Burning Season | Francisco "Chico" Mendes | |
| 1995 | Down Came a Blackbird | Professor Tomas Ramirez | Television film, posthumous release |
Other credits
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | The Addams Family | Gomez Addams (voice) |
Bibliography
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