Portrait of Fernando Rey

Fernando Rey

Acting

Biography

Fernando Rey  (September 20, 1917 – March 9, 1994) — best known as Fernando Rey — was a Spanish film, theatre, and TV actor, who worked in both Europe and the United States. A suave, international actor best known for his roles in the films of surrealist director Luis Buñuel (Tristana, 1970; Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, 1972; That Obscure Object of Desire, 1977) and as a drug lord in The French Connection (1971), he appeared in more than 150 films over half a century. The debonair Rey was described by French Connection producer Philip D'Antoni as "the last of the Continental guys". He achieved his greatest notoriety after he turned 50: "Perhaps it is a pity that my success came so late in life", he told The Times of Madrid in 1973. "It might have been better to have been successful while young, like El Cordobes in the bullring. Then your life is all before you to enjoy it."

Born: September 20, 1917

Place of Birth: A Coruña, Galicia, Spain

Filmography

2019
El Quijote desde la platea

as Self - Actor / Don Quixote (archive footage)

2000
Speaking of Buñuel

as Self (archive footage)

1998
Les paradoxes de Buñuel

as Self (archive footage)

1994
Arnau

as Compte de Barcelona

1993
Madregilda

as Franco's Father

1993
Mission of Love

as Pacheco

1992
The Sow

as Fray Juan

1992
L'Atlantide

as Father Mauritius

1992
After the Dream

as Ramiro Lanza

1992
Blood and Dust

as Sultan Saladin

1992
Don Quixote

as Closing Scene Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

1992
1990
Drums of Fire

as Papa Pablo V

1990
Breath of Life

as Gran Magno

1990
Naked Tango

as Judge Torres

1989
I promessi sposi

as Conte zio

1989
1989
Il ricatto

as Magistrato Di Nola

1989
1989
Le Grand Secret

as Paul Corbet

1989
Le Grand Secret

as Paul Corbet

1989
Buñuel

as Self

1988
1988
Winter Diary

as Padre

1988
Pasodoble

as Don Nuño

1988
The Tunnel

as Allende

1987
The Enchanted Forest

as Mr. D'Abondo

1987
Mi general

as Director Almirante

1986
Saving Grace

as Cardinal Stefano Biondi

1986
1985
Star Knight

as Fray Lupo

1985
Los Pazos de Ulloa

as Sr. De La Lage

1985
Black Arrow

as Warwick

1985
Angel of Death

as Ohmei Felsberg

1985
Rustlers' Rhapsody

as Railroad Colonel

1985
Our Father

as Cardinal

1985
A.D.

as Seneca

1984
1984
The Hit

as Policeman

1983
Bearn

as Don Antonio

1982
Monsignor

as Cardinal Santoni

1982
Looking for Jesus

as Don Filippo

1982
A Estrangeira

as André

1981
1981
Chaste and Pure

as Antonio Di Maggio

1981
1981
Honey

as Editor

1981
Lady of the Camelias

as Count Stackelberg

1980
Memorias de Leticia Valle

as Don Fernando Valle

1980
Caboblanco

as Police Captain Torredo

1979
Quintet

as Grigor

1979
Traffic Jam

as Carlo

1978
Rebeldía

as Don Luis

1977
1977
1977
1977
1976
Voyage of the Damned

as President Bru

1976
Origins of the Mafia

as Baron Della Spina

1976
A Matter of Time

as Charles Van Maar

1976
Manuela

as Don Ramón

1976
Illustrious Corpses

as Security Minister

1976
El segundo poder

as Cardenal

1976
Striptease

as Alfonso

1975
Seven Beauties

as Pedro the Anarchist Prisoner

1975
French Connection II

as Alain Charnier

1975
Smiling Maniacs

as Judge Vanini

1974
The Murri Affair

as Prof. Murri

1974
Say it with Flowers

as Jacques Berger

1974
1974
¿... Y el prójimo?

as Luis Ignacio

1973
White Fang

as Father Oatley

1973
Fall of a Body

as M. Nansoit

1973
One Way

as Mr. David

1973
High Crime

as Cafiero

1973
Tarot

as Arthur

1972
La duda

as Don Rodrigo - Conde de Albrit

1972
Canticle

as Padrino Elisa

1972
White Sister

as le directeur de l'hôpital

1972
1972
The Two Faces of Fear

as Inspector Nardi

1972
This Kind of Love

as Giovanna's father

1971
A Town Called Bastard

as Old Blind Man

1971
The French Connection

as Alain Charnier

1971
Cold Eyes of Fear

as Juez Flower

1970
Compañeros

as Prof. Xantos

1970
Wrath of the Wind

as Don Antonio

1970
1970
Tristana

as Don Lope

1970
The Adventurers

as Jaime Xenos

1969
The Price of Power

as Pinkerton

1969
1969
Land Raiders

as Priest

1968
1968
Villa Rides

as Fuentes

1967
Amor en el aire

as Carlos Mª Saldiez

1967
Run Like a Thief

as Col. Romero

1967
Pero… ¡en qué país vivimos!

as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

1967
1967
The Viscount

as Marco Demoygne

1966
Navajo Joe

as Reverend Rattigan

1966
1966
El Greco

as Re Filippo II

1966
Zampo y yo

as Zampo

1966
1965
Chimes at Midnight

as Worcester

1965
Espionage in Lisbon

as Agent of the New World Organization

1965
1965
Don Quijote von der Mancha

as Der Herzog / le duc

1965
Legacy of the Incas

as President Castillo

1965
Son of a Gunfighter

as Don Pedro Fortuna

1965
1965
The Devil Also Cries

as Ramòn Quiroga

1965
Samson and Gideon

as Lo straniero / The Stranger - Angel of the Lord

1965
Don Quijote

as Der Herzog

1964
Fin de semana

as Entrevistador

1964
The Palomos

as Don Alberto

1964
The New Cinderella

as Juan Echarre

1964
The Rash One

as El Rico Pintor

1964
Backfire

as Commissioner of Beirut harbor

1964
1963
The Ceremony

as Sanchez

1963
The Running Man

as Police Official

1963
Scheherazade

as Al Fakid

1963
The Castilian

as Ramiro II, rey de León

1962
Face of Terror

as Dr. Charles Taylor

1962
My Son, the Hero

as High Priest (uncredited)

1962
Viridiana

as Don Jaime

1962
Rogelia

as Máximo García

1961
The Savage Guns

as Don Hernán

1961
Siempre es domingo

as Juez Andonelli

1961
Fantasmas en la casa

as Raimundo Rodríguez de Toledo

1961
Goliath Against the Giants

as Bokan the Usurper

1961
Teresa

as Profesor Héctor de la Barrera

1960
1960
Culpables

as Mario

1959
1959
The Last Days of Pompeii

as Arbaces, High Priest of Isis

1959
Sonatas

as Captain Casares

1959
Mission in Morocco

as Princ Achmed

1959
Parque de Madrid

as Don Luis

1958
¡Viva lo imposible!

as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

1958
La Rana Verde

as Narrator (voice)

1958
Revenge

as Writer

1958
The Night Heaven Fell

as Tío (alternate version)

1957
Madrugada

as Mauricio (voice) (uncredited)

1957
Faustina

as Valentín

1957
The Singer from Mexico

as Cartoni - l'impresario (uncredited)

1956
Don Juan

as Don Iñigo

1956
The Adventures of Gil Blas

as Captain Rolando

1956
La vida en un bloc

as (voice) (uncredited)

1955
1955
The Miracle of Marcelino

as Monje narrador

1954
Comedians

as Miguel

1954
Rebeldía

as Capellán

1954
1954
Las últimas banderas

as Miguel Bermejo

1953
Airport

as Fernando

1953
Welcome Mr. Marshall!

as Narrador (voz)

1953
Cabaret

as Carlos Jiménez

1952
1952
Flamenco

as (voz)

1952
1951
La señora de Fátima

as Lorenzo Duarte

1951
Air Lashings

as Narrador (voz)

1951
Black Sky

as Ángel López Veiga

1950
Agustina of Aragon

as General Palafox/Lorenzo, el pastor

1949
Sabela De Cambados

as Narrator (voice)

1949
1948
Mare nostrum

as Ulises / Capitán Ferragut

1948
Locura de amor

as Don Felipe "el Hermoso"

1948
Si te hubieses casado conmigo

as Enrique Marín Rubio

1947
Fuenteovejuna

as Frondoso

1947
Don Quixote

as Sansón Carrasco

1947
Reina santa

as Infante Alfonso

1946
La pródiga

as José

1945
1944
Eugenia de Montijo

as Duque de Alba

1940
El rey que rabió

as Extra (uncredited)

1940
Leyenda rota

as Extra (uncredited)