José Ferrer

Pictured on a nondenominated ('forever') USA postage stamp in the Distinguished Americans series, issued 26 April 2012. Price on the day of issue was 45¢.

Ferred retired from acting entirely in 1991, due to increasing health problems. His last theatrical performance was a production of the generation-gap drama "Conversations with My Father".

1985: The first actor to receive the [U.S.] National Medal of Arts.

His family has been involved in four popular science fiction series. Jose played Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV in Dune (1984). His son, Miguel Ferrer appeared in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) and Robocop (1987). His younger son, Rafael Ferrer did voice-over work for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003) and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords (2004).

Played the older version, and his son Miguel Ferrer played the younger version of the same character in Magnum, P.I.: Lest We Forget (1981)(#1.10).

In the 1980s, Ferrer played a monarch again, playing Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV in the science fiction film "Dune".

Shares a role with both Gérard Depardieu and his son, Guillaume Depardieu. With Gerard, he shares the role of "Cyrano de Bergerac". With Guillaume, he shares the role of the Musketeer, "Athos". Ferrer played the part in The Fifth Musketeer (1979), while Depardieu played the part in Milady (2004).

Had played Cyrano de Bergerac on television a fourth and final time in the animated ABC Afterschool Special "Cyrano" (1974), for which he supplied Cyrano's voice only.

In real life, the actor pierced his left ear in 1972 at age 60 at the urging of his girlfriend (later wife). For the rest of his career, he often enjoyed incorporating an earring into a role, even if it was anachronistic in certain productions. Among the roles in which he wears jewelry in his pierced ear: Paco (1975); The Return of Captain Nemo (1978); Fedora (1978); The Fifth Musketeer (1979); Tales of the Unexpected: The Man from the South (1979); Battle Creek Brawl (1980); Evita Peron (1981); and Dune (1984). In Fedora (1978), a joke about it is even included in the dialog: "Don't let this earring fool you.".

Ferrer had many film roles in the 1970s, but no outstanding highlights. As a voice actor, he voiced Cyrano de Bergerac in an episode of "The ABC Afterschool Special".

Ferrer had his first notable role as a voice actor, playing the villain Ben Haramed in the Rankin/Bass Christmas "The Little Drummer Boy" (1968). But at this time, he started having legal troubles.

The producers of the television series Batman (1966) originally wanted him to play The Joker. His nephew, George Clooney, went on to play Batman himself decades later.

He had another notable role as a historical monarch, playing Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of Galilee and Perea (reigned 4 BC-39 AD) in the Biblical epic "The Greatest Story Ever Told" (1965).

The film was an adaptation of the 1965 novel "Dune" by Frank Herbert (1920-1986), and Shaddam was one of the film's villains. This was among the last notable roles of Ferrer's long career.

In television, Ferrer gained a notable role as the narrator in the pilot episode of the hit sitcom "Bewitched" (1964-1972). In films, Ferrer started playing mostly supporting roles. He briefly returned to the role of Cyrano de Bergerac in the French adventure film "Cyrano and d'Artagnan".

As an actor, Ferrer had a supporting role as a Turkish Bey in the historical drama "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962). While a relatively minor role, Ferrer considered the finest role of his film career.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) accused Ferrer of still owing unpaid taxes since 1962.

Ferrer attempted a comeback as a film director with the sequel film "Return to Peyton Place" (1961) and the musical film "State Fair" (1962). Both films were box office flops.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6541 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on February 8, 1960.

One of only nine actors to have won both the Tony and the Oscar for the same role on stage and film. The others are Yul Brynner (King and I, The (1956)), Rex Harrison (My Fair Lady (1964)), Viola Davis (Fences (2016),, Anne Bancroft (The Miracle Worker (1962)), Joel Grey (Cabaret (1972)), Paul Scofield (A Man for All Seasons (1966)), Shirley Booth (Come Back, Little Sheba (1952)) and Jack Albertson (The Subject Was Roses (1968)).

He made his directing debut with the film noir "The Shrike" (1955).

His subsequent directing efforts included war film "The Cockleshell Heroes" (1955), the film noir "The Great Man" (1956), the biographical film I Accuse! (1958), and the comedy film "The High Cost of Loving" (1958). While still critically well-received, several of these films were box office flops. He took a hiatus from films productions.

Appears in three Oscar Best Picture nominees: Moulin Rouge (1952), The Caine Mutiny (1954) and Lawrence of Arabia (1962), with the last being the only winner.

José Ferrer was a Puerto Rican actor and film director. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for playing the title character in Cyrano de Bergerac (1950). Ferrer was the first Puerto Rican actor to win an Academy Award, and also the first Hispanic actor to win an Academy Award.

Ferrer also appeared in other box office hits of the 1950s, such as the musical "Miss Sadie Thompson" (1953), the Navy-themed drama "The Caine Mutiny" (1954), and the biographical film "Deep in My Heart" (1954). Ferrer was also interested in becoming a film director.

He played the "smooth-talking hypnotist David Korvo" in the film noir "Whirlpool" (1949), and dictator Raoul Farrago in the film noir "Crisis". He had a career highlight with a film adaptation of the play "Cyrano de Bergerac", where he played the title role. For this role, he won the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Ferrer made his film debut in the Technicolor epic "Joan of Arc" (1948). He played the historical monarch Charles VII of France (1403-1461, reigned 1422-1461), the ruler who Joan of Arc served during the Hundred Years' War. For his debut role, Ferrer was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

For this role, Ferrer won the 1947 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.

His most famous performance was as "Cyrano de Bergerac". He played the role on the stage in 1946 and 1953, on film in 1950 (Cyrano de Bergerac (1950), winning the Oscar for that performance, and on live television in 1949 and 1955. He played Cyrano again in the French film Cyrano et d'Artagnan (1964). He won the Tony for his stage portrayal of the role in 1947, and is one of only nine actors to win the Tony and the Oscar for their performance the same role on Broadway and on film. To many people he is the greatest Cyrano within memory, and he eclipsed all other American actors who played the role, even Walter Hampden, who made it his specialty between 1923 and 1936, and Richard Chamberlain, who played the role in 1973.

Was writer-director Billy Wilder's first choice to play the lead in The Lost Weekend (1945). The studio wanted Cary Grant or a comparable matinée idol in the lead. When it became apparent Paramount would not greenlight the film with Ferrer in the part, Wilder gave in and looked for a star, but the role was considered too unsympathetic and was rejected by most of the male stars of the day. Wilder finally cast Ray Milland in the part. A reluctant Milland, who was ambivalent about taking the part lest it hurt his career, won an Oscar. An actor's actor, Ferrer got his revenge five years later by copping his own Oscar for Cyrano de Bergerac (1950).

The production had a ran of 296 performances, lasting from 1943 to 1944.

Has one child with Uta Hagen, Leticia Thyra Ferrer, born on October 15, 1940 in New York. In Uta Hagen's autobiography "Sources: A Memoir", their daughter's first name "Leticia" stood for happiness, and her second name "Thyra" is from the name of Uta's mother.

Among his subsequent theatrical appearances, the most successful were staged productions of Mamba's Daughters (1938), which ran for 163 performances, and "Charley's Aunt" (1940-1941), which ran for 233 performances. His role in "Charley's Aunt" required him to perform in drag, for the first time in his career. Ferrer had one of the greatest theatrical successes of his career when playing the villainous Iago in a Broadway production of "Othello' by William Shakespeare.

The play had a ran of 577 performances from 1936 to 1938.

In 1935, he was hired as the stage manager at the Suffern Country Playhouse.

Later in 1935, Ferrer made his Broadway debut in the comedy play "A Slight Case of Murder" by Damon Runyon (1880-1946) and Howard Lindsay (1889-1968). This stage production of the play ran for 69 performances, with Ferrer appearing in all of them. Ferrer's major success as a Broadway actor was performing in the play "Brother Rat" by John Monks Jr.

In 1934, Ferrer transferred to Columbia University, where he studied Romance languages.

In 1934, while still a college student, Ferrer made his theatrical debut in Long Island-based theatre.

In 1933, Ferrer was enrolled at Princeton University, located in Princeton, New Jersey.

The Ferrer family moved to New York City in 1914, when José was 2-years-old. As a school student, Ferrer was educated abroad at the Institut Le Rosey, a prestigious boarding school located in Rolle, Switzerland.

In 1912, Ferrer was born is San Juan, the capital city of Puerto Rico.

(1910-2004) and Fred F.

Finklehoffe (1910-1977).

The award was instead won by rival actor Gary Cooper (1901-1961). The film also marked a financial success for Ferrer, who received 40% of the film's profits.

The Award was instead won by rival actor Walter Huston (1883-1950). Ferrer's success as a film actor, helped him gain more film roles in Hollywood-produced films.

His next critically successful role was that of artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901) in the historical drama "Moulin Rouge" (1952). For this role, Ferrer was again nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor.

He studied architecture, and wrote a senior thesis about French Naturalism and the literary works of Spanish naturalist writer Emilia Pardo Bazán (1851-1921).

Ferrer played his most famous role as the historical figure of Cyrano de Bergerac (1619-1655) in the 1946-1947 Broadway season.

Established as a Spanish colonial city in 1521, San Juan is the third oldest European-established capital city in the Americas, following Santo Domingo (established in 1496) and Panama City (established in 1521). Ferrer's father was Rafael Ferrer, a lawyer and author who was born and raised in San Juan. Ferrer's mother was María Providencia Cintrón, a native of the coastal town of Yabucoa. Ferrer's paternal grandfather was Dr. Gabriel Ferrer Hernández, who had campaigned for Puerto Rican independence from the Spanish Empire.