Abel Fernandez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Abel Fernandez
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Fernandez in The Untouchables, 1960.
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| Born |
Abel Gonzalez Fernandez
July 14, 1930 |
| Died | May 3, 2016 (aged 85) Whittier, California, U.S.
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| Resting place | Riverside National Cemetery |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1953–2002 |
| Children | 4 |
Abel Gonzalez Fernandez (born July 14, 1930 – died May 3, 2016) was an American actor. He appeared in many movies and TV shows from 1953 to 2002. He was most famous for playing Federal Agent William "Bill" Youngfellow. This role was in the TV series The Untouchables from 1959 to 1963.
Early Life and Career
Abel Fernandez was born in Los Angeles, California. His birthday was July 14, 1930. His mother was Yaqui Native American and his father was Mesoamerican. He was the youngest child in a big family. Sadly, his mother passed away when he was born.
He went to Belmont High School in Los Angeles. At age 16, he joined the United States Army. He became a paratrooper, which is a soldier who jumps out of airplanes. He was part of the 11th Airborne Division.
While in the Army, he became the Middleweight Boxing Champ of the Asiatic Forces. In 1950, he won the light heavyweight title in the Los Angeles Golden Gloves competition. This was an amateur boxing event. After leaving the Army, he became a professional boxer from 1950 to 1953. During this time, he also started studying acting. Soon, he began appearing in films.
Movies and TV Shows
Abel Fernandez's first movie was Second Chance in 1953. In this film, his character, Rivera, had a boxing match against the main actor, Robert Mitchum.
He was a key part of The Untouchables TV series. He was the only actor from the original pilot episode, besides Robert Stack, to be cast in the full series. His character was based on a real-life agent named William Jennings Gardner. Gardner was a Native American member of the actual Untouchables federal team.
Fernandez acted in many other TV shows and movies. Some of the popular TV series he appeared in include Daniel Boone, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, and Batman. He also acted in films like Pork Chop Hill with Gregory Peck and Madigan with Richard Widmark. He even appeared in The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin as an Apache warrior.
Besides acting, he sometimes helped produce plays for children who were less fortunate.
Later Life and Death
Abel Fernandez passed away on May 3, 2016. He was 85 years old. He died from lung cancer at a hospital in Whittier, California. He had four children. As a veteran of the U.S. Army, he was buried at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California.
