Mel Ferrer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mel Ferrer
Ferrer in 1960
Born	Melchor Gastón Ferrer (1917-08-25)August 25, 1917 Elberon, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	June 2, 2008(2008-06-02) (aged 90) Santa Barbara, California, U.S.
Alma mater	Princeton University
Occupation	Actor director producer screenwriter
Years active	1937–1998
Spouse(s)	Frances Pilchard ​ ​ (m. 1937; div. 1939)​ Barbara C. Tripp ​ ​ (m. 1940; div. 1944)​ Frances Pilchard ​ ​ (m. 1944; div. 1954)​ Audrey Hepburn ​ ​ (m. 1954; div. 1968)​ Elizabeth Soukhotine ​ (m. 1971)​
Children	6, including Sean
Relatives	Emma Ferrer (granddaughter)

Melchor Gastón Ferrer (born August 25, 1917 – died June 2, 2008) was a talented American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter. He became well-known on Broadway before starring in popular movies like Scaramouche, Lili, and Knights of the Round Table. He acted alongside his wife, actress Audrey Hepburn, in War and Peace and also produced her film Wait Until Dark. Mel Ferrer also appeared in many European films and some cult favorites.

Early Life and Family

Mel Ferrer was born in Elberon, New Jersey. His family had Spanish and Irish roots. His father, Dr. José María Ferrer, was a doctor from Havana, Cuba. He was an expert on pneumonia and worked as the chief of staff at St. Vincent's Hospital in New York City. Mel's mother, Mary Matilda Irene O'Donohue, was from the U.S. Her father was a coffee broker and a city official in New York.

Mel Ferrer came from a family of successful people. His older sister, Dr. María Irené Ferrer, was a heart doctor and teacher who helped improve medical tools like the cardiac catheter. His brother, Dr. Jose M. Ferrer, was a surgeon. His younger sister, Teresa Ferrer, worked as an editor for newspapers and magazines.

Mel went to private schools in New York and Connecticut. He later attended Princeton University but left before finishing to focus on his acting career. Before becoming famous, he worked as an editor for a small newspaper and wrote a children's book called Tito's Hats.

A Look at His Career

Starting in Theatre

Mel Ferrer began acting in plays during the summer when he was a teenager. In 1937, he won an award for a play he wrote at Princeton. He started on Broadway as a dancer and then became an actor. After getting sick with polio, he worked as a disc jockey and even lived in Mexico for a while. His first acting roles on Broadway were in plays like Kind Lady.

Working in Hollywood

Ferrer signed a contract with Columbia Pictures to work as a director. He helped direct several films, including The Girl of the Limberlost (1945).

He later returned to Broadway, where he acted in Strange Fruit. He also directed a famous play called Cyrano de Bergerac. He helped with the film The Fugitive (1947). Along with other famous actors like Gregory Peck, he helped start the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego.

Becoming a Screen Actor

Mel Ferrer's first big acting role in a movie was in Lost Boundaries (1949). In this film, he played a Black person who was passing for white. The movie was talked about a lot and received good reviews.

Ferrer with Miroslava in The Brave Bulls (1951)

He then worked at RKO, where he acted in Born to Be Bad and directed films like The Secret Fury (1950). He starred as a bullfighter in The Brave Bulls (1951). He also appeared in the Western film Rancho Notorious (1952).

Success at MGM

Ferrer joined MGM studios and played the villain in Scaramouche (1952). This movie was a huge hit, especially known for a long sword fight scene. He then starred in Lili (1953) as the love interest of the main character, played by Leslie Caron. This film was also very successful, and Ferrer and Caron even had a hit song from it called "Hi-Lili-Hi-Lo".

He played King Arthur in another hit movie, Knights of the Round Table (1954). Around this time, he met actress Audrey Hepburn. They performed together in a play called Ondine on Broadway and got married in 1954.

Working in Europe and the U.S.

Mel Ferrer made films in Italy and England, including War and Peace (1956), where he starred with Audrey Hepburn. He also worked with Ingrid Bergman in France in Elena and Her Men (1956).

Back in the U.S., he appeared in movies like The Sun Also Rises (1957) and The World, the Flesh and the Devil (1959). He continued to make films in Europe, including the vampire movie Blood and Roses (1960) and the adventure film Charge of the Black Lancers (1962). He also had a small role in his wife's film Paris When It Sizzles (1964).

Television and Producing

Ferrer also worked in television, directing episodes for the series The Farmer's Daughter. From 1981 to 1984, he played Phillip Erikson on the popular show Falcon Crest and directed some episodes. He also appeared in episodes of Columbo and Murder She Wrote, and in TV miniseries like Peter the Great.

He produced and starred in the movie El Greco (1966), playing the famous painter. He also produced Wait Until Dark (1967), which starred Audrey Hepburn and was a big success. He and Audrey Hepburn divorced in 1968.

Later Acting Roles

In the 1970s, Mel Ferrer continued to act in many films, especially in Italy. Some of his roles included The Antichrist (1974), Brannigan (1974) with John Wayne, and The Black Corsair (1976). He also appeared in American films like The Norseman (1978) and Nightmare City (1980).

For all his work in movies, Mel Ferrer has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Personal Life

Mel Ferrer was married five times to four different women and had six children. His wives included Frances Gunby Pilchard (twice), Barbara C. Tripp, Audrey Hepburn, and Elizabeth Soukhotine. He and Audrey Hepburn had one son, Sean Hepburn Ferrer. Besides English, Mel Ferrer could also speak Spanish and French fluently.

Death

Mel Ferrer lived in Carpinteria, California. He passed away from heart failure in Santa Barbara, California, on June 2, 2008, at the age of 90.

Filmography

Actor

Ferrer with Audrey Hepburn in War and Peace (1955)

Film Roles

Television Roles

Images for kids

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  Mel Ferrer with Audrey Hepburn in 1955.

See also

In Spanish: Mel Ferrer para niños