Tomas Milian facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tomas Milian
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Milian in Emergency Squad (1974)
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| Born |
Tomás Quintín Rodríguez-Varona Milián Salinas De La Fé y Álvarez De La Campa
3 March 1933 |
| Died | 22 March 2017 (aged 84) Miami, Florida, U.S.
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| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1957–2017 |
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) |
| Spouse(s) |
Margherita Valetti
(m. 1964; died 2012) |
| Children | 1 |
| Awards | FIPRESCI Prize for Best Actor 1965 Time of Indifference Silver Ribbon Award for Best Supporting Actor 2001 Traffic |
Tomas Milian (born Tomás Quintín Rodríguez-Varona Milián Salinas de la Fé y Álvarez de la Campa; 3 March 1933 – 22 March 2017) was a famous actor and singer. He was born in Cuba but also became a citizen of the United States and Italy. Milian was known for bringing a lot of emotion and humor to his roles. He often starred in European "B movies," which are films made with a smaller budget.
Tomas Milian studied acting in New York City with a famous teacher named Lee Strasberg. He learned a style of acting called "method acting." Later, he moved to Italy and became a big star there. He was especially famous for his roles in Spaghetti Western films. These were Western movies made in Italy. He also starred in many Italian police films. Later in his career, Milian returned to the United States. He continued to act in supporting roles in bigger Hollywood movies.
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Biography
Tomas Milian was born in Havana, Cuba. His father was a general in the Cuban army. After a difficult time for his family, Tomas decided he wanted to be an actor. He left Cuba and moved to the United States. There, he studied acting at the Actors Studio in New York. He later became an American citizen. In 1969, he also became an Italian citizen.
Acting Career
Starting in Italy
Tomas Milian began his acting career in the United States. In 1958, he traveled to Italy for a theater festival. He liked Italy so much that he decided to stay there. He lived in Italy for over 25 years and became a very successful actor. His first Italian film was La notte brava in 1959.
Even though he had an accent, Milian always performed his lines in Italian or English. His voice was often changed later by other actors (called "dubbing"). At first, he acted in "arthouse" movies. These are films made for artistic reasons, not just for entertainment. He worked with important directors like Mauro Bolognini.
Becoming a Spaghetti Western Star
After five years, Milian felt unhappy with his movie contracts. He thought about going back to the United States. He needed money to start fresh. So, he took a role as a bandit in a Spaghetti Western film called The Bounty Killer. This movie was a big success for him. It made him decide to stay in Italy.
Tomas Milian became a huge star in Spaghetti Westerns. He often played Mexican bandits or revolutionaries. In these roles, he used his real voice. Some of his famous Western films include The Ugly Ones (1966), The Big Gundown (1966), and Compañeros (1970).
Police and Comedy Films
As Spaghetti Westerns became less popular, Milian found new success. He starred in many Italian police movies, known as polizieschi. He played both bad guys and heroes in these films. He was praised for his acting in Almost Human (1974). He also appeared in films like Emergency Squad (1974) and The Tough Ones (1976).
Milian also became famous for two film series. He played a police officer named Nico Giraldi. He also played a small-time thief called Monnezza. These characters were very popular in Italy. Milian often wrote his own lines for these roles. He used a special kind of slang from Rome, Italy. This made him a "cult" favorite among fans. When he appeared on screen, audiences would cheer and laugh.
Return to Hollywood
As he got older, Tomas Milian decided to move back to the United States. He continued to act in movies. He appeared in big Hollywood films like Havana (1990) and Steven Spielberg's Amistad (1997). He also had a role in Traffic (2000). In 2005, he played a real-life general, Rafael Trujillo, in the film The Feast of the Goat.
Tomas Milian passed away in Miami on March 22, 2017, after having a stroke. In October 2017, he received a special award called the Leone in Memoriam at a film festival in Spain.
Selected Films
- Bad Girls Don't Cry (1959)
- Il bell'Antonio (1960)
- Silver Spoon Set (1960)
- The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965)
- Time of Indifference (1965)
- The Ugly Ones (1966)
- The Big Gundown (1966)
- Django Kill... If You Live, Shoot! (1967)
- Face to Face (1967)
- Run, Man, Run! (1968)
- Tepepa (1969)
- Compañeros (1970)
- The Last Movie (1971)
- Sonny and Jed (1972)
- Don't Torture a Duckling (1972)
- Life Is Tough, Eh Providence? (1972)
- Almost Human (1974)
- Emergency Squad (1974)
- The White, the Yellow, and the Black (1975)
- Four of the Apocalypse (1975)
- The Tough Ones (1976)
- The Cop in Blue Jeans (1976)
- The Cynic, the Rat and the Fist (1977)
- Free Hand for a Tough Cop (1977)
- La Luna (1979)
- Identification of a Woman (1982)
- Monsignor (1982)
- Havana (1990)
- JFK (1991)
- Amistad (1997)
- Traffic (2000)
- The Lost City (2005)
- The Feast of the Goat (2005)
Images for kids
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Milian in Emergency Squad (1974)
See also
In Spanish: Tomás Milián para niños
