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."
Cannes Film Festival
Best Actor
Known For
The Miracle of Marcelino
(1955)
Monje narrador
That Obscure Object of Desire
(1977)
Mathieu Faber
1492: Conquest of Paradise
(1992)
Marchena
The French Connection
(1971)
Alain Charnier
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
(1972)
Don Rafael
Return of the Seven
(1966)
Priest
Viridiana
(1962)
Don Jaime
French Connection II
(1975)
Alain Charnier
Villa Rides
(1968)
Fuentes
Voyage of the Damned
(1976)
President Bru
Guns of the Magnificent Seven
(1969)
Quintero
Tristana
(1970)
Don Lope
Navajo Joe
(1966)
Reverend Rattigan
The Desert of the Tartars
(1976)
Nathanson
Chimes at Midnight
(1965)
Worcester
Honey
(1981)
Editor
Full Filmography
Acting
Los cuatro robinsones
(1939)
Leyenda rota
(1940)
Extra (uncredited)
El rey que rabió
(1940)
Extra (uncredited)
Eugenia de Montijo
(1944)
Duque de Alba
Los últimos de Filipinas
(1945)
Juan Chamizo
La pródiga
(1946)
José
Fuenteovejuna
(1947)
Frondoso
Don Quixote
(1947)
Sansón Carrasco
Reina santa
(1947)
Infante Alfonso
Mare nostrum
(1948)
Ulises / Capitán Ferragut
Noche de reyes
(1948)
Si te hubieses casado conmigo
(1948)
Enrique Marín Rubio
Locura de amor
(1948)
Don Felipe "el Hermoso"
Aventuras de Juan Lucas
(1949)
Juan Lucas
Sabela De Cambados
(1949)
Narrator (voice)
Air Lashings
(1951)
Black Sky
(1951)
Ángel López Veiga
La señora de Fátima
(1951)
La laguna negra
(1952)
Miguel
The Devil's Roundup
(1952)
Airport
(1953)
Fernando
Welcome Mr. Marshall!
(1953)
Narrador (voice)
The Lovers of Toledo
(1953)
Cabaret
(1953)
Carlos Jiménez
Cristo
(1954)
El alcalde de Zalamea
(1954)
Comedians
(1954)
Miguel
Crimen en el entreacto
(1954)
The Miracle of Marcelino
(1955)
Monje narrador
Don Juan
(1956)
Don Iñigo
The Adventures of Gil Blas
(1956)
Playa prohibida
(1956)
La vida en un bloc
(1956)
(voice) (uncredited)
Un marido de ida y vuelta
(1957)
Paco
The Singer from Mexico
(1957)
Cartoni - l'impresario (uncredited)
Faustina
(1957)
Valentín
Madrugada
(1957)
Mauricio (voice) (uncredited)
Day of Fear
(1957)
Revenge
(1958)
Writer
La Rana Verde
(1958)
Narrator (voice)
The Night Heaven Fell
(1958)
Tío (alternate version)
Sevilla Penitente
(1958)
¡Viva lo imposible!
(1958)
Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Mission in Morocco
(1959)
Princ Achmed
Parque de Madrid
(1959)
Don Luis
The Last Days of Pompeii
(1959)
Arbaces, High Priest of Isis
Poison at 2:30
(1959)
Ramón
Sonatas
(1959)
Captain Casares
Don Lucio and Brother Pío
(1960)
Señor Aguilar
The Revolt of the Slaves
(1960)
Valerio
Vida sin risas
(1960)
Culpables
(1960)
Mario
Goliath Against the Giants
(1961)
Bokan the Usurper
Siempre es domingo
(1961)
Juez Andonelli
Fantasmas en la casa
(1961)
Raimundo Rodríguez de Toledo
Teresa
(1961)
Profesor Héctor de la Barrera
The Savage Guns
(1961)
Don Hernán
Rogelia
(1962)
Máximo García
Face of Terror
(1962)
Dr. Charles Taylor
My Son, the Hero
(1962)
Hoher Priester
Viridiana
(1962)
Don Jaime
The Ceremony
(1963)
Sanchez
Scheherazade
(1963)
Al Fakid
The Running Man
(1963)
Police Official
The Castilian
(1963)
Ramiro II, rey de León
The New Cinderella
(1964)
Juan Echarre
The Rash One
(1964)
El Rico Pintor
The Palomos
(1964)
Don Alberto
El señor de La Salle
(1964)
Luis XIV
La hora incógnita
(1964)
Sacerdote
Backfire
(1964)
Commissioner of Beirut harbor
Fin de semana
(1964)
Entrevistador
Espionage in Lisbon
(1965)
Agent of the New World Organization
España insólita
(1965)
(voice)
Son of a Gunfighter
(1965)
Don Pedro Fortuna
Der Marquis - der Mann, der sich verkaufen wollte
(1965)
Verleger Ramos
Legacy of the Incas
(1965)
President Castillo
The Amazing Doctor G
(1965)
Goldginger
Chimes at Midnight
(1965)
Worcester
Samson and Gideon
(1965)
Lo straniero / The Stranger - Angel of the Lord
Don Quijote
(1965)
Der Herzog
The Devil Also Cries
(1965)
Ramòn Quiroga
Zampo y yo
(1966)
Zampo
El Greco
(1966)
Felipe II.
Attack of the Robots
(1966)
Sir Percy
Navajo Joe
(1966)
Reverend Rattigan
Return of the Seven
(1966)
Priest
Amor en el aire
(1967)
Carlos Mª Saldiez
Cervantes
(1967)
Filipe II
Historia de la frivolidad
(1967)
Gent
The Viscount
(1967)
The Desperate Ones
(1967)
Ibram
Run Like a Thief
(1967)
Col. Romero
The Immortal Story
(1968)
Merchant
Villa Rides
(1968)
Fuentes
The Price of Power
(1969)
Pinkerton
A Candidate for a Killing
(1969)
Marco Augusto
Guns of the Magnificent Seven
(1969)
Quintero
Land Raiders
(1969)
Priest
The Adventurers
(1970)
Jaime Xenos
Aoom
(1970)
Compañeros
(1970)
Prof. Xantos
Tristana
(1970)
Don Lope
Wrath of the Wind
(1970)
Don Antonio
Cold Eyes of Fear
(1971)
Juez Flower
The Light at the Edge of the World
(1971)
Captain Moriz
A Town Called Hell
(1971)
Old Blind Man
The Great Swindle
(1971)
Luis
The French Connection
(1971)
Alain Charnier
White Sister
(1972)
le directeur de l'hôpital
Canticle
(1972)
Padrino Elisa
This Kind of Love
(1972)
Giovanna's father
Antony and Cleopatra
(1972)
Lepidus
The Two Faces of Fear
(1972)
Inspector Nardi
La duda
(1972)
Don Rodrigo - Conde de Albrit
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
(1972)
Don Rafael
One Way
(1973)
Mr. David
White Fang
(1973)
Father Oatley
High Crime
(1973)
Cafiero
Fall of a Body
(1973)
M. Nansoit
Tarot
(1973)
Arthur
¿... Y el prójimo?
(1974)
Luis Ignacio
The Woman with Red Boots
(1974)
Perrot
Say it with Flowers
(1974)
Jacques Berger
The Murri Affair
(1974)
Prof. Murri
Violent Blood Bath
(1974)
Oscar
Smiling Maniacs
(1975)
Judge Vanini
Seven Beauties
(1975)
Pedro the Anarchist Prisoner
French Connection II
(1975)
Alain Charnier
Manuela
(1976)
Don Ramón
Striptease
(1976)
Alfonso
A Matter of Time
(1976)
Charles Van Maar
Voyage of the Damned
(1976)
President Bru
El segundo poder
(1976)
Cardenal
The Desert of the Tartars
(1976)
Nathanson
Illustrious Corpses
(1976)
Security Minister
Elisa, My Life
(1977)
Luis
Eyes Behind the Wall
(1977)
Ivano
The Assignment
(1977)
Bidara
That Obscure Object of Desire
(1977)
Mathieu Faber
The Last Romantic Lover
(1978)
Max
Rebeldía
(1978)
Don Luis
Traffic Jam
(1979)
Carlo
Quintet
(1979)
Grigor
Memorias de Leticia Valle
(1980)
Don Fernando Valle
Cabo Blanco
(1980)
Police Captain Torredo
Lady of the Camelias
(1981)
Count Stackelberg
Honey
(1981)
Editor
The Crime of Cuenca
(1981)
Contreras
Trágala, perro
(1981)
Juez
Chaste and Pure
(1981)
Antonio Di Maggio
A Estrangeira
(1982)
André
Monsignor
(1982)
Cardinal Santoni
Looking for Jesus
(1982)
Don Filippo
Bearn
(1983)
Don Antonio
The Life and Times of Don Luis Buñuel
(1983)
Self
A Strange Passion
(1984)
Piacchi
The Hit
(1984)
Policeman
Black Arrow
(1985)
Warwick
Our Father
(1985)
Cardinal
Star Knight
(1985)
Fray Lupo
Angel of Death
(1985)
Ohmei Felsberg
The House of Ulloa
(1985)
Rustlers' Rhapsody
(1985)
Railroad Colonel
Saving Grace
(1986)
Cardinal Stefano Biondi
Luis Buñuel: constructor de infiernos
(1986)
Himself
Paradise Hotel
(1986)
Joseph
Mi general
(1987)
Director Almirante
The Enchanted Forest
(1987)
Sr. D'Abondo
Winter Diary
(1988)
Padre
Scent of a Crime
(1988)
Fayón
The Tunnel
(1988)
Allende
Pasodoble
(1988)
Don Nuño
Esmeralda Bay
(1989)
Ramos
La moglie ingenua e il marito malato
(1989)
Il professor Rune
Buñuel
(1989)
Self
Le Grand Secret
(1989)
Paul Corbet
Picture of Europe
(1990)
Self
Breath of Life
(1990)
Gran Magno
Drums of Fire
(1990)
Papa Pablo V
Naked Tango
(1990)
Judge Torres
After the Dream
(1992)
Ramiro Lanza
Don Quixote
(1992)
Closing Scene Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
L'Atlantide
(1992)
Father Mauritius
El Quijote de Miguel de Cervantes
(1992)
Don Quijote
The Sow
(1992)
Fray Juan
1492: Conquest of Paradise
(1992)
Marchena
Madregilda
(1993)
Franco's Father
El cianuro… ¿solo o con leche?
(1994)
Gregorio
On the Far Side of the Tunnel
(1994)
Miguel
El Quijote desde la platea
(2019)
Self - Actor / Don Quixote (archive footage)