Born in Churubusco, a suburb of Mexico City, and raised in Texas, he studied at California Polytechnic State University where he graduated with an engineering degree. He began his acting career at the stage in Mexico City, entering films there in 1935. During the next years he made 42 Spanish-language films, among them "Maria Candelaria" (1943) and "La Perla" (1947), becoming one of Mexico`s top film stars. His first American film was "The Fugitive" for RKO in 1947. Since then he costarred in more than 80 films in Hollywood, England, France, Germany and Italy. Credits include "Fort Apache" (1948), "Three Godfathers", "We Were Strangers" (1949), "El Bruto" (1952), "The Littlest Outlaw" (1955), "The Conqueror" (1956), "La Cucaracha" (1958) and "The Wonderful Country" (1959). When Armendariz was taken ill while filming the second James Bond film "From Russia With Love" his scenes were rushed through so he could return to L.A. for treatment and he entered UCLA Medical Center. Learning he had terminal cancer he killed himself there with a gunshot.
Known For
From Russia with Love
(1963)
Ali Kerim Bey
Fort Apache
(1948)
Sgt. Beaufort
3 Godfathers
(1948)
Pedro 'Pete' Roca Fuerte
La malquerida
(1949)
Esteban
The Fugitive
(1947)
A Lieutenant of Police
Enamorada
(1946)
Gen. José Juan Reyes
The Conqueror
(1956)
Jamuga
La Cucaracha
(1959)
Coronel Valentín Razo
Full Filmography
Acting
Mi candidato
(1937)
La Adelita
(1937)
Jalisco nunca pierde
(1937)
Amapola Del Camino
(1937)
Las cuatro milpas
(1937)
Los millones de Chaflán
(1938)
Antonio
El indio
(1938)
Canto a mi tierra
(1938)
Antonio
Con Los Dorados De Villa
(1939)
Una luz en mi camino
(1939)
La China Hilaria
(1939)
Los olvidados de Dios
(1940)
Zenón Rojas
Mala yerba
(1940)
Chuy Rodríguez
Pobre diablo
(1940)
Raúl Solares
El charro Negro
(1940)
Ramón
El jefe máximo
(1940)
Ni sangre ni arena
(1941)
Frank
El secreto del sacerdote
(1941)
El Zorro de Jalisco
(1941)
Leonardo Torres
Passion Island
(1942)
El Toro
Del rancho a la capital
(1942)
Simón Bolívar
(1942)
General Briceño Méndez
Allá en el bajio
(1942)
Juan Hernández
Soy puro mexicano
(1942)
Another Dawn
(1943)
Octavio
Wild Flower
(1943)
José Luis Castro
Konga Roja
(1943)
Federico Robles
Tierra De Pasiones
(1943)
El corsario negro
(1944)
The Skulls of Terror Return
(1944)
Maria Candelaria
(1944)
Lorenzo Rafael
The Skulls of Terror
(1944)
La Guerra de los Pasteles
(1944)
The Abandoned
(1945)
Juan Gómez
Bugambilia
(1945)
Ricardo Rojas
Entre hermanos
(1945)
Ramón Arellano
El capitán Malacara
(1945)
Enamorada
(1946)
Gen. José Juan Reyes
Rayando el sol
(1946)
The Pearl
(1947)
Quino
The Fugitive
(1947)
A Lieutenant of Police
La casa colorada
(1947)
Albur de amor
(1947)
Maclovia
(1948)
José María
Fort Apache
(1948)
Sgt. Beaufort
3 Godfathers
(1948)
Pedro 'Pete' Roca Fuerte
En la Hacienda de la Flor
(1948)
Juan Charrasqueado
(1948)
We Were Strangers
(1949)
Armando Ariete
El abandonado
(1949)
Tulsa
(1949)
Jim Redbird
La malquerida
(1949)
Esteban
Late Afternoon
(1949)
Sebastian del Llano
El charro y la dama
(1949)
The Torch
(1950)
José Juan Reyes
Pancho Villa vuelve
(1950)
By the False Door
(1950)
Bernardo Celis
La loca de la casa
(1950)
José María Cruz
Rosauro Castro
(1950)
Rosauro Castro
Weddings of fire
(1951)
Tierra baja
(1951)
Manelic
Hell Road
(1951)
Pedro Uribe
Ella y Yo
(1951)
Pedro Muñóz
Por querer a una mujer
(1951)
Los tres alegres compadres
(1952)
Meat in Prison
(1952)
Pablo González
Night Falls
(1952)
Marcos Arizmendi
Soledad's Shawl
(1952)
Roque Suazo
The Lovers of Toledo
(1953)
Lucrèce Borgia
(1953)
César Borgia
The Brute
(1953)
Pedro
Reto a la vida
(1954)
Dos mundos y un amor
(1954)
Ricardo Anaya
Rebellion of the Hanged
(1954)
Cándido Castro
Border River
(1954)
General Calleja (as Pedro Armendariz)
Mulata
(1954)
Martín
Native Drums
(1955)
Fortune carrée
(1955)
Igricheff
The Littlest Outlaw
(1955)
Gen. Torres
The Hidden One
(1956)
Felipe Rojano
Diane
(1956)
King Francis I
The Conqueror
(1956)
Jamuga
Basket of Mexican Tales
(1956)
Carlos Cosio
La mujer que no tuvo infancia
(1957)
This Was Pancho Villa: First chapter
(1957)
Pancho Villa
Manuela
(1957)
Mario Constanza
Men and Wolves
(1957)
Giovanni
The Big Boodle
(1957)
Col. Mastegui (as Pedro Armendariz)
This Was Pancho Villa: Third chapter
(1958)
Pancho Villa
This Was Pancho Villa: Second chapter
(1958)
Pancho Villa
Los salvajes
(1958)
Pedro Matías
I'm flying low
(1959)
El zarco
(1959)
Beyond All Limits
(1959)
Pepe Gamboa
The Little Savage
(1959)
El Tiburón
Café Colón
(1959)
Thirst for Love
(1959)
Pedro Ortiz
La Cucaracha
(1959)
Coronel Valentín Razo
Yo pecador
(1959)
The Vivanco Ladies
(1959)
Gen. Inocencio Torrentera
The Wonderful Country
(1959)
Cipriano Castro
Violent Summer
(1960)
Francisco Peña
Our Daily Hunger
(1960)
Macario Férnandez
El impostor
(1960)
La cárcel de Cananea
(1960)
Pedro
Los desarraigados
(1960)
Calibre 44
(1960)
Don Pedro
Dos hijos desobedientes
(1960)
Pedro
El indulto
(1960)
Lucas Sánchez Parrondo
My Son, the Hero
(1961)
General
Francis of Assisi
(1961)
The Sultan
El tejedor de milagros
(1962)
Señor Cura
Los valientes no mueren
(1962)
My Son, the Hero
(1962)
Cadmo
La Bandida
(1963)
Roberto Herrera
From Russia with Love
(1963)
Ali Kerim Bey
Captain Sindbad
(1963)
El Kerim
The Conqueror (Hollywood Fallout)
(2023)
Self (archive footage)
Production