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