Fernando Rey was born on September 20, 1917 in A Coruna, Galicia, Spain. Fernando Rey passed away on March 9, 1994 in Madrid, Spain from cancer. Fernando Rey's birth name was Fernando Casado Arambille.

Fernando Rey was the first Spanish actor who gained international fame.  An award wining actors, he appeared in 237 film and television projects.  From 1992-1994 Fernando Rey was the President of the Spanish Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 

Fernando studied at Madrid's School of Architecture before joining his father, a Republican Army officer, in battle during the Spanish Civil War. Fernando Rey found work as a movie extra and then dubbed voices of stars like Tyrone Power and Laurence Olivier into Spanish.

Fernando is best known to American audiences from the Oscar-winning thriller THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971) and THE FRENCH CONNECTION II, in which he played a drug king.  He played in many of Luis Bunuel's films, including TRISTIANA [1970], THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOSIE [1972] AND THAT OBSCURE OBJECT OF DESIRE [1977]. Fernando Rey worked with director Orson Wells in CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT [1966] and THE IMMORTAL STORY [1968].

Fernando Rey's other notable credits include...

ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE TUNNEL (1994)

MADREGILDA (1993)

L' ATLANTIDE (1992)

LA MARRANA (1992)

AFTER THE DREAM (1992)

1492: THE CONQUEST OF PARADISE (1992)

DON QUIXOTE (1992)

NAKED TANGO (1991)

MOON OVER PARADOR (1988)

SAVING GRACE (1985)

THE HIT (1984)

FRENCH CONNECTION II (1975)