Alfred Molina

Alfred Molina
Years active	1981-present
Spouse	Jill Gascoine

Alfred Molina (born May 24, 1953) is an English actor of both the stage and screen. Molina is best known for his portrayal of Spider-Man villain Otto Octavius in Sam Raimi's film, Spider-Man 2.

Biography

Early life

Molina was born in London. His father was a Spanish Communist from Madrid who worked as a waiter and chauffeur, while his mother was an Italian housekeeper who also cleaned rooms in a hotel and worked as a cook. Molina grew up in a "working-class neighborhood" in Notting Hill that was inhabited by many other immigrant families. He wanted to become an actor after seing Spartacus at the age of nine, and attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Career

Film: Molina made his film debut in the 1981 movie Raiders of the Lost Ark, but his big break came with Letter to Brezhnev in 1985, which he followed up with a starring role in Prick Up Your Ears in 1987, playing Joe Orton's lover Kenneth Halliwell.

Other films include Species, Dudley Do-Right, Chocolat, Not Without My Daughter, and Enchanted April. He has worked twice with Paul Thomas Anderson, first in Boogie Nights and then Magnolia. In 2002, Molina portrayed the Mexican muralist Diego Rivera alongside Salma Hayek in Frida. Many critics declared that his portrayal of Rahad Jackson in Boogie Nights was deserving of an Oscar.

Theatre: Molina's acting talents have also been enjoyed by theatregoers worldwide. His stage work includes two major Royal National Theatre productions, Tennessee Williams' "The Night of the Iguana" (as Shannon) and David Mamet's "Speed the Plow" (as Fox), plus a splendid performance in Yasmina Reza's "Art" (his Broadway debut), for which he received a Tony Award nomination in 1998. Although he did not win, "Art" won the Tony for Best Play. Currently (as of April 2007), Molina stars in the Off-Broadway production of Patrick Marber's "Howard Katz".

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Molina as Dr. Octopus in Spider-Man 2, 2004

In 2004, Molina returned to the stage, starring as Tevye in the Broadway version of Fiddler on the Roof. Recent high-profile movie roles include villains Doctor Octopus, in the 2004 Spider-Man sequel, Spider-Man 2, and Bishop Manuel Aringarosa in the 2006 adaptation of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code.

Personal life

Molina has been married to actress Jill Gascoine since 1985. They have two children. He is also the uncle of writer Paul McCudden.

Filmography

• Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) as Satipo
• Letter to Brezhnev (1985) as Sergei
• Ladyhawke (1985) as Cezar
• Prick Up Your Ears (1987) as Kenneth Halliwell
• Virtuoso (1989) (TV) as John Ogdon
• Not Without My Daughter (1991) as Moody
• American Friends (1991) as Oliver Syme
• Enchanted April (1992) as Mellersh Wilkins
• Maverick (1994) as Angel
• Species (1995) as Dr. Stephan Arden
• The Perez Family (1995) as Juan Raúl Perez
• Dead Man (1995) as Trading Post Missionary
• Hideaway (1995) as Dr. Jonas Nyebern
• "Before and After" (1996) as Panos Demeris
• Boogie Nights (1997) as Rahad Jackson (Eddie Nash)
• The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997) as Boris 'The Butcher' Blavasky
• The Impostors (1998) as Sir Jeremy Burtom
• Dudley Do-Right (1999) as Snidely K. 'Whip' Whiplash
• Magnolia (1999) as Solomon Solomon
• Chocolat (2000) as Comte De Reynaud
• Murder on the Orient Express (2001) as Hercule Poirot
• Frida (2002) as Diego Rivera
• My Life Without Me (2003) as Ann's Father
• Identity (2003) as Dr. Malick
• Coffee and Cigarettes (2003) as Himself
• Luther (film) (2003) as Johann Tetzel
• Spider-Man 2 (2004) as Doctor Otto Octavius/Doctor Octopus
• Steamboy (2004) as James Edward Steam
• The Da Vinci Code (2006) as Bishop Manuel Aringarosa
• Silk (2007) as Baldabiou
• The Hoax (2007)

External links

• Alfred Molina at IMDb
• Alfred Molina at the Internet Broadway Database
• Alfred Molina interviewed on Downstage Center XM Radio at American Theatre Wing, November 2004
• Working in the Theatre: Performance video seminar at American Theatre Wing, April 1998
• Q&A: Alfred Molina at Broadway.com