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Birth:
Apr 21, 1915 - Chihuahua, Mexico
Occupation: Actor
Earthy and at times exuberant, Anthony Quinn is one of Hollywood's
more colorful personalities. Though he has played many important roles over the course of his sixty-year career, Quinn's signature character is Zorba, a zesty Greek peasant who teaches a stuffy British writer to find
joy in the subtle intricacies of everyday life in Zorba the Greek (1964), which Quinn also produced. The role won him an Oscar nomination and he reprised variations of Zorba in several subsequent roles.
Although
he makes a convincing Greek, Quinn is actually of Irish-Mexican extraction. He was born Antonio Quiñones in Chihuahua, Mexico on April 21, 1915, but raised in the U.S. Before becoming an actor, Quinn had been a
prizefighter and a painter. He launched his film career playing character roles in several 1936 films, including Parole (his debut) and The Milky Way, after a brief stint in the theater. In 1937, he married director
Cecil B. De Mille's daughter Katherine De Mille, but this did nothing to further his career and Quinn remained relegated to playing "ethnic" villains in Paramount films through the 1940s. By 1947, he was a
veteran of over 50 films and had played everything from Indians to Mafia dons to Hawaiian chiefs to Chinese guerillas to comical Arab sheiks, but he was still not a major star. So he returned to the theater, where for
three years he found success on Broadway in such roles as Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire.
Upon his return to the screen in the early 1950s, Quinn was cast in a series of B adventures like Mask of
the Avenger (1951). He got one of his big breaks playing opposite Marlon Brando in Elia Kazan's Viva Zapata! (1952). His supporting role as Zapata's brother won Quinn his first Oscar
and after that, Quinn was given
larger roles in a variety of features. He went to Italy in 1953 and appeared in several films, turning in one of his best performances as a dim-witted, thuggish and volatile strongman in Federico Fellini's La Strada
(1954). Quinn won his second Best Supporting Actor Oscar portraying the painter Gaugin in Vincente Minnelli's Lust for Life (1956). The following year, he received another Oscar nomination for George Cukor's Wild is the
Wind. During the '50s,
Quinn specialized in tough, macho roles, but as the decade ended, he allowed his age to show. His formerly trim physique filled out, his hair grayed and his once smooth, swarthy face weathered
into an appealing series of crags and crinkles. His careworn demeanor made him an ideal ex-boxer in Requiem for a Heavyweight and a natural for the villainous Bedouin he played in Lawrence of Arabia (both 1962). The
success of Zorba the Greek in 1964 was the highwater mark of Quinn's career during the '60s--it offered him another Oscar nomination--and as the decade progressed, the quality of his film work noticeably diminished. The
1970s offered little change and Quinn became known as a ham, albeit a well-respected one. In 1971, he starred in the short-lived television drama
Man in the City. His subsequent television appearances have been
sporadic, though in 1994, he became a semi-regular guest (playing Zeus) on the syndicated Hercules series. Though his film career slowed considerably during the 1990s, Quinn continued to work steadily, appearing in
films as diverse as Jungle Fever (1991), Last Action Hero (1993), and A Walk in the Clouds (1995).
In his personal life, Quinn has proven as volatile and passionate as his screen persona. He divorced his wife
Katherine, with whom he had three children, in 1956. The following year he embarked on a tempestuous thirty-one year marriage to costume designer Iolanda Quinn. The union crumbled in 1993 when Quinn had an affair with
his secretary that resulted in a baby; the two shared a second child in 1996. In total, Quinn has fathered 13 children and has had three known mistresses. He and
Iolanda engaged in a public and very bitter divorce in
1997 in which she and one of Quinn's sons, Danny Quinn, alleged that the actor had severely beaten and abused Iolanda for many years. Quinn denied the allegations, claiming that his ex-wife was lying in order to win a
larger settlement and part of Quinn's priceless art collection.
When not acting or engaging in well-publicized court battles, Quinn continues to paint and has become a well-known artist. He has also written and
co-written two memoirs, The Original Sin (1972) and One Man Tango (1997). In the latter, Quinn is candid and apologetic about some of his past's darker moments.
1999 From Russia To Hollywood: The 100-Year
Odyssey Of Chekhov And Shdanoff [doc] Actor
1999 Oriundi Actor [Starring]
1996 Seven Servants Actor
1996 Il Sindaco aka The Mayor Actor [Starring]
1996 Gotti [TV] Actor [Starring]
1995 A Walk in the Clouds Actor [Starring]
1994 This Can't Be Love [TV] Actor [Starring]
1994 Somebody to Love Actor [Starring]
1993 Last Action Hero Actor [Starring]
1991 Jungle Fever Actor [Starring]
1991 Mobsters aka The Evil Empire Actor
1991 Only the Lonely Actor
1990 Ghosts Can't Do It Actor [Starring]
1990 Revenge Actor [Starring]
1990 The Old Man and the Sea [TV] Actor
1990 Anthony Quinn: An Original [doc] Actor
1989 Ingrid [doc] Actor
1989 A Man of Passion Actor
1988 Onassis [TV] Actor
1983 Regina Actor
1982 Valentina Actor [Starring]
1981 High Risk Actor [Starring]
1981 Lion of the Desert [TV]
aka Omar Mukhtar Actor [Starring]
1981 The Salamander Actor [Starring]
1981 Tigers Don't Cry Actor
1981 Circle of Power Executive Producer
1979 The Passage Actor [Starring]
1978 African Rage
aka Target of an Assassin [1976] (U.S. video title)
aka The Long Shot [1976]
aka Tigers Don't Cry [1976] Actor [Starring]
1978 The Children of Sanchez Actor [Starring]
1978 Caravans Actor [Starring]
1978 The Greek Tycoon Actor [Starring]
1977 The Switch [TV] Actor
1977 Jesus of Nazareth [TV] Actor
1976 Mohammed: Messenger of God
aka Al-Ris-Alah [1977]
aka Al-Risalah
aka The Message [1977] Actor [Starring]
1976 L'Eredità Ferramonti
aka The Inheritance (U.S. title) Actor [Starring]
1976 Bluff storia di truffe e di imbroglioni
aka Bluff (French title)
aka Il Bluff (Alt. Italian title)
aka Il grande bluff (Alt. Italian title)
aka The Con Artists [1977] (U.S. title)
aka The Con Men [1977]
aka The Switch [1977] (U.S. video title) Actor [Starring]
1974 The Destructors
aka Marseille Contract Actor [Starring]
1973 The Don Is Dead
aka Beautiful But Deadly Actor [Starring]
1973 Punto e Capo
aka Deaf Smith and Johnny Ears (U.S. title)
aka Los Amigos Actor [Starring]
1973 The Deadly Kiss Actor
1972 Across 110th Street Actor [Starring] / Executive Producer
1971 The City [TV] Actor
1971 Destiny of a Woman [TV] Actor
1971 Forbidden Knowledge [TV] Actor
1971 Arruza [doc] Actor / Narrator
1970 A Walk in the Spring Rain Actor [Starring]
1970 Flap Actor [Starring]
1970 R.P.M.
aka R.P.M. (Revolutions Per Minute) Actor [Starring]
1969 The Secret of Santa Vittoria Actor [Starring]
1969 A Dream of Kings Actor [Starring]
1968 The Shoes of the Fisherman Actor [Starring]
1968 La Bataille de San Sebastian
aka Guns for San Sebastian (U.S. title) Actor [Starring]
1968 The Magus Actor [Starring]
1967 The Happening Actor [Starring]
1967 The Rover
aka L' Avventuriero Actor
1967 La Vingt-Cinquième Heure
aka La 25e Heure
aka The 25th Hour (U.S. title) Actor [Starring]
1966 The Lost Command Actor [Starring]
1965 A High Wind in Jamaica Actor [Starring]
1965 Le Meravigliose Avventure di Marco Polo
aka Fabulous Adventures of Marco Polo
aka La Fabuleuse aventure de Marco Polo
aka Marco the Magnificent (U.S. title) Actor [Starring]
1964 Zorba the Greek
aka Alexis Zorbas
aka Zormba Actor [Starring]
1964 The Visit Producer / Actor
1964 Behold a Pale Horse Actor [Starring]
1962 Requiem for a Heavyweight Actor [Starring]
1962 Barabbas aka Barabba Actor [Starring]
1962 Lawrence of Arabia Actor [Starring]
1961 The Guns of Navarone Actor [Starring]
1960 Heller in Pink Tights Actor [Starring]
1960 Portrait in Black Actor
1959 Last Train from Gun Hill Actor [Starring]
1959 The Savage Innocents
aka Les Dents du diable
aka Ombre bianche Actor [Starring]
1959 The Black Orchid Actor [Starring]
1959 Warlock Actor [Starring]
1958 Hot Spell Actor [Starring]
1958 Attila, Flagello di Dio
aka Attila (U.S. title) Actor
1958 The Buccaneer Director
1957 The Ride Back Actor
1957 The River's Edge Actor
1957 Wild Is the Wind Actor [Starring]
1957 Notre Dame de Paris
aka The Hunchback of Notre Dame (U.S. title)
Actor [Starring]
1956 Lust for Life Actor [Starring]
1956 Man from Del Rio Actor [Starring]
1956 The Wild Party Actor
1955 Seven Cities of Gold Actor [Starring]
1955 The Naked Street Actor
1955 The Magnificent Matador
aka Brave & the Beautiful Actor
1955 Attila Fleau De Dieu Actor [Starring]
1954 Blowing Wild Actor
1954 The Long Wait Actor [Starring]
1954 Ulisse
aka Ulysses [1955] (U.S. title) Actor [Starring]
1954 La Strada Actor [Starring]
1953 City Beneath the Sea Actor [Starring]
1953 East of Sumatra Actor
1953 Ride, Vaquero!
aka Ride, Vaquero (U.S. title) Actor [Starring]
1953 Donne Proibite
aka Angels of Darkness [1956] (U.S. title) Actor
1953 Seminole Actor
1952 Viva Zapata! Actor [Starring]
1952 The World in His Arms Actor [Starring]
1952 The Brigand Actor
1952 Cavalleria Rusticana
aka Fatal Desire [1953] (U.S. title) Actor
1952 Against All Flags Actor [Starring]
1951 Mask of the Avenger Actor
1951 The Brave Bulls Actor [Starring]
1951 High Treason Actor
1947 The Imperfect Lady Actor
1947 Sinbad the Sailor Actor [Starring]
1947 Tycoon Actor
1947 The Inheritance
aka Uncle Silas [1948] Actor
1947 Black Gold Actor
1946 California Actor
1945 Where Do We Go from Here? Actor
1945 Back to Bataan
aka The Invisible Army Actor [Starring]
1944 Irish Eyes Are Smiling Actor
1944 Roger Touhy, Gangster!
aka Roger Touhy Actor
1944 Ladies of Washington Actor
1944 Buffalo Bill Actor [Starring]
1944 China Sky Actor [Starring]
1943 The Saint Meets the Tiger Actor
1943 Guadalcanal Diary Actor [Starring]
1943 The Ox-Bow Incident
aka Strange Incident Actor [Starring]
1942 Larceny, Inc. Actor
1942 The Black Swan Actor
1942 The Road to Morocco Actor [Starring]
1941 Thieves Fall Out Actor
1941 They Died with Their Boots on Actor
1941 Knockout
aka Right to the Heart Actor
1941 Bullets for O'Hara Actor
1941 Blood and Sand
aka Blood & Sand Actor [Starring]
1941 The Perfect Snob Actor
1940 Parole Fixer Actor
1940 Texas Rangers Ride Again Actor
1940 Emergency Squad Actor
1940 City for Conquest Actor
1940 Road to Singapore Actor [Starring]
1940 The Ghost Breakers Actor
1939 Television Spy Actor
1939 King of Chinatown Actor
1939 Union Pacific Actor
1939 Island of Lost Men Actor
1938 The Buccaneer Actor
1938 King of Alcatraz Actor
1938 Dangerous to Know Actor
1938 Bulldog Drummond in Africa Actor
1938 Tip-Off Girls Actor
1938 Hunted Men Actor
1937 Daughter of Shanghai Actor
1937 The Plainsman Actor
1937 Partners in Crime Actor
1937 The Plainsman - Special LV Edition Actor
1937 Waikiki Wedding Actor
1937 Swing High, Swing Low
aka The Dance of Life Actor
1937 The Last Train from Madrid Actor
1936 The Milky Way Actor
1936 Parole Actor
1936 Sworn Enemy Actor
1936 Night Waitress Actor
Best Supporting Actor (win) Viva Zapata! 1952 Academy
Best Supporting Actor (win) Lust for Life 1956 Academy
Best Actor (nom) Wild Is the Wind 1957 Academy
Best Actor Hot Spell 1958 New York Film Critics Circle
Best Actor (nom) Zorba the Greek 1964 Academy
Best Actor Zorba the Greek 1964 New York Film Critics Circle
Best Actor 1969 New York Film Critics Circle
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