ActorEmigrantSpaghetti WesternAward winner

Tomas Milian

Tomas Milian was a Cuban-born actor and singer renowned for his roles in Spaghetti Westerns and poliziottesco films, leaving a significant impact through distinctive character portrayals.

1. Life

Tomas Milian's early life in Cuba was marked by a profound personal tragedy that influenced his decision to pursue an acting career and eventually leave his home country.

1.1. Childhood and Education

Milian was born in Havana, Cuba, on 3 March 1933, as Tomás Quintín Rodríguez-Varona Milián Salinas de la Fé y Álvarez de la Campa. His father was a Cuban general or military officer. A pivotal and tragic event occurred on 31 December 1946, when his father, who had been unjustly arrested and imprisoned under the Fulgencio Batista regime, committed suicide in front of him. This traumatic experience deeply affected Milian and solidified his resolve to leave Cuba and pursue acting. He subsequently moved to the United States, where he dedicated himself to the craft of acting. He enrolled at the esteemed Actors Studio in New York City, where he studied method acting under the tutelage of Lee Strasberg, a foundational experience that would shape his intense and emotionally driven performances.

1.2. Early Career

In 1958, after commencing his career in the United States, Milian traveled to Italy to participate in a theatre festival held in Spoleto. This visit marked a turning point, as he ultimately decided to settle in Italy, a country where he would live for over 25 years and achieve significant professional success. His debut in Italian cinema came in 1959 with the film La notte brava. Despite his accent often leading to his voice being dubbed in films, Milian consistently delivered his lines in Italian or English, depending on the production. In his initial years in Italy, he primarily starred in arthouse films, collaborating with acclaimed directors such as Mauro Bolognini and Luchino Visconti. After approximately five years of working on what he described as "intellectual" movies, Milian grew dissatisfied with his contract with producer Franco Cristaldi and considered returning to the United States. However, needing funds for a fresh start, he accepted a role as a bandit in a Spaghetti Western titled The Bounty Killer. This decision unexpectedly boosted his career and led him to remain in Italy, where he quickly became a prominent star of the Spaghetti Western genre.

2. Major Activities and Achievements

Tomas Milian's career was characterized by a diverse range of roles, from intense anti-heroes in Spaghetti Westerns to gritty and comedic characters in Italian crime films, eventually transitioning to supporting roles in major Hollywood productions.

2.1. Italian Genre Film Career

Milian's entry into the Italian film industry led him to become a prominent figure in the country's popular genre cinema, particularly in Spaghetti Westerns and poliziottesco films, where he often created memorable and cult-favorite characters.

2.1.1. Spaghetti Westerns

Milian established himself as a dynamic leading actor in the Spaghetti Western genre, frequently portraying Mexican bandits or revolutionaries, roles that allowed him to use his authentic voice. His notable performances in this genre include The Ugly Ones (1966), The Big Gundown (1966), where he played Cuchillo Sanchez, and Django Kill... If You Live, Shoot! (1967), in which he was known as The Stranger. He continued to deliver iconic performances in films like Face to Face (1967), Run, Man, Run (1968), Death Sentence (1968), Tepepa (1969), Compañeros (1970), Sonny and Jed (1972), Life Is Tough, Eh Providence? (1972), and Four of the Apocalypse (1975). He frequently collaborated with notable directors of the genre, including Sergio Sollima and Sergio Corbucci, with whom he made The White, the Yellow, and the Black (1975), a parody of the genre.

Milian as Alberto De Matteis in Silver Spoon Set (1960)
Milian as Alberto De Matteis in Silver Spoon Set (1960)

2.1.2. Poliziottesco and Other Genres

As the popularity of Spaghetti Westerns began to wane, Milian successfully transitioned to roles in poliziottesco (Italian crime films), where he continued to play both villains and heroes. He earned critical acclaim for his portrayal of a psychotic killer in Almost Human (1974). His other appearances in this genre include Emergency Squad (1974), The Tough Ones (1976), and The Cynic, the Rat and the Fist (1977).

Milian became particularly renowned for his recurring characters, the petty thief Er Monnezza and the Serpico-like police officer Nico Giraldi. These characters appeared in two successful film series: the "Nico Giraldi" series (1976-1984), directed by Bruno Corbucci, which began with The Cop in Blue Jeans, and the "Er Monnezza" films (1976-1980), directed by Umberto Lenzi, starting with Free Hand for a Tough Cop. Although his voice was often dubbed by Ferruccio Amendola, Milian wrote his own lines for these roles, often incorporating distinctive Roman slang. His inventive use of this local dialect contributed significantly to his cult status in Italy. Bruno Corbucci observed that when Milian appeared on screen, particularly when delivering a witty remark in serious situations, audiences would erupt as if they were in a stadium. Due to similarities in makeup and accents for both Monnezza and Nico Giraldi, Italian audiences sometimes confused the two characters, often referring to both as Monnezza or Er Monnezza (meaning "The Trash" in Roman slang), a testament to Milian's strong association with these performances.

Beyond genre films, Milian also appeared in non-genre productions, such as the giallo Don't Torture a Duckling (1972), Dennis Hopper's art-house film The Last Movie (1971), Bernardo Bertolucci's La Luna (1979), and Michelangelo Antonioni's Identification of a Woman (1982).

2.2. Hollywood and International Career

After more than 25 years in Italy, Milian decided to return to the United States in 1985. He continued to take on supporting roles in significant film productions, showcasing his versatility across a broader cinematic landscape. His Hollywood credits include Sydney Pollack's Havana (1990), Oliver Stone's JFK (1991), Steven Spielberg's Amistad (1997), Steven Soderbergh's Traffic (2000), and Andy García's The Lost City (2005), which focused on Revolutionary Cuba. In 2005, he portrayed the historical figure Generalissimo Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina in the film adaptation of Mario Vargas Llosa's novel The Feast of the Goat. Milian also performed in numerous stage productions throughout his career.

2.3. Awards and Recognition

Throughout his extensive career, Tomas Milian received several accolades acknowledging his acting prowess. He was awarded a Nastro d'Argento for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Bernardo Bertolucci's 1979 film La Luna. In 2000, he was part of the ensemble cast that won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast for their work in the film Traffic. Posthumously, on 11 October 2017, Milian was honored with the Leone in Memoriam award at the 7th Almería Western Film Festival, an award accepted by his friend, Luis Santeiro.

3. Acting Philosophy and Style

Tomas Milian's approach to acting was deeply rooted in the method acting techniques he learned at the Actors Studio in New York. This training allowed him to infuse his characters with remarkable emotional intensity and psychological depth. Beyond intensity, Milian was also known for his ability to bring humor to his roles, particularly in his later comedic and crime films. He often employed distinct vocal techniques, using his real voice for his Spaghetti Western roles and crafting his own lines in the Romanesco dialect for characters like Nico Giraldi and "Er Monnezza." This dedication to character authenticity and his unique blend of intensity and humor made his performances highly memorable and contributed to his significant cult following.

4. Personal Life

Tomas Milian was born in Havana, Cuba. Following a traumatic childhood event involving his father's suicide, he left Cuba and settled in the United States, where he later became an American citizen. Demonstrating his deep connection to Italy, where he built a successful career, he also became a naturalized Italian citizen in 1969. Milian maintained a private personal life outside of his professional acting career.

5. Death

Tomas Milian passed away on 22 March 2017. He was found dead at his home in Miami, Florida, at the age of 84. The cause of his death was a stroke.

6. Assessment and Impact

Tomas Milian left a lasting impact on popular culture, particularly within Italian genre cinema, where his distinctive character portrayals garnered him a dedicated following.

6.1. Positive Assessment

Milian is widely regarded for his exceptional acting skills, his versatility, and his ability to fully embody the characters he portrayed. His performances in Spaghetti Westerns defined an era, making him an iconic figure in the genre, especially for his memorable portrayals of anti-heroes and bandits. His transition to poliziottesco films further solidified his reputation as a formidable actor, with his gritty and often comedic characters like Nico Giraldi and "Er Monnezza" achieving cult status in Italy. His innovative use of the Romanesco dialect was a key element in his connection with Italian audiences, turning his films into cultural phenomena. Critics and audiences alike praised his intense emotional performances and his unique ability to blend drama with humor, creating complex and engaging characters.

6.2. Criticism and Controversy

No significant criticisms or controversies regarding Tomas Milian's acting choices or personal life are widely documented in the available information. His career was predominantly marked by popular and critical acclaim, particularly for his contributions to Italian genre cinema.

7. Filmography

  • Decoy, Ep. "Fiesta at Midnight" (1958, Michael Gordon) as Juan Ortega
  • The Millionaire, Ep. "The Louise Benton Story" (1959, James Sheldon) as Second Sailor
  • Bad Girls Don't Cry (1959, Mauro Bolognini) as Moretto
  • Il bell'Antonio (1960, Mauro Bolognini) as Edoardo
  • Silver Spoon Set (1960, Francesco Maselli) as Alberto De Matteis
  • The Mishap (1961, Alberto Lattuada) as Thomas Plemian
  • A Day for Lionhearts (1961, Nanni Loy) as Gino Migliacci
  • Day by Day, Desperately (1961, Alfredo Giannetti) as Dario Dominici
  • Boccaccio '70 (1962, Luchino Visconti) as Conte Ottavio
  • Disorder (1962, Franco Brusati) as Bruno
  • La banda Casaroli (1962, Florestano Vancini) as Gabriele Ingenis
  • Ro.Go.Pa.G., "La ricotta" (1963, Pier Paolo Pasolini) as Centurione
  • Mare matto (1963, Renato Castellani) as Efsio
  • I Kill, You Kill (1965, Gianni Puccini) as Lorenzo Berti
  • Time of Indifference (1965, Francesco Maselli) as Michele
  • The Camp Followers (1965, Valerio Zurlini) as Lt. Gaetano Martino
  • The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965, Carol Reed) as Raphael
  • I soldi (1965, Gianni Puccini) as Bob
  • Madamigella di Maupin (1966, Mauro Bolognini) as Chevalier d'Albert
  • The Ugly Ones (1966, Eugenio Martin) as José Gómez
  • The Big Gundown (1967, Sergio Sollima) as Cuchillo Sanchez
  • Django Kill... If You Live, Shoot! (1967, Giulio Questi) as The Stranger
  • Face to Face (1967, Sergio Sollima) as Beau Bennet
  • Bandits in Milan (1968, Carlo Lizzani) as Comissario Walter Basevi
  • Death Sentence (1968, Mario Lanfranchi) as O'Hara
  • Run, Man, Run! (1968, Sergio Sollima) as Cuchillo Sanchez
  • A Fine Pair (1968, Francesco Maselli) as Roger
  • Tepepa (1969, Giulio Petroni) as Jesus Maria "Tepepa" Moran
  • Beatrice Cenci (1969, Lucio Fulci) as Olimpio Calvetti
  • Where Are You Going All Naked? (1969, Pasquale Festa Campanile) as Manfredo
  • Compañeros (1970, Sergio Corbucci) as El Vasco
  • Viva Cangaceiro (1970, Giovanni Fago) as Espedito
  • The Cannibals (1970, Liliana Cavani) as Emone
  • The Designated Victim (1971, Maurizio Lucidi) as Stefano Augenti
  • The Last Movie (1971, Dennis Hopper) as the Priest
  • Ripped Off (1972, Franco Prosperi) as the Stranger
  • Sonny and Jed (1972, Sergio Corbucci) as Jed Trigado
  • Don't Torture a Duckling (1972, Lucio Fulci) as Andrea Martelli
  • Life Is Tough, Eh Providence? (1972, Giulio Petroni) as Provvidenza
  • Counselor at Crime (1973, Alberto De Martino) as Thomas Accardo
  • Emergency Squad (1974, Stelvio Massi) as Tomas Ravelli
  • Almost Human (1974, Umberto Lenzi) as Giulio Sacchi
  • Silent Action (1975, Sergio Martino) as Rienzi
  • Syndicate Sadists (1975, Umberto Lenzi) as Rambo
  • The White, the Yellow, and the Black (1975, Sergio Corbucci) as Sakura
  • Four of the Apocalypse (1975, Lucio Fulci) as Chaco
  • Folle à tuer (1975, Yves Boisset)
  • Sex with a Smile (1976, Sergio Martino) as Cavaliere Marelli
  • The Tough Ones (1976, Umberto Lenzi) as Vincenzo Moretto
  • The Cop in Blue Jeans (1976, Bruno Corbucci) as Nico Giraldi
  • The Twist (1976, Claude Chabrol) as The Detective
  • Hit Squad (1976, Bruno Corbucci) as Nico Giraldi
  • Young, Violent, Dangerous (1976, Romolo Guerrieri) as the Commissioner
  • The Cynic, the Rat and the Fist (1977, Umberto Lenzi) as Luigi Maietto
  • Free Hand for a Tough Cop (1977, Umberto Lenzi) as Sergio Marazzi
  • Brothers Till We Die (1977, Umberto Lenzi) as Sergio Marazzi/The Hunchback
  • Destruction Force (1977, Stelvio Massi) as Sergio Marazzi
  • Squadra antitruffa (1977, Bruno Corbucci) as Nico Giraldi
  • Little Italy (1978, Bruno Corbucci) as Nico Giraldi
  • The Gang That Sold America (1979, Bruno Corbucci) as Nico Giraldi
  • Assassinio sul Tevere (1979, Bruno Corbucci) as Nico Giraldi
  • La Luna (1979, Bernardo Bertolucci) as Giuseppe
  • Winter Kills (1979, William Richert) as Frank Mayo
  • Il lupo e l'agnello (1980, Francesco Massaro) as Cuckoo
  • Delitto a Porta Romana (1980, Bruno Corbucci) as Nico Giraldi
  • Manolesta (1981, Pasquale Festa Campanile) as Gino Quirino
  • Crime at the Chinese Restaurant (1981, Bruno Corbucci) as Nico Giraldi
  • Uno contro l'altro, praticamente amici (1981, Bruno Corbucci) as Quinto Cecione
  • Delitto sull'autostrada (1982, Bruno Corbucci) as Nico Giraldi
  • Identification of a Woman (1982, Michelangelo Antonioni) as Niccolò
  • Monsignor (1982, Frank Perry) as Father Francisco
  • Cat and Dog (1982, Bruno Corbucci) as Tony Roma
  • Crime in Formula One (1983, Bruno Corbucci) as Nico Giraldi
  • Cop in Drag (1984, Bruno Corbucci) as Nico Giraldi
  • King David (1985, Bruce Beresford) as Akiss
  • The Equalizer, "Reign of Terror" (1985, Richard Compton) as Immanuel Pena
  • Miami Vice, "Bought and Paid For" (1985, John Nicolella) as Octavio Arroyo
  • Salome (1986, Claude d'Anna) as Herod
  • The Equalizer, "Shadow Play" (1987, Russ Mayberry) as Duran
  • Distant Lights (1987, Aurelio Chiesa) as Bernardo Bernardi
  • Una casa a Roma (1988) as Fabrizio
  • Cat Chaser (1989, Abel Ferrara) as Andres DeBoya
  • Massacre Play (1989, Damiano Damiani) as Clem Da Silva
  • Drug Wars: The Camarena Story (1990, Brian Gibson) as Florentino Ventura
  • Revenge (1990, Tony Scott) as Cesar
  • Havana (1990, Sydney Pollack) as Colonel Menocal
  • Money (1991, Steven Hilliard Stern) as Robert Zarra
  • JFK (1991, Oliver Stone) as Leopoldo
  • Frannie's Turn (1992, various) as Joseph Escobar
  • Murder, She Wrote, "Day of the Dead" (1992, Anthony Shaw) as Enrico Montejano
  • Nails (1992, John Flynn) as Pedro Herrara
  • Screenplay, "Bitter Harvest" (1992, Simon Cellan Jones) as Ramon Cires
  • Love, Honor & Obey: The Last Mafia Marriage (1993, John Patterson) as Joe Profaci
  • Marilyn & Bobby: Her Final Affair (1993, Bradford May) as Carlo Rossi
  • The Burning Season (1994, John Frankenheimer) as Darli Alves
  • The Cowboy Way (1994, Gregg Champion) as Manny Huerta
  • Fools Rush In (1997, Andy Tennant) as Tomas Fuentes
  • Oz (1997, various) as Ricardo Alvarez
  • Amistad (1997, Steven Spielberg) as Ángel Calderón de la Barca y Belgrano
  • The Yards (2000, James Gray) as Manuel Sequeira
  • Law & Order (2000, Christopher Misiano) as Colonel Emilio Pantoya
  • For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story (2000, Joseph Sargent) as Sosa
  • Traffic (2000, Steven Soderbergh) as General Arturo Salazar
  • The Hire: Ambush (short, 2001, John Frankenheimer)
  • UC: Undercover, Ep. "Kidnap" (2001) as Ortega
  • Washington Heights (2002, Alfredo De Villa) as Eddie
  • The Lost City (2005, Andy García) as Don Federico Fellove
  • The Feast of the Goat (2005, Luis Llosa) as Rafael Leonidas Trujillo
  • Tomas Milian: Acting on Instinct (2013, Ozzy Inguanzo) as himself
  • Fugly! (2014, Alfredo De Villa) as Gramps