The highly respected and prolific film and stage actor Alfred Molina has had a long and illustrious career as a performer, starting with the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company in the late 1970s. Born in London on May 24, 1953, Molina is of mixed Spanish-Italian heritage, a trait that has given him the ability to portray an ethnically diverse mix of roles. The talented actor studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, and was eventually accepted into the Royal Shakespeare Company, which saw him impress in productions like Tennessee Williams’ “The Night of the Iguana” and David Mamet’s “Speed the Plow”.
Molina then made a memorable film debut in 1981, playing Harrison Ford’s ill-fated guide in the thrilling opening sequence of Steven Spielberg’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. Terrific turns in 1985’s “Letter to Brezhnev” and Stephen Frears’ “Prick Up Your Ears” followed. The latter film was a breakthrough for Molina, and his performance as the lover of playwright Joe Orton (Gary Oldman) was truly outstanding. The versatile actor has appeared in hordes of films and TV shows since his early successes, with standout performances including a BAFTA-nominated turn in 1989’s “The Accountant”, 1992’s “Enchanted April”, two films with Paul Thomas Anderson, “Boogie Nights” and “Magnolia”, and as Diego Rivera in the Salma Hayek-starring “Frida”. Molina has also given memorable performances in studio films such as 1994’s “Maverick” and most famously as Dr. Octopus in “Spider-Man 2”. He has received two Tony nominations: in 1998 for Yasmina Reza’s “Art” and in 2004 for a revival of “Fiddler on the Roof”.
Always reliable as a commanding screen presence, Molina is currently on screen harassing Tom Hanks and Audrey Tautou as an Opus Dei conspirator in “The Da Vinci Code”. Later this year he will appear in Kenneth Branagh’s long in-the-making film version of Shakespeare’s “As You Like It”.