Jose Ferrer

José Ferrer Biography by AllMusic b. José Vicente Ferrer de Otero y Cintrón, 8 January 1909 (sometimes cited as 1912), Santurce, Puerto Rico, d. 26 January 1992, Coral Gables, Florida, USA. Raised in the USA, while studying architecture Ferrer took an interest in amateur dramatics and became a professional actor. From 1935’s A Slight Case Of Murder he appeared often on Broadway: Spring Dance (1936), in the title role in Charley’s Aunt (1940), Let’s Face It! (1941), Vickie (1942, also director), Cyrano De Bergerac (1946, also producer), and The Silver Whistle (1948). He acted in Shakespeare, including playing Iago to Paul Robeson’s lead in Othello (1943). In 1948 he went to Hollywood, appearing in that year’s Joan Of Arc, receiving an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor. In 1950 he was in the film version of Cyrano De Bergerac. During the 50s he alternated between New York and Hollywood. His Broadway shows included Twentieth Century (1950, actor-director), Stalag 17 (1951, director-producer), The Fourposter (1951, director), The Shrike (1952, actor-director-producer), the musical Oh Captain! (1958, librettist-director-producer), and Juno (1959, which he staged). Among film roles was Ferrer’s portrayal of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in Moulin Rouge (1952), receiving an Oscar nomination as Best Actor. In 1954 he played Sigmund Romberg in Deep In My Heart, a biopic of the composer’s life. Ferrer acted in and directed a screen version of The Shrike (1955) and The Great Man (1956, which he also wrote), and The High Cost Of Loving (1958). In the 60s in Hollywood he directed Return To Peyton Place (1961) and in 1962 the third and least version of State Fair (which starred Pat Boone and included Bobby Darin in its cast). On Broadway Ferrer was in the musical The Girl Who Came To Supper (1963) and also joined the cast of Man Of La Mancha (1965). In 1979 he directed the Broadway musical Carmelina. Ferrer continued to act in films in the USA and Europe through succeeding decades, making his last film appearance in Primary Motive (1992). His third wife was singer Rosemary Clooney; they divorced, re-married and divorced again. The oldest of their five children is actor Miguel Ferrer. Another of their children, Gabriel Ferrer, married singer Debby Boone. Ferrer received Tony Awards as Best Actor In A Play for Cyrano De Bergerac and The Shrike, and as Best Director for The Shrike, The Fourposter and Stalag 17.