Biography
Who is Alfred Molina?
Early life and real name
Alfred Molina was born Alfredo Molina in Paddington, London, on May 24, 1953. His father, Esteban Molina, was a Spanish waiter who had parachuted into France with SOE before D-Day, and his mother, Giovanna Bonelli, worked as an Italian cleaner. He grew up working-class in Notting Hill, an area inhabited by many other immigrant families.
He attended the nearby Cardinal Manning Roman Catholic School. He decided to become an actor after seeing Spartacus at the age of nine, and subsequently attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama while also becoming a member of the National Youth Theatre. At the age of 21, he anglicised his name to Alfred at the urging of his first agent.
Film and television career
Alfred Molina made his film debut as Satipo in Steven Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981. He later achieved wide recognition for portraying Diego Rivera alongside Salma Hayek in the biopic Frida in 2002, a role that earned him BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild award nominations.
He gained further commercial and critical recognition when he portrayed Otto Octavius, also known as Doctor Octopus, in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2 in 2004. He reprised this famous role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: No Way Home in 2021. His extensive television credits include performances in The Normal Heart and Feud: Bette and Joan.
Stage work and awards
Alfred Molina has enjoyed a distinguished career on stage in both the West End and on Broadway. He earned a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Best Newcomer in a Play for his performance in Oklahoma! In 1980. He made his Broadway debut in Yasmina Reza's Art in 1998, earning his first Tony Award nomination.
He received subsequent Tony Award nominations for his roles as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof in 2004 and as Mark Rothko in Red in 2009. He returned to Broadway to play Professor Serebryakov in a revival of Uncle Vanya in 2024. Throughout his career, he has also received a Drama League Award and a Theatre World Award.
Birthday and age
Alfred Molina was born on May 24, 1953, which makes Alfred 73 years old today. That birthday falls under the Gemini sign. Alfred shares the date with 63 other famous people.
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