Alfred Molina

***Alfred Molina*** (born Alfredo Molina; May 24, 1953, Paddington, London, England) is an English actor known for his work on the stage and screen. He first rose to prominence in the West End, earning a nomination for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Newcomer in a Play for his performance in the production of Oklahoma! in 1980. He made his film debut as Satipo in Raiders of the Lost Ark and his Broadway debut as Yvan in a production of Art from 1998 to 1999. His other Broadway roles include Tevye in the musical Fiddler on the Roof from 2004 to 2005 and Mark Rothko in the play Red from 2009 to 2010.

On screen, his best known roles include Kenneth Halliwell in Prick Up Your Ears (1987), Sayyed Bozorg Mahmoody in Not Without My Daughter, (1991), Mellersh Wilkins in Enchanted April (1992), Rahad Jackson in Boogie Nights (1997), Comte de Reynaud in Chocolat (2000), Diego Rivera in Frida (2002), Johann Tetzel in Luther (2003), Bishop Aringarosa in The Da Vinci Code (2006), Jack Mellor in An Education (2009), and George in Love Is Strange (2014). He has voiced characters in Rango (2011), Monsters University (2013), Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018), and Frozen II (2019). He is also known for his portrayal of Otto Octavius / Doctor Octopus in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2 (2004) and the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).

Molina's work has brought him widespread acclaim. For his portrayal of Robert Aldrich in the miniseries Feud (2017), he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. He received a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Frida, and has also been nominated for an Independent Spirit Award, a British Independent Film Award, five Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Tony Awards.

He was born Alfredo Molina on 24 May 1953 in Paddington, London. His father, Esteban Molina, was a Spanish immigrant from Murcia, who came to England in 1939, and worked as a waiter and chauffeur. His mother, Giovanna (née Bonelli), was an Italian immigrant who moved to Britain after World War II, and who cleaned rooms in a hotel, and worked as a cook and housekeeper. Molina grew up in a working class district in Notting Hill that was inhabited by many other immigrant families. He decided to become an actor after seeing Spartacus at the age of nine, and attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, as well as auditioning for and becoming a member of the National Youth Theatre. At the age of 21, he changed his name to Alfred, at the urging of his first agent.

In 2000, Molina appeared in Lasse Hallström's Chocolat which received critical acclaim and an Academy Award for Best Picture nomination. He gained wide recognition for his portrayal of Diego Rivera alongside Salma Hayek in the biopic Frida (2002), a role for which he gained BAFTA and SAG award nominations. He played himself alongside Steve Coogan in Jarmusch's Coffee and Cigarettes (2003) and gained further commercial recognition when he portrayed Johann Tetzel in Luther (2003) and Otto Octavius / Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man 2 (2004), which became one of the highest-grossing films of that year. For the latter, Molina was nominated for a Satellite Award as Best Supporting Actor. He reprised his role in the video game adaptation. In 2006, Molina portrayed Touchstone in Kenneth Branagh's film version of Shakespeare's As You Like It and appeared in Ron Howard's adaptation of The Da Vinci Code. Molina provided the voice of the villain Ares in the 2009 animated film Wonder Woman.