Pedro Armendariz Biography

QUICK FACTS
Activities Actor , Producer
Real name Pedro Gregorio Armendariz Hastings
Nationality Mexico
Birth May 9, 1912 (Mexico City – Mexico)
Death June 18, 1963  (California – United States)
BIOGRAPHY
Pedro Gregorio Armendáriz Hastings, known simply as Pedro Armendáriz , was a renowned Mexican actor, born on May 9, 1912, in Mexico City. He spent his childhood in San Antonio, Texas and then moved to Los Angeles, where he studied aeronautical engineering at California Polytechnic State University. When he finished his studies, Pedro returned to Mexico City, interested in theater, working in various jobs, as a railroad worker, tourist guide, and bilingual journalist. One day, as a tourist guide, he was discovered by the film director Miguel Zacarías, while Pedro was reciting Hamlet’s monologue for a client. He debuted with a small role in Zacarías’ film, Rosario (1935), which was followed by films such as Jalisco never loses (1937), La Adelita (1938), The Indian (1939), Pobre diablo (1940), Del rancho a the capital (1941), among others. His greatest successes came with his collaborations with director Emilio Fernández, in feature films such as I am pure Mexican (1942), Florwild (1942), María Candelaria (1943), Enamorada (1946), La perla (1947), to mention some. Famous for playing indigenous roles, Pedro also worked in European and Hollywood cinema, achieving great success. However, in 1956, he participated in the John Wayne film The Conqueror , produced by Howard Hughes, which is remembered as a film that, when filmed in the state of Utah, where nuclear tests were carried out, would cause cancer for many of the people. members of the cast and crew, including him. His last film was The Return of Agent 007 (1963), the second film in the James Bond saga, sharing credits with Sean Connery, which, however, he could not complete due to illness. Discovering that his cancer was incurable, Armendáriz committed suicide on June 18, 1963, at age 51, in Los Angeles, California.