Biography
Protean Broadway actor-director-producer whose noteworthy stage performances include Iago to Paul Robeson's "Othello" (1942), a Tony-winning "Cyrano de Bergerac" (1946) and the prince in the Noel Coward musical, "The Girl Who Came to Supper" (1964).
Ferrer made his Hollywood debut in "Joan of Arc" (1948) and, thanks to his sonorous voice and urbane manner, excelled at playing pedants and snobs, like the pompous Nazi professor in Mel Brooks's …
Career Milestones
1991 | Planned to return to Broadway in the spring of 1992 to star opposite Judd Hirsch in Herb Gardner's "Conversations with My Father"; forced to bow out due to illness | |
1990 | Final stage performance opposite Mandy Patinkin in the RSC's musical "Born Again" (based on Ionesco's "Rhinoceros") | |
1990 | Last American stage appearance at the Paper Mill Playhouse's revival of the Harold Rome musical "Fanny" in Millburn, New Jersey | |
1958 | Co-writing debut, "Oh, Captain" on Broadway (also director) | |
1955 | Film directing debut, "The Shrike" (also actor) | |
| Recorded hit duets, "Man" and "Woman" with Rosemary Clooney in the mid-1950s | ||
1949 | Starred in TV version of his 1947 stage triumph, "Cyrano de Bergerac"; also starred in 1950 film version | |
1948 | Film acting debut (feature) in "Joan of Arc" | |
1946 | Film debut as narrator of short, "Bolivia" | |
1945 | Turned down lead in Billy Wilder's "The Lost Weekend" | |
1945 | Broadway producing debut, "Strange Fruit" (also director) | |
1942 | Played Iago to Paul Robson's Othello on Broadway | |
1941 | Broadway directing debut, Marcel Pagnol's "Topaz" | |
1940 | First major stage role in Broadway revival of "Charley's Aunt" | |
1935 | Broadway debut in "A Slight Case of Murder" | |
1935 | Joined Joshua Logan's Suffern (New York) stock company as assistant stage manager | |
1934 | Made professional debut on a showboat on Long Island | |
| Organized a successful cruise ship band, the Pied Pipers, while a college student | ||
1918 | First visited the United States for an operation on his palate; family later moved to the USA when he was six | |
Awards
1957 | Directors Guild of America Award for Feature Film in The Great Man |
1954 | BAFTA Award for Foreign Actor in The Caine Mutiny |
1952 | Tony Award for Actor (Dramatic) |
1952 | Academy Award for Actor in Moulin Rouge |
1950 | Academy Award for Actor in Cyrano De Bergerac |
1948 | Academy Award for Actor In a Supporting Role in Joan of Arc |
1947 | Tony Award for Actor Dramatic |