José Ferrer

José Ferrer (1912–1992) was a Puerto Rican–born American actor and director. He became the first Hispanic performer to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, for portraying Cyrano de Bergerac in 1950.

Cyrano de Bergerac (film): A 1950 film adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s play, starring José Ferrer as Cyrano. Ferrer won the Best Actor Oscar for reprising his acclaimed stage role.
Academy Award for Best Actor: An annual Academy Award honoring a leading performance by an actor in a film. Ferrer became its first Hispanic winner for the 1950 film Cyrano de Bergerac.
Edmond Rostand: A French poet and playwright best known for the verse drama Cyrano de Bergerac. Rostand created the role that became Ferrer’s signature stage and screen performance.
Anthony Quinn: A Mexican-born American actor who won two Academy Awards for supporting performances. Quinn was another Hispanic-born Hollywood star, but his Oscars were in the supporting category.
Cyrano de Bergerac: A 1897 verse play by Edmond Rostand about a brilliant soldier-poet with an unusually large nose. Ferrer’s signature portrayal began with his performance in the Broadway production.
Hispanic and Latino Americans: People in the United States with origins in Spanish-speaking countries or cultures of Latin America. Ferrer’s historic award is often discussed as a milestone for Hispanic performers in the United States.
Herman Wouk: An American novelist and playwright whose works include The Caine Mutiny. Ferrer directed Wouk’s Broadway adaptation of The Caine Mutiny.
Rita Moreno: A Puerto Rican actress, singer, and dancer who won an Academy Award for West Side Story. Moreno followed Ferrer as a Puerto Rican-born Oscar winner, in a different performance category.
Moulin Rouge (1952 film): A 1952 film by John Huston about the painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, with José Ferrer as the artist. Ferrer played another historical artist soon after his Oscar-winning role.
Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play: An annual award recognizing a leading performance by an actor in a Broadway play. Ferrer won this Tony for Cyrano de Bergerac, before reprising the role on film.

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Raúl JuliáRelated: Ferrer was a prominent predecessor whose success helped make Juliá’s path in American theater visible.