Tomas Milian (born Tomás Quintín Rodríguez-Varona Milián Salinas de la Fé y Álvarez de la Campa; 3 March 1933 – 22 March 2017) was a

Cuban Cuban may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Cuba, a country in the Caribbean * Cubans, people from Cuba, or of Cuban descent ** Cuban exile, a person who left Cuba for political reasons, or a descendant thereof * Cuban citizen, a pers ...

-born actor and singer with American and Italian citizenship, known for the emotional intensity and humor he brought to starring roles in European genre films. A student of Lee Strasberg, Milian studied method acting at the

Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founde ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. In Italy, he was discovered by director Mauro Bolognini and appeared in supporting roles in several

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super- ...

s during the late 1950s and early 1960s, including '' Bad Girls Don't Cry'' (1959) and as

Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of composition, and visual ...

in Carol Reed's '' The Agony and the Ecstasy'' (1965). Throughout the late-1960s and early-1970s, Milian established himself as a dynamic leading actor in a series of

Spaghetti Western The Spaghetti Western is a broad subgenre of Western films produced in Europe. It emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's film-making style and international box-office success. The term was used by foreign critics because most o ...

films, most notably ''

The Big Gundown ''The Big Gundown'' ( it, La resa dei conti, lit=The Settling of Scores) is a 1966 Spaghetti Western film directed by Sergio Sollima, and starring Lee Van Cleef and Tomas Milian. Plot Possessing a reputation for bringing criminals to justice, r ...

'' (1966), '' Django Kill... If You Live, Shoot!'' (1967), as well as Sergio Corbucci's parody of the genre ''

The White, the Yellow, and the Black ''The White, the Yellow, and the Black'' ( it, Il bianco, il giallo, il nero), also known as ''Samurai'' and ''Shoot First... Ask Questions Later'', is a 1975 Spaghetti Western comedy film. It is the last spaghetti western directed by Sergio Cor ...

'' (1975).

Dennis Hopper Dennis Lee Hopper (May 17, 1936 – May 29, 2010) was an American actor, filmmaker and photographer. He attended the Actors Studio, made his first television appearance in 1954, and soon after appeared in '' Giant'' (1956). In the next ten year ...

also cast Milian in his 1971 art-house film, '' The Last Movie''. Following a decline in the popularity of Spaghetti Westerns, Milian transitioned to roles in '' poliziottesco'' films. After receiving acclaim for his performance as a psychotic killer in '' Almost Human'' (1974), he made appearances in '' Emergency Squad'' (1974), ''

The Tough Ones ''The Tough Ones'' () is a 1999 Finnish film directed by Aleksi Mäkelä. It was Finland's official Best Foreign Language Film submission at the 72nd Academy Awards, but did not manage to receive a nomination.* Plot The film starts when Jussi ...

'' (1976) and ''

The Cynic, the Rat and the Fist ''The Cynic, the Rat and the Fist'' ( it, Il cinico, l'infame, il violento, lit=The Cynic, the Infamous, the Violent) is an Italian ''poliziotteschi'' film directed in 1977 by Umberto Lenzi and third entry into the Tanzi/Moretto/Monnezza shared un ...

'' (1977). After returning to the United States in 1985, Milian continued to perform supporting roles in film productions, including '' JFK'' (1991), '' Amistad'' (1997), ''

Traffic Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation. Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffic ...

'' (2000) and '' The Lost City'' (2005).

Biography

Milian was born in

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

as the son of a Cuban general. His father was arrested, jailed, and later committed suicide on December 31, 1946. Milián then decided to leave Cuba and pursue his wishes of being an actor. He settled in the United States to study at New York's

and later became an American citizen. In 1969, he became a

naturalized Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the in ...

Italian citizen.

Career

After starting a career in the United States, Milian went to Italy in 1958 to take part in a theatre festival in

Spoleto Spoleto (, also , , ; la, Spoletum) is an ancient city in the Italian province of Perugia in east-central Umbria on a foothill of the Apennines. It is S. of Trevi, N. of Terni, SE of Perugia; SE of Florence; and N of Rome. History Sp ...

. He eventually decided to relocate to Italy, where he lived for over 25 years, becoming a very successful performer. His first film part in Italy was in the 1959 picture ''

La notte brava ''La notte brava'' (internationally released as ''Bad Girls Don't Cry'', ''The Big Night'', ''Night Heat'', and ''On Any Street'') is a 1959 Italian drama film directed by Mauro Bolognini. The film represents the debut of Tomas Milian in the Ital ...

''. Although his voice was usually dubbed due to his accent, Milián performed his lines in Italian (or in English, depending on the film). He initially starred in arthouse movies and worked with directors such as Mauro Bolognini and Luchino Visconti. After five years of making what he deemed "intellectual" movies, Milián was unhappy with his contract with producer Franco Cristaldi and thought of going back to the United States. Needing money to start over, he took the opportunity to star as a bandit in a

called ''

The Bounty Killer ''The Ugly Ones'' ( es: ''El precio de un hombre'', lit. "The Price of a Man", it: ''The Bounty Killer'', later ''La morte ti segue... ma non ha fretta'', lit. "Death follows you... but not in a hurry") is a 1966 Spanish-Italian Spaghetti West ...

''. The film boosted his career, and ultimately resulted in his staying in Italy. He became a star of the Spaghetti Western genre, where he often played

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

bandits or revolutionaries, roles in which he spoke in his real voice. He starred in ''

The Ugly Ones ''The Ugly Ones'' ( es: ''El precio de un hombre'', lit. "The Price of a Man", it: ''The Bounty Killer'', later ''La morte ti segue... ma non ha fretta'', lit. "Death follows you... but not in a hurry") is a 1966 Spanish- Italian Spaghetti ...

'' (1966), ''

'' (1966), '' Django Kill... If You Live, Shoot!'' (1967), '' Face to Face'' (1967), '' Run, Man, Run'' (1968), ''

Death Sentence Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that ...

'' (1968), '' Tepepa'' (1969), '' Compañeros'' (1970), ''

Sonny and Jed ''Sonny and Jed'' ( it, La banda J. & S. - Cronaca criminale del Far-West, lit. "The Band of J. & S. - Criminal Chronicle of the Far West") is a 1972 Italian Spaghetti Western film about a sheriff's (Sheriff Franciscus, played by Telly Savalas ...

'' (1972), '' Life Is Tough, Eh Providence?'' (1972) and '' Four of the Apocalypse'' (1975). As the Spaghetti Westerns dwindled, Milián remained a star in many genre films, playing both villains and heroes in various polizieschi movies. He starred with Barbara Bouchet in the

giallo In Italian cinema, ''Giallo'' (; plural ''gialli'', from ''giallo'', Italian for yellow) is a genre of mystery fiction and thrillers that often contains slasher, crime fiction, psychological thriller, psychological horror, sexploitation, and, ...

'' Don't Torture a Duckling''. In addition to his role in '' Almost Human'' (1974) and appearances in '' Emergency Squad'' (1974), ''

'' (1976) and ''

'' (1977), he also appeared in two film series -

Bruno Corbucci Bruno Corbucci (23 October 1931 – 7 September 1996) was an Italian screenwriter and film director. He was the younger brother of Sergio Corbucci, and wrote many of his films. He was born in Rome, where he also died. The vast majority of ...

's ''Nico Giraldi'' series (1976-1984, beginning with ''

The Cop in Blue Jeans ''The Cop in Blue Jeans'' ( it, Squadra antiscippo, lit=Anti-theft squad) is an Italian crime and comedy film directed by Bruno Corbucci. The film was a major commercial success and generated a film series consisting of eleven entries starring Tom ...

'') and

Umberto Lenzi Umberto Lenzi (6 August 1931 – 19 October 2017) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and novelist. A fan of film since young age, Lenzi studied at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia and made his first film in 1958 which went unr ...

's ''Er Monnezza'' films (1976-1980, beginning with ''

Free Hand for a Tough Cop ''Free Hand for a Tough Cop'' ( it, Il trucido e lo sbirro / The Numbskull and the Cop), also known as ''Tough Cop'', is an Italian poliziottesco-action film directed in 1976 by Umberto Lenzi and the second entry into the Tanzi/Moretto/Monnezza sh ...

''). His other films during this period include the

'' Don't Torture a Duckling'' (1972) and the non-genre films '' The Last Movie'' (1971), '' Luna'' (1979), '' Identification of a Woman'' (1982) and ''

Monsignor Monsignor (; it, monsignore ) is an honorific form of address or title for certain male clergy members, usually members of the Roman Catholic Church. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian ''monsignore'', meaning "my lord". "Monsignor" ...

'' (1982). He later turned to comedy, playing the recurrent characters of petty thief Monnezza and Serpico-like police officer Nico Giraldi in a variety of

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in C ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

pictures. Although his voice was dubbed most of the time by Ferruccio Amendola, Milián wrote his own lines in

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...

slang. Milián's inventive use of '' romanesco'' (Roman dialect) made him a

cult In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal. Thi ...

performer in Italy.

, the director of many of these films commented, ''"At the cinemas as soon as Tomás Milián appeared on the screen, when he made a wisecrack and in the heaviest situations, then it was a pandemonium, it was like being at the stadium."'' As Milián used similar makeups and accents in portraying both characters, Monnezza and Nico were occasionally confused by Italian audiences, who sometimes referred erroneously to them both as ''Monnezza'', or ''Er Monnezza'' (''Da trash'' in Roman slang ), and still closely associate Milián with these performances. Milián also appeared in non-genre pictures, such as

Bernardo Bertolucci Bernardo Bertolucci (; 16 March 1941 – 26 November 2018) was an Italian film director and screenwriter with a career that spanned 50 years. Considered one of the greatest directors in Italian cinema, Bertolucci's work achieved international ...

's '' La Luna'', for which he won a Nastro d'Argento for Best supporting Actor, and

Michelangelo Antonioni Michelangelo Antonioni (, ; 29 September 1912 – 30 July 2007) was an Italian filmmaker. He is best known for directing his "trilogy on modernity and its discontents"—''L'Avventura'' (1960), ''La Notte'' (1961), and ''L'Eclisse'' (1962 ...

's '' Identification of a Woman''. As he grew older, Milián decided to go back to the United States. He appeared in

Sidney Pollack Sydney Irwin Pollack (July 1, 1934 – May 26, 2008) was an American film director, producer and actor. Pollack directed more than 20 films and 10 television shows, acted in over 30 movies or shows and produced over 44 films. For his film ''Out ...

's ''

Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.

'',

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Sp ...

's '' Amistad'',

Steven Soderbergh Steven Andrew Soderbergh (; born January 14, 1963) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer and editor. A pioneer of modern independent cinema, Soderbergh is an acclaimed and prolific filmmaker. Soderbergh's direct ...

's ''

'' as well as Andy García's ''The Lost City'', about Revolutionary Cuba. He has also played many roles on stage. In 2005, he portrayed Generalisimo

Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina ( , ; 24 October 189130 May 1961), nicknamed ''El Jefe'' (, "The Chief" or "The Boss"), was a Dominican dictator who ruled the Dominican Republic from February 1930 until his assassination in May 1961. He ser ...

in the film version of

Mario Vargas Llosa Jorge Mario Pedro Vargas Llosa, 1st Marquess of Vargas Llosa (born 28 March 1936), more commonly known as Mario Vargas Llosa (, ), is a Peruvian novelist, journalist, essayist and former politician, who also holds Spanish citizenship. Vargas Ll ...

's novel '' The Feast of the Goat''. Milian was found dead from a stroke at his home in Miami on 22 March 2017. On October 11, 2017 he received the Leone in Memoriam award at the 7º Almería Western Film Festival. It was picked up by his friend

Luis Santeiro Luis Santeiro is a Cuban-American television screenwriter and playwright born in Havana, Cuba, in 1947. Biography Santeiro left the island with his family at the age of twelve for Miami, Florida. He later obtained a degree in sociology from Vi ...

Filmography

* ''Decoy'', Ep. "Fiesta at Midnight" (1958, Michael Gordon) as Juan Ortega * ''The Millionaire'', Ep. "The Louise Benton Story" (1959, James Sheldon) as Second Sailor * '' Bad Girls Don't Cry'' (1959, Mauro Bolognini) as Moretto * '' Il bell'Antonio'' (1960, Mauro Bolognini) as Edoardo * ''

Silver Spoon Set ''Silver Spoon Set'' ( it, I Delfini, also known as ''The Dauphins'') is a 1960 Italian and French drama film directed and written by Francesco Maselli. The film stars Claudia Cardinale. Shot in Ascoli Piceno, Italy. Cast *Claudia Cardinale as ...

'' (1960, Francesco Maselli) as Alberto De Matteis * ''

The Mishap ''L'imprevisto'', internationally released as ''The Mishap'', is a 1961 Italian crime- drama film directed by Alberto Lattuada. It was coproduced by France, where it was released with the title ''L'Imprévu''. Cast * Anouk Aimée : Claire Plemi ...

'' (1961,

Alberto Lattuada Alberto Lattuada (; 13 November 1914 – 3 July 2005) was an Italian film director. Career Lattuada was born in Vaprio d'Adda, the son of composer Felice Lattuada. He was initially interested in literature, becoming, while still a student, a ...

) as Thomas Plemian * ''

A Day for Lionhearts ''Un giorno da leoni'' (internationally released as ''A Day for Lionhearts'') is a 1961 Italian war - drama film directed by Nanni Loy. The film describes the gradual evolution towards anti-fascism of Italian people during the Second World War. ...

'' (1961,

Nanni Loy Nanni Loy (born Giovanni Loi; 23 October 1925 – 21 August 1995) was an Italian film, theatre and TV director. Specifically, Nanni Loy was Sardinian, and one of several notable Sardinian film makers, including Franco Solinas. Biography Lo ...

) as Gino Migliacci * '' Day by Day, Desperately'' (1961, Alfredo Giannetti) as Dario Dominici * ''

Boccaccio '70 ''Boccaccio '70'' is a 1962 comedy anthology film directed by Vittorio De Sica, Federico Fellini, Mario Monicelli and Luchino Visconti from an idea by Cesare Zavattini. It consists of four episodes, each by one of the directors, all about a diff ...

'' (1962, Luchino Visconti) as Conte Ottavio * ''

Disorder Disorder may refer to randomness, non-order, or no intelligible pattern. Disorder may also refer to: Healthcare * Disorder (medicine), a functional abnormality or disturbance * Mental disorder or psychological disorder, a psychological pattern ...

'' (1962, Franco Brusati) as Bruno * ''

La banda Casaroli ''La banda Casaroli'' is a 1962 Italian crime-drama film directed by Florestano Vancini. The film is based on real life events of criminal group led by Paolo Casaroli. Cast *Renato Salvatori: Paolo Casaroli *Jean-Claude Brialy: Corrado Minguzz ...

'' (1962, Florestano Vancini) as Gabriele Ingenis * '' Ro.Go.Pa.G.'', " La ricotta" (1963,

Pier Paolo Pasolini Pier Paolo Pasolini (; 5 March 1922 – 2 November 1975) was an Italian poet, filmmaker, writer and intellectual who also distinguished himself as a journalist, novelist, translator, playwright, visual artist and actor. He is considered one of ...

) as Centurione * '' Mare matto'' (1963, Renato Castellani) as Efsio * ''

I Kill, You Kill ''I Kill, You Kill'' or ''Io uccido, tu uccidi'' is a 1965 Italian comedy film directed by Gianni Puccini starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. Cast *Franco Franchi as Franco (segment "Cavalleria Rusticana, oggi") * Ciccio Ingrassia as Tur ...

'' (1965, Gianni Puccini) as Lorenzo Berti * '' Time of Indifference'' (1965, Francesco Maselli) as Michele * '' The Camp Followers'' (1965,

Valerio Zurlini Valerio Zurlini (19 March 1926 – 26 October 1982) was an Italian film director, stage director and screenwriter. Biography During his law studies in Rome, he started working in the theatre. In 1943, he joined the Italian resistance. Zurlin ...

) as Lt. Gaetano Martino * '' The Agony and the Ecstasy'' (1965, Carol Reed) as

* ''

Madamigella di Maupin ''Madamigella di Maupin'' is a 1966 Italian adventure film directed by Mauro Bolognini. It is loosely based on the life of Mademoiselle de Maupin and the novel with the same name by Théophile Gautier. Cast * Catherine Spaak as Magdeleine de ...

'' (1966, Mauro Bolognini) as Chevalier d'Albert * ''

I soldi ''I soldi'' is a 1965 Italian anthology comedy film directed by Gianni Puccini. Cast *Sylva Koscina as Leda *Tomas Milian as Bob *Enrico Maria Salerno * Alberto Lionello *Barbara Steele * Agnès Spaak *Andrea Checchi *Carlo Giuffrè * Maria ...

'' (1965, Gianni Puccini) as Bob * ''

'' (1966, Eugenio Martin) as José Gómez * ''

'' (1966, Sergio Sollima) as Cuchillo Sanchez * '' Face to Face'' (1967, Sergio Sollima) as Beau Bennet * '' Django Kill... If You Live, Shoot!'' (1967, Giulio Questi) as The Stranger * '' Bandits in Milan'' (1968, Carlo Lizzani) as Comissario Walter Basevi * ''

'' (1968, Mario Lanfranchi) as O'Hara * '' Run, Man, Run!'' (1968, Sergio Sollima) as Cuchillo Sanchez * ''

A Fine Pair ''A Fine Pair'' (original title ''Ruba al prossimo tuo'') is a 1968 Italian crime- comedy film directed by Francesco Maselli. It stars Rock Hudson and Claudia Cardinale, who had co-starred together two years earlier in the romantic drama, ''Blind ...

'' (1968, Francesco Maselli) as Roger * '' Tepepa'' (1969,

Giulio Petroni Giulio Petroni (21 September 1917 – 31 January 2010) was an Italian director, writer, and screenwriter, best known for his spaghetti westerns ''Death Rides a Horse'' (1967), with Lee Van Cleef in one of his first starring roles, '' A Sky Full of ...

) as Jesus Maria "Tepepa" Moran * '' Beatrice Cenci'' (1969,

Lucio Fulci Lucio Fulci (; 17 June 1927 – 13 March 1996) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. Although he worked in a wide array of genres through a career spanning nearly five decades, including comedies and Spaghetti Westerns, he ga ...

) as Olimpio Calvetti * '' Where Are You Going All Naked?'' (1969,

Pasquale Festa Campanile Pasquale Festa Campanile (28 July 1927 – 25 February 1986) was an Italian screenwriter, film director and novelist, best known as a prominent exponent of the commedia all'italiana genre. Life and career Born at Melfi, in the province ...

) as Manfredo * '' Compañeros'' (1970, Sergio Corbucci) as El Vasco * ''

Viva Cangaceiro ''Viva Cangaceiro'' (originally titled as ''O' Cangaçeiro'', also known as ''The Magnificent Bandits'') is a Brazilian themed Spaghetti Western-like movie co-produced by Spain and Italy and directed by Giovanni Fago. Plot Espedito is the sole ...

'' (1970,

Giovanni Fago Giovanni Fago (born 11 July 1931) is an Italian director and screenwriter. Born in Rome, Fago began his cinema career in 1959 as assistant director of, among others, Mario Monicelli, Camillo Mastrocinque, Vittorio De Sica, Renato Castellani, Jose ...

) as Espedito * '' The Cannibals'' (1970,

Liliana Cavani Liliana Cavani (born 12 January 1933, Carpi, Italy) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. She belongs to a generation of Italian filmmakers from Emilia-Romagna that came into prominence in the 1970s, including Bernardo Bertolucci, Pier P ...

) as Emone * '' The Designated Victim'' (1971, Maurizio Lucidi) as Stefano Augenti * '' The Last Movie'' (1971,

) as the Priest * '' Ripped Off'' (1972, Franco Prosperi) as the Stranger * ''

'' (1972, Sergio Corbucci) as Jed Trigado * '' Don't Torture a Duckling'' (1972, Lucio Fulci) as Andrea Martelli * ''

Counselor at Crime ''Counselor at Crime'' ( it, Il consigliori, also known as ''The Counsellor'') is a 1973 Italian-Spanish crime film directed by Alberto De Martino and starring Tomas Milian, Martin Balsam and Francisco Rabal. Cast * Tomas Milian: Thomas Accar ...

'' (1973, Alberto De Martino) as Thomas Accardo * '' Life Is Tough, Eh Providence?'' (1972, Giulio Petroni) as Provvidenza * '' Emergency Squad'' (1974,

Stelvio Massi Stelvio Massi (26 March 1929 – 26 March 2004), sometimes credited "Max Steel", was an Italian director known for his "''poliziotteschi''" films. Career Massi entered the cinema industry in 1952 as assistant camera operator, and in 1954 he becam ...

) as Tomas Ravelli * '' Almost Human'' (1974,

) as Giulio Sacchi * '' Silent Action'' (1975, Sergio Martino) as Rienzi * ''

Syndicate Sadists ''Syndicate Sadists'' ( it, Il giustiziere sfida la città, or ''"The Executioner Challenges the City"''), also released under the titles ''Rambo's Revenge'' and ''Final Payment'', is a 1975 '' poliziotteschi'' film directed by Umberto Lenzi. It s ...

'' (1975, Umberto Lenzi) as Rambo * ''

'' (1975, Sergio Corbucci) as Sakura * '' Four of the Apocalypse'' (1975, Lucio Fulci) as Chaco * ' (1975, Yves Boisset) * ''

Sex with a Smile ''Sex with a Smile'' is a 1976 Italian comedy film directed by Sergio Martino and starring Marty Feldman, Barbara Bouchet, Edwige Fenech, and Dayle Haddon. While the cast was relatively popular internationally, advertising for the film in the U.S. ...

'' (1976, Sergio Martino) as Cavaliere Marelli * ''

'' (1976, Umberto Lenzi) as Vincenzo Moretto * ''

'' (1976,

), as Nico Giraldi * '' The Twist'' (1976,

Claude Chabrol Claude Henri Jean Chabrol (; 24 June 1930 – 12 September 2010) was a French film director and a member of the French New Wave (''nouvelle vague'') group of filmmakers who first came to prominence at the end of the 1950s. Like his colleagues a ...

) as The Detective * ''

Hit Squad The Hit Squad is an American hip hop collective of East coast hip hop artists. Originally formed in the 1990s by Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith of the rap group EPMD, the group included rap artists such as K-Solo, Redman, Das EFX, Top Quality, ...

'' (1976, Bruno Corbucci), as Nico Giraldi * ''

Young, Violent, Dangerous ''Young, Violent, Dangerous'' ( it, Liberi armati pericolosi), is a 1976 Italian "poliziottesco" film directed by Romolo Guerrieri. It is based on the short stories "Bravi ragazzi bang bang'' and ''In pineta si uccide meglio'', both included in Gio ...

'' (1976,

Romolo Guerrieri Romolo Guerrieri, aka ''Romolo Girolami'' (born 5 December 1931) is an Italian film director and screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of scree ...

) as the Commissioner * ''

'' (1977, Umberto Lenzi) as Luigi Maietto * ''

'' (1977, Umberto Lenzi) as Sergio Marazzi * ''

Brothers Till We Die ''Brothers Till We Die'' ( it, La banda del gobbo) is a 1977 Italian poliziottesco-action film by Umberto Lenzi and fifth and final entry into the Tanzi/Moretto/Monnezza shared universe. This film is the last collaboration among Lenzi and Tom ...

'' (1977, Umberto Lenzi) as Sergio Marazzi/The Hunchback * ''

Destruction Force ''Destruction Force'' (originally titled ''La banda del trucido'' (''The Numbskull's Gang''), also known as ''Dirty Gang'') is a 1977 Italian poliziottesco directed by Stelvio Massi. It is the second film in which Tomas Milian plays the character o ...

'' (1977, Stelvio Massi) as Sergio Marazzi * ''

Squadra antitruffa ''Squadra antitruffa'' is a 1977 Italian crime film directed by Bruno Corbucci and starring David Hemmings, Tomas Milian and Anna Cardini. It is the third chapter in the Nico Giraldi film series starred by Tomas Milian. Plot A rude Roman p ...

'' (1977, Bruno Corbucci), as Nico Giraldi * ''

Little Italy Little Italy is a general name for an ethnic enclave populated primarily by Italians or people of Italian ancestry, usually in an urban neighborhood. The concept of "Little Italy" holds many different aspects of the Italian culture. There are ...

'' (1978, Bruno Corbucci), as Nico Giraldi * ''

The Gang That Sold America ''The Gang That Sold America'' ( it, Squadra antigangsters) is a 1979 Cinema of Italy, Italian "Poliziotteschi, poliziottesco"-comedy film directed by Bruno Corbucci. It is the fifth chapter in the Nico Giraldi film series starred by Tomas Milian. ...

'' (1979, Bruno Corbucci), as Nico Giraldi * ''

Assassinio sul Tevere ''Assassinio sul Tevere'' (''Assassination on the Tiber'') is a 1979 Italian "poliziottesco"- comedy film directed by Bruno Corbucci. It is the sixth chapter in the Nico Giraldi film series starred by Tomas Milian. Cast * Tomas Milian: Nico Gir ...

'' (1979, Bruno Corbucci), as Nico Giraldi * '' La Luna'' (1979,

) as Giuseppe * ''

Winter Kills ''Winter Kills'' is a black comedy novel by Richard Condon, exploring the assassination of a U.S. president. It was published in 1974. The novel parallels the death of John F. Kennedy and the conspiracy theories about it. Plot summary The no ...

'' (1979,

William Richert William Richert (1942 – July 19, 2022) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. He is known for writing and directing the feature films '' Winter Kills'', ''The American Success Company'', and ''A Night in the Life of ...

) as Frank Mayo * '' Il lupo e l'agnello'' (1980, Francesco Massaro) as Cuckoo * ''

Delitto a Porta Romana ''Delitto a Porta Romana'' (''Crime at Porta Romana'') is a 1980 Italian "poliziottesco"- comedy film directed by Bruno Corbucci. It is the seventh chapter in the Nico Giraldi film series starred by Tomas Milian. Cast * Tomas Milian: Nico Giral ...

'' (1980, Bruno Corbucci), as ''Nico Giraldi'' * '' Manolesta'' (1981,

) as Gino Quirino * ''

Crime at the Chinese Restaurant ''Crime at the Chinese Restaurant'' ( it, Delitto al ristorante cinese) is a 1981 Italian "poliziottesco"- comedy film directed by Bruno Corbucci. It is the eighth chapter in the Nico Giraldi film series; in this chapter Tomas Milian plays a dou ...

'' (1981, Bruno Corbucci), as Nico Giraldi * ''

Uno contro l'altro, praticamente amici ''Uno contro l'altro, praticamente amici'' (''Against Each Other, Practically Friends'') is a 1981 Italian comedy film directed by Bruno Corbucci. Cast *Renato Pozzetto as Franco Colombo *Tomas Milian as Quinto Cecioni aka "Er Monnezza" *Ann ...

'' (1981, Bruno Corbucci) as Quinto Cecione * ''

Delitto sull'autostrada ''Delitto sull'autostrada'' (''Crime on the Highway'') is a 1982 Italian "poliziottesco"- comedy film directed by Bruno Corbucci. It is the ninth chapter in the Nico Giraldi film series starring Tomas Milian. Plot Rome, Italy early 1980s. Nico ...

'' (1982, Bruno Corbucci), as Nico Giraldi * '' Identification of a Woman'' (1982,

) as Niccolò * ''

'' (1982, Frank Perry) as Father Francisco * ''

Cat and Dog ''Cat and Dog'' ( it, Cane e gatto, also known as ''Thieves and Robbers'' and ''Cats and Dogs'') is a 1983 Italian crime comedy film directed by Bruno Corbucci. Plot A playboy (Tomas Milian) who makes a living out of seducing women and steali ...

'' (1982, Bruno Corbucci) as Tony Roma * '' Crime in Formula One'' (1983, Bruno Corbucci), as Nico Giraldi * ''

Cop in Drag ''Delitto al Blue Gay'', internationally released as ''Cop in Drag'', is a 1984 Italian "poliziottesco"- comedy film directed by Bruno Corbucci. It is the eleventh and final chapter in the Nico Giraldi film series starred by Tomas Milian. Plot ...

'' (1984, Bruno Corbucci), as Nico Giraldi * ''King David'' (1985, Bruce Beresford) as Akiss * ''The Equalizer'', "Reign of Terror" (1985,

Richard Compton Richard Compton (March 2, 1938 – August 11, 2007) was an American actor, director and writer, primarily in television. Compton had small parts as an actor in film and television series, including minor roles in two episodes of ''Star Tre ...

) as Immanuel Pena * ''

Miami Vice ''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann (director), Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo ...

'', "Bought and Paid For" (1985, John Nicolella) as Octavio Arroyo * ''

Salome Salome (; he, שְלוֹמִית, Shlomit, related to , "peace"; el, Σαλώμη), also known as Salome III, was a Jewish princess, the daughter of Herod II, son of Herod the Great, and princess Herodias, granddaughter of Herod the Great, a ...

'' (1986,

Claude d'Anna Claude d'Anna (born 31 March 1945) is a French film director and screenwriter. He has directed 16 films since 1970. His film ''Salome'' was screened in the Un Certain Regard section the 1986 Cannes Film Festival. A year later his film ''Macbeth' ...

) as Herod II * ''The Equalizer'', "Shadow Play" (1987,

Russ Mayberry Russell B. Mayberry (December 22, 1925 – July 27, 2012) was an American television director. Early life and career Mayberry was born on December 22, 1925, in Duluth, Minnesota. He later moved to Chicago, Illinois, after serving as a Navy avia ...

) as Duran * '' Distant Lights'' (1987, Aurelio Chiesa) as Bernardo Bernardi * '' Cat Chaser'' (1989, Abel Ferrara) as Andres DeBoya * '' Massacre Play'' (1989, Damiano Damiani) as Clem Da Silva * '' Drug Wars: The Camarena Story'' (1990, Brian Gibson) as Florentino Ventura * ''

Revenge Revenge is committing a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. Francis Bacon described revenge as a kind of "wild justice" that "does... offend the law ndputteth the law out of office." P ...

'' (1990,

Tony Scott Anthony David Leighton Scott (21 June 1944 – 19 August 2012) was an English film director and producer. He was known for directing highly successful action and thriller films such as '' Top Gun'' (1986), '' Beverly Hills Cop II'' (1987), ''D ...

) as Cesar * ''Havana'' (1990,

Sydney Pollack Sydney Irwin Pollack (July 1, 1934 – May 26, 2008) was an American film director, producer and actor. Pollack directed more than 20 films and 10 television shows, acted in over 30 movies or shows and produced over 44 films. For his film '' Out ...

) as Colonel Menocal * ''

Money Money is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular country or socio-economic context. The primary functions which distinguish money ar ...

'' (1991, Steven Hilliard Stern) as Robert Zarra * '' JFK'' (1991,

Oliver Stone William Oliver Stone (born September 15, 1946) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Stone won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay as writer of '' Midnight Express'' (1978), and wrote the gangster film remake '' Sc ...

) as Leopoldo * '' Frannie's Turn'' (1992, various) as Joseph Escobar * ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The seri ...

'', "Day of the Dead" (1992, Anthony Shaw) as Enrico Montejano * '' Nails'' (1992, John Flynn) as Pedro Herrara * ''Screenplay'', "Bitter Harvest" (1992, Simon Cellan Jones) as Ramon Cires * ''Love, Honor & Obey: The Last Mafia Marriage'' (1993, John Patterson) as Joe Profaci * ''Marilyn & Bobby: Her Final Affair'' (1993, Bradford May) as Calro Rossi * '' The Burning Season'' (1994, John Frankenheimer) as Darli Alves * '' The Cowboy Way'' (1994, Gregg Champion) as Manny Huerta * '' Fools Rush In'' (1997,

Andy Tennant Andrew Wellman Tennant (born June 15, 1955) is an American screenwriter, film and television director, actor, and dancer. Early life Tennant was born June 15, 1955 in Chicago, Illinois and was raised in Flossmoor, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago ...

) as Tomas Fuentes * ''Oz'' (1997, various) as Ricardo Alvarez * '' Amistad'' (1997,

) as Ángel Calderón de la Barca y Belgrano * ''

The Yards ''The Yards'' is a 2000 American crime film directed by James Gray, written by Gray and Matt Reeves, and starring Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix, Charlize Theron and James Caan. Set in the commuter rail yards in New York City ("the yards"), ...

'' (2000,

James Gray James, Jim, or Jimmy Gray may refer to: Politicians * James Gray (Australian politician) (1820–1889), member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly * James Gray (British politician) (born 1954), British politician * James Gray (mayor) (1862–1916) ...

) as Manuel Sequeira * ''

Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering ...

'' (2000,

Christopher Misiano Christopher Misiano is an American television director and producer. He is best known for his work on '' ER'', '' The West Wing'', and '' Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip''. In 2017, he sold his historic home in Los Feliz, Los Angeles, for US$4. ...

) as Colonel Emilio Pantoya * '' For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story'' (2000,

Joseph Sargent Joseph Sargent (born Giuseppe Danielle Sorgente; July 22, 1925 – December 22, 2014) was an American film director. Though he directed many television movies, his best known feature-length works were arguably the action movie '' White Ligh ...

) as Sosa * ''

'' (2000,

) as General Arturo Salazar * '' The Hire: Ambush'' (short, 2001, John Frankenheimer) * '' Washington Heights'' (2002,

Alfredo De Villa Alfredo De Villa is a Mexican director. He is best known for directing award winning films such as ''Adrift in Manhattan'', which was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007, and '' Washington Heights'', which won ...

) as Eddie * '' The Lost City'' (2005, Andy García) as Don Federico Fellove * '' The Feast of the Goat'' (2005,

Luis Llosa Luis Llosa Urquidi (born 1951) is a Peruvian film director. He is best known for ''Sniper'', '' The Specialist'', and ''Anaconda''. Career Luis Llosa was originally a film critic. He is known for his early Peruvian work, English-language exp ...

) as Rafael Leonidas Trujillo * ''Tomas Milian: Acting on Instinct'' (2013, Ozzy Inguanzo) as himself * ''

Fugly! ''Fugly!'' is a 2014 American comedy film directed by Alfredo De Villa and written by Kathy DeMarco and John Leguizamo. The film stars John Leguizamo, Radha Mitchell, Rosie Perez, Griffin Dunne, Yul Vazquez and Ally Sheedy. The film was rel ...

'' (2014,

) as Gramps

References

External links

Tomás Milián official site
*
Tomás Milián interview

{{DEFAULTSORT:Milian, Tomas 1933 births 2017 deaths Bisexual male actors American male film actors American male voice actors Cuban emigrants to Italy Cuban emigrants to the United States Italian male film actors Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners Male actors from Miami Male Spaghetti Western actors Male actors from Havana Nastro d'Argento winners Hispanic and Latino American male actors LGBT people from Cuba LGBT actors from Italy LGBT Hispanic and Latino American people American LGBT actors LGBT people from Florida

Biography

Career

Filmography

References

Further reading

External links