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Raúl Juliá

Raul Rafael Carlos Julia y Arcelay was born in San Juan on March 9, 1940. Throughout his youth, the island enjoyed exceptional prosperity, and his father's business was particularly successful. This economic security ensured excellent schooling for Raul. First he was taught by North American nuns, from whom he began to learn English. Next, he studied the rigorous classical curriculum of the Jesuits at San Ignacio de Loyola High School. Finally, he attended the University of Puerto Rico.

Raul discovered acting early in his academic career, beginning with a role in first grade. "From then on, that was it, I knew there was something special about the theatre for me something beyond the regular reality, something that I could get into and transcend and become something other than myself."

Upon graduation from college, Raul was faced with a difficult choice between his parents' wishes and his own. They wanted him to continue to law school. He wanted to pursue an acting career. Finally, like so many Puerto Ricans, and so many aspiring actors, he left for New York. Raul's arrival in New York in 1964 was fortunately timed. For more than a decade, Jose Ferrer, a native of Puerto Rico, had been a star of stage and screen. Just two years earlier, in 1962, another Puerto Rican, Rita Moreno, won an Oscar for her portrayal of Anita in the film version of West Side Story. While these actors blazed a trail for Raul, they also gave him an unspoken challenge to rise above the Puerto Rican stereotypes that have been fostered by productions like West Side Story. Raul was lucky; soon after his arrival on the mainland, he met a man who was reinventing New York theatre. Joseph Papp gave Raul his first break, casting him as the lead in Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus. The two developed a close friendship that lasted until Papp's death in 1991. With Papp's support, Raul became a Broadway star. He was nominated for four Tony awards, in plays that demonstrated both his incredible range and his refusal to be branded as a "Puerto Rican" actor. While theatre was his favourite mode of expression, film brought Raul a much larger audience. His first film was in 1972, but it was in the 1980s that he emerged, in the words of one writer, as "the movie star's non movie star." Raul won fame not for acting in blockbusters, but for applying his talent to projects close to his heart.

In 1994, at the peak of his career, Raul Julia died suddenly after suffering a stroke. He was 54 years old, and he left behind his wife of 18 years, two sons, and a multitude of shocked fans.

Raul Julia is sorely missed, not only for his acting, but also for his philanthropy. He was a passionate supporter of The Hunger Project, a foundation devoted to the elimination of world hunger. For 17 years, he served as the Project's spokesperson. "There are 38,000 people dying of hunger each day and most are children. And, being a celebrity, I communicate about it as much as I can."

You can donate in his name to The Raul Julia Ending Hunger Fund

Filmography

1969: Stiletto
1969: (TV) Love of Life Miguel Garcia
1970: (TV) McCloud: Who Killed Miss USA? Father Nieves
1971: The Panic In Needle Park Marco
1971: Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up To Me Juan Carlos Rosenbloom
1971: The Organization Juan Mendoza
1974: (TV) King Lear Edmund
1974: (TV) Aces Up
1975: (TV) Death Scream Dectecive Nick Rodriguez
1976: The Gumball Rally Franco Bertollini
1978: The Eyes Of Laura Mars Michael Reisler
1979: Othello Othello
1979: A Life Of Sin Paulo
1981: Strong Medicine
1982: One From The Heart Ray
1982: The Escape Artist Stu Quinones
1982: Tempest Kalibanos
1985: (TV) Overdrawn At The Memory Bank Aram Fingal/Rick Blaine
1985: La Gran Fiesta
1985: Kiss Of The Spider Woman Valentin Arregui
1985: Compromising Positions David Suarez
1985: (TV) Mussolini: The Untold Story Count Galeazzo Ciano
1986: (TV) Florida Straits Carlos Jayne
1986: The Morning After Joaquin Manero
1987: Trading Hearts Vinnie Iacona
1987: (TV) The Alamo: Thirteen Days To Glory Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
1988: (TV) Onassis: The Richest Man In The World Aristotle Onassis
1988: The Penitent Ramon Guerola
1988: Moon Over Parador Roberto Strausmann
1988: Tango Bar Ricardo
1988: Tequila Sunrise Carlos/Comandante Xavier Escalante
1989: Romero Archbishop Oscar Romero
1990: Mack The Knife MacHeath
1990: Presummed Innocent Sandy Stern
1990: Frankenstein Unbound Dr Victor Frankenstein
1990: The Rookie Strom
1990: Havana Arturo Duran (uncredited)
1991: The Addams Family Gomez Addams
1992: La Peste Cottard
1993: Addams Family Values Gomez Addams
1994: (TV) The Burning Season Chico Mendes
1994: Street Fighter Gen. M Bison
1995: (TV) Down Came A Blackbird Tomas Ramirez