Mexican American actor, painter and writer, born April 21, 1915 in Chihuahua, Mexico, died June 3, 2001 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Father of Danny Quinn. In 1969 he had an album release called 'In My Own Way'.
Had appeared in more movies with other Oscar-winning actors than any other Oscar-winning actor - a total of 46 Oscar-winning co-stars (28 male, 18 female).
Had five children, Christopher Quinn (born October 27, 1938 - died March 15, 1941), Christina Quinn (born December 1, 1941), Catalina Quinn (born November 21, 1942), Duncan Quinn (born August 4, 1945) and Valentina Quinn (born December 26, 1952), with Katherine DeMille. Had three children, Francesco Quinn (born March 22, 1963 - died August 5, 2011), Danny Quinn (born April 16, 1964) and Lorenzo Quinn (born May 7, 1966), with Jolanda Addolori. Had two children, Sean Quinn (born February 7, 1973) and Alex A. Quinn (born December 30, 1976), with Friedel Dunbar and had two children, Antonia Quinn (born July 23, 1993) and Ryan Quinn , with Kathy Benvin.
Became a naturalized United States citizen in 1947, just before he was "gray-listed" for his association with Communists such as screenwriter John Howard Lawson and what were termed "fellow travelers", though he himself was never called before the House Un-American Activities Committee. When warned of his gray-listing by 20th Century-Fox boss Darryl F. Zanuck (a liberal), Quinn decided to go on the Broadway stage where there was no blacklist rather than go through the process of refuting the suspicions.
He had to shave his hair for The Magus . He had an insurance policy against the risk that it might not grow back.
Lived in Bristol, Rhode Island, and befriended Providences controversial mayor Buddy Cianci.
Before he launched his acting career, Quinn worked odd jobs as a butcher, a boxer, street corner preacher and a slaughterhouse worker. He also won a scholarship to study architecture with Frank Lloyd Wright , with whom he developed a close relationship.
Won his second Oscar for a movie in which he only appeared on screen for a total of 23 minutes and 40 seconds.
Brother-in-law of screenwriter Martin Goldsmith.
Son of an Irish-Mexican father and Mexican mother, he grew up in the barrio of East Los Angeles shining shoes and selling newspapers.
His sidelines were painting and sculpting.
Was scheduled to appear in the David Lean -directed "Nostromo" in 1991, but Lean died and the production came to a halt.
For extra cash, he entered dance contest, from which he sold the statues.
Was nominated for Broadways 1961 Tony Award as Best Actor for Becket.
Around 1972, he announced his desire to play Henry Cristophe, the 19th-century emperor of Haiti. Upon this announcement, several prominent black actors, including Ossie Davis and Ellen Holly , stated that they were opposed to a "white man" playing "black". Davis stated, "My black children need black heroes on which to model their behavior. Henry Cristophe is an authentic black hero. Tony, for all my admiration of him as a talent, will do himself and my children a great disservice if he encourages them to believe that only a white man, and Tony is white to my children, is capable of playing a black hero.".
Took acting class from Michael Chekhov in Hollywood.
According to Joseph McBrides Searching for John Ford (St. Martins Press, 2001 - ISBN 0312242328), director John Ford was urged to cast Richard Boone and Quinn as the Little Wolf and Dull Knife characters in Cheyenne Autumn , as both allegedly had Native American blood. Ricardo Montalban and Gilbert Roland , who were of Mexican ancestry, were cast instead.
Had played in the band of evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson as a youth and as a deputy preacher.
While many biographies have the young Quinn, who was the son of an Irish father and Mexican mother, growing up on the streets of East Los Angeles, the truth was that he grew up in Echo Park, attending Polytechnic (which at the time was located in downtown Los Angeles before it moved to North Hollywood) and Belmont High Schools. In later years, he would recount how, while growing up in Echo Park, young Chicano toughs would come over to his house to enlist his help in brawling with the Irish gangs, and that later in the same day, young Irish bruisers would visit him to enlist his services in fighting the Mexicans. He would always beg off choosing sides by having his mother chase the young delinquents out of her house, after which he would resume one of his favorite pastimes, drafting and drawing.
He did not get along well with his first father-in-law, legendary producer-director Cecil B. DeMille , though they later developed a civil relationship.
Ex-father-in-law of Lauren Holly and Melissa Quinn.
He was one of the few actors to move easily and successfully between starring and supporting roles throughout his career. In both categories, the Irish-Mexican Quinn played a vast array of characters and ethnicities, including American, Arab, Basque, Chinese, English, French, Greek, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Hun, Irish, Italian, Mexican, Mongol, Native American, Filipino, Portuguese, Spaniard and Ukranian.
Donated blood to John Barrymore whenever the older actor needed a transfusion.
Underwent quadruple heart bypass surgery in February 1990.
He was born in Chihuahua, Mexico, in 1915, during the Mexican revolution, in which his father was a soldier in the army of Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa. After the revolution, the family moved to Los Angeles, California, where Quinns father eventually secured a job as a cameraman at Selig Film Studios. Quinn often accompanied his father to work, and became acquainted with such stars as Tom Mix and John Barrymore , with whom he kept up the friendship into adulthood.
Was very fond of Keanu Reeves. They became friends during the filming of A Walk in the Clouds .
Was good friends with actress Maureen OHara , they starred together six times. The films are The Black Swan , Buffalo Bill , Sinbad, the Sailor , Against All Flags (1952) , The Magnificent Matador and Only the Lonely .
Had appeared with Irene Papas in seven films starting as far back as 1954. The films are Attila , The Guns of Navarone , Alexis Zorbas , A Dream of Kings , the Mexican produced, Spanish languaged and filmed in Rome short film El asesinato de Julio Csar , The Message and Lion of the Desert .
He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6251 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on February 8, 1960.
He met his second wife, Jolanda Addolori, a wardrobe assistant, while he was in Rome filming Barabbas .
His father was killed in a motor accident when he was age 9.
His first job in Hollywood was tending animals at the Selig Studio.
Inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame in 2015.
The Manfred Mann song "The Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo)" was based on Anthony Quinns character in "The Savage Innocents".
Was claustrophobic and was particularly afraid of elevators.
I never get the girl. I wind up with a country instead. They said all I,was good for was playing Indians.
I have lived in a flurry of images, but I will go out in a freeze frame.
[on Alexis Zorbas (1964) ] Nobody wanted to do this role.
He was superb. His potential was enormous. But what happened? He went,out to Hollywood, and instead of fighting giants, he fought pygmies. He,stopped growing. He threw his potential away.
One of the reasons I did all the Greeks and Arab parts I did was because,I was trying to identify myself as a man of the world. I lived in,Greece, in France, Iran and all over the world, Spain, trying to find a,niche where I would finally be accepted.
On the stage, you have to find truth, even if you have to lose the audience.
.jpg)
