José Ferrer Net Worth

José Ferrer's Quotes

• I am more important than my problems.
• The truth is I made a few good movies in the '50s, then went into freefall.
• [on George C. Scott] It's a concentrated fury, a sense of inner rage, a kind of controlled madness.
• [on getting his left ear pierced in 1972 after a bet with his then-fiancée Stella Daphne Magee] Now, instead of listening to her talk about having her ears pierced, I have to explain why mine is.
• [on his pierced left ear] I have a lady friend who kept telling me I had to get my ear pierced. I said to her, 'If you only knew how boring it is to listen to you tell me I should get my ear pierced.' The other day I told her, 'If you only knew how boring it is to listen to people ask me why I got my ear pierced.' [Oakland Tribune, May 23, 1974]

Interesting Facts about José Ferrer

1. Uncle of George Clooney
2. His most famous performance was as "Cyrano de Bergerac". He played the role on the stage in 1946 and 1953, on film in 1950 (Cyrano de Bergerac (1950), winning the Oscar for that performance, and on live television in 1949 and 1955. He played Cyrano again in the French film Cyrano et d'Artagnan (1964). He won the Tony for his stage portrayal of the role in 1947, and is one of only nine actors to win the Tony and the Oscar for their performance the same role on Broadway and on film. To many people he is the greatest Cyrano within memory, and he eclipsed all other American actors who played the role, even Walter Hampden, who made it his specialty between 1923 and 1936, and Richard Chamberlain, who played the role in 1973.
3. Graduated from Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey. [1934]
4. 1985: The first actor to receive the [U.S.] National Medal of Arts.
5. Father-in-law of singer Debby Boone.
6. Had five children with Rosemary Clooney. Their first son, Miguel Ferrer, was born in 1955. He was followed by Maria, 1956; Gabriel Ferrer, 1957; Monsita Ferrer, 1958; Rafael Ferrer, 1960.
7. Former brother-in-law of Nick Clooney.
8. Spoke both English and Spanish fluently; also had a good knowledge of French.
9. Had played Cyrano de Bergerac on television a fourth and final time in the animated ABC Afterschool Special "Cyrano" (1974), for which he supplied Cyrano's voice only.
10. Attended Princeton University. There he performed with the Princeton University Triangle Club, whose alumni also include James Stewart, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Brooke Shields and David E. Kelley.
11. Won three Tony Awards, two for Best Actor (Dramatic): in 1947 for "Cyrano de Bergerac", a role he recreated in several following productions, including his Oscar-winning performance in the film version of Cyrano de Bergerac (1950). He won again in 1952 for the original Broadway production of "The Shrike". Also in 1952, he won the Best Director Award for three plays: "The Shrike", "The Fourposter" and "Stalag 17". Later, he both recreated his role in and directed the film version of The Shrike (1955). He also was nominated in 1958 for co-authoring the book of the nominated Best Musical, "Oh, Captain!". In 1947, Fredric March shared the Tony nomination with him. March was nominated for the play "Years Ago".
12. One of only nine actors to have won both the Tony and the Oscar for the same role on stage and film. The others are Yul Brynner (The King and I (1956)), Rex Harrison (My Fair Lady (1964)), Viola Davis (Fences (2016),, Anne Bancroft (The Miracle Worker (1962)), Joel Grey (Cabaret (1972)), Paul Scofield (A Man for All Seasons (1966)), Shirley Booth (Kom terug, kleine Sheba (1952)) and Jack Albertson (The Subject Was Roses (1968)).
13. Shares the distinction with actors Fredric March, Helen Hayes Ingrid Bergman, David Wayne and Patricia Neal of being the first winners of acting Tony Awards when the annual event was established in 1947.
14. Was writer-director Billy Wilder's first choice to play the lead in The Lost Weekend (1945). The studio wanted Cary Grant or a comparable matinée idol in the lead. When it became apparent Paramount would not greenlight the film with Ferrer in the part, Wilder gave in and looked for a star, but the role was considered too unsympathetic and was rejected by most of the male stars of the day. Wilder finally cast Ray Milland in the part. A reluctant Milland, who was ambivalent about taking the part lest it hurt his career, won an Oscar. An actor's actor, Ferrer got his revenge five years later by copping his own Oscar for Cyrano de Bergerac (1950).
15. Had played Iago opposite the Othello of Paul Robeson in the 1943 Broadway production of "Othello", the longest-running Shakespearean production in the history of Broadway. The record remains unbroken to this day.
16. Cousin of professional Puerto Rican tennis player Beatriz "Gigi" Fernández.
17. He did not enter films until eight years after he had become an established Broadway star.
18. In the early 1950s, while he was being seen in some of his best-remembered films, he was also starring in and/or directing four Broadway productions at almost the same time - the original stage productions of "Stalag 17", "The Fourposter" and "The Shrike", and the 1951 revival of Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur's "Twentieth Century".
19. The producers of the television series Batman (1966) originally wanted him to play The Joker. His nephew, George Clooney, went on to play Batman himself decades later.
20. Former father-in-law of actress Leilani Sarelle.