Tomas Milian(1933-2017)
- Actor
- Writer
- Music Department
Tomas Milian, an American actor born in Cuba; was trained at the Actors
Studio. He appeared in a few plays on Broadway, as well as in a show by
Jean Cocteau in Spoleto.
Mauro Bolognini noticed him and that was
the starting point of a rich cinematographic career in Italy,
where he played in all manner of genres. He interpreted a mad psychopath in
The Ugly Ones (1966)
(aka "Bounty Killer"), a role he would then improve and diversify into
an impressive gallery of neurotic and sadistic killers, first in
"spaghetti westerns" (many directed by
Sergio Corbucci), and then in violent
action and police thrillers (many directed by
Umberto Lenzi). His films gradually
evolved into action comedies, as he played the recurrent characters of
thief "Er Monnezza" and cop Nico Giraldi (the latter being originally
based on the lead character in
Serpico (1973)), two typically Roman
characters who enjoyed great popularity in the '70s and '80s.