Alfred Molina (born Alfredo Molina; 24 May 1953) is a British actor known for his work on the stage and screen. He first rose to prominence in the West End, earning a nomination for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Newcomer in a Play for his performance in the production of Oklahoma! in 1980. He made his film debut as Satipo in Raiders of the Lost Ark and his Broadway debut as Yvan in a production of Art from 1998 to 1999. His other Broadway roles include Tevye in the musical Fiddler on the Roof from 2004 to 2005 and Mark Rothko in the play Red from 2009 to 2010.
On screen, his best known roles include Kenneth Halliwell in Prick Up Your Ears (1987), Sayyed Bozorg Mahmoody in Not Without My Daughter, (1991), Mellersh Wilkins in Enchanted April (1992), Rahad Jackson in Boogie Nights (1997), Comte de Reynaud in Chocolat (2000), Diego Rivera in Frida (2002), Johann Tetzel in Luther (2003), Bishop Aringarosa in The Da Vinci Code (2006), Jack Mellor in An Education (2009), and George in Love Is Strange (2014). He has voiced characters in Rango (2011), Monsters University (2013), Dragons: Race to the Edge (2016), Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018), Frozen II (2019), and DC League of Super-Pets (2022). He is also known for his portrayal of Otto Octavius / Doctor Octopus in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2 (2004) and the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).
Molina's work has brought him widespread acclaim. For his portrayal of Robert Aldrich in the miniseries Feud (2017), he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. He received a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Frida, and has also been nominated for an Independent Spirit Award, a British Independent Film Award, five Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Tony Awards.
Early life and education
He was born Alfredo Molina in the Paddington district of London. His parents were both immigrants: his Spanish father was a waiter, and his Italian mother worked as a cleaner.
Molina grew up in a working-class district in Notting Hill that was inhabited by many other immigrant families. He attended a Roman Catholic secondary school there. He decided to become an actor after seeing Spartacus at the age of nine, and attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, as well as auditioning for and becoming a member of the National Youth Theatre.
At the age of 21, he changed his name to Alfred, at the urging of his first agent.
Career
Early work
Molina appeared with Leonard Rossiter in the sitcom The Losers (1978). He made his film debut with a minor role alongside Harrison Ford in Steven Spielberg's adventure film Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) as Indiana Jones' ill-fated guide, Satipo, during its iconic opening sequence. Molina stated in an interview in 2013 that he owes his stage and film career to the Indiana Jones series. "I'm very, very proud of that, I have to admit I didn't think at the time, 'Oh, this is going to go down in movie history.' I'd never been in front of a camera before," Molina said about his short but memorable appearance in Raiders of the Lost Ark. He recalled getting the job as a "gift from God" and said, "I've publicly thanked Steven many, many times. That job saved my bacon, in more ways than one." About his now-famous line in the film, Molina stated that "I've never had a problem with people coming up to me about it. They'll shout that line to me, 'Throw me the idol, I'll throw you the whip!' I'm delighted that people still remember it."
However, his big break came with Letter to Brezhnev (1985), which he followed with a starring role in Prick Up Your Ears (1987), playing Joe Orton's lover (and eventual murderer) Kenneth Halliwell. He was originally cast as Arnold Rimmer in the TV sitcom Red Dwarf, but was replaced by Chris Barrie.