José Ferrer was a Puerto Rican actor and director of stage, film and television. He was one of the most celebrated and esteemed Hispanic American actors or, indeed, actors of any ethnicity during his lifetime, and after, with a career spanning nearly 60 years between 1935 and 1992. He achieved prominence for his portrayal of Cyrano de Bergerac in the play of the same name, in 1947, which earned him the inaugural Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. In 1950, Joe reprised the role film version and won an Academy Award for Best Actor, making him the first Hispanic actor and the first Puerto Rican-born to win an Academy Award.
Birth Name
José Vicente Ferrer de Otero y Cintrón
Nickname
Joe
Profession
Actor, Voice Actor, Stage Artist, Director
Nationality
Puerto Rican
Personal Life
Birthday / Date of Birth
José Ferrer was born on the 8th of January 1912, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Died
He was died on the 26th of January 1995 (at aged 80), in Coral Gables, Florida, United States.
Sun Sign
Capricorn
Ethnicity
Hispanic
Ferrer was of Puerto Rican (Spanish, including Canary Islander and Catalan) descent.
Religion
Christianity
Education
Ferrer attended the Swiss boarding school Institute Le Rosey in Rolle, Switzerland. Afterward, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Princeton University and studied Romance languages at Columbia University.
Family Details
- Father – Rafael Ferrer (Local Attorney, Writer)
- Mother – María Providencia Cintrón
- Siblings – Elvira (Younger Sister), Leticia (Younger Sister)
Marital Status
Married
Girlfriend / Spouse
José Ferrer has dated –
- Uta Hagen (1938-1948) – In 1938, Ferrer married German actor Uta Hagen and they were blessed with a daughter named Leticia Thyra Ferrer. The marriage ended in divorce in 1948, in part due to Hagen’s long-concealed affair with Paul Robeson.
- Phyllis Hill (1948-1953) – On May 27, 1948, José married Phyllis Hill and they struggled to keep their relationship stable. On January 12, 1953, they divorced.
- Rosemary Clooney (1953-1961) (1964-1967) – On July 13, 1953, Ferrer married American actor and singer Rosemary Clooney in Durant, Oklahoma. They had 5 children Miguel Ferrer, Maria Ferrer, Gabriel Ferrer, Monsita Ferrer, and Rafael Ferrer. In 1961, The couple divorced. On November 22, 1964, They remarried in Los Angeles but again divorced in 1967 as Rosemary Clooney found out about Ferrer’s affair with Stella Magee (the woman who would become his last wife).
- Stella Magee (1977-1992) – José affair with Stella Magee started while he was still married to Rosemary Clooney. In 1977, Stella and José married and remained together until his death in 1992.
Physical Statistics
Height
- In feet – 5 feet 10 inches
- In centimeters – 178 cm
- In meters – 1.78 m
Weight
- In Kilograms – 76 kg
- In Pounds – 168 lbs
Body Build
Slim
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Hair Color
Salt and Pepper
Shoe Size
He wears a size 11 (US) shoe.
Sexuality
Straight
Professional Statistics
Famous For
José became known after appearing as a actor, voice actor, stage artist, and director whose career spanned nearly 6 decades as he became one of the most celebrated. He gained critical acclaim for his performance playing the titular role in the play Cyrano de Bergerac, a role that won him the inaugural Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play.
Film Debut
In 1948, Ferrer had his first film onscreen role in the movie Joan of Arc as Joan.
Brand Endorsements
José has done endorsement work for several brands such as RCA’s Colorpak TV set (appeared in costume and makeup as Cyrano de Bergerac) (1979), American Hawaii Cruises (1986). In 1975, he did print adverts for Puerto Rico tourism.
José Ferrer Net worth
José Ferrer has an estimated net worth of $5 million dollars as of 2023.
Some Lesser Known Facts About José Ferrer
- Ferrer was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He was the grandson of Gabriel Ferrer Hernández, a doctor and advocate of Puerto Rican independence from Spain.
- In 1914, the family moved to New York when Ferrer was two years old. He studied at the Swiss boarding school Institut Le Rosey.
- He was adept in several languages, including Spanish, English, French, and Italian.
- In 1934, Ferrer’s first professional appearance as an actor was at a “showboat” theater on Long Island.
- In 1946, his lead role in the Broadway production Cyrano de Bergerac made him famous and helped him win his first Tony Award for Best Actor.
- During this time he directed plays in Broadway such as The Fourposter, Stalag 17 and The Shrike for which he received a second Tony Award.
- He also directed the Broadway plays Carmelina, My Three Angels, Twentieth Century and The Anderson Ville Trial.
- In 1958, he got a nomination for co-authoring the musical Oh, Captain. In the same year, he was the first actor to receive the ‘National Medal of Arts’ from President Ronald Reagan.
- In 1988, after retiring from the stage he directed All My Sons and The Best Man.
- In 1990, he made his final stage appearance in London.
- On April 26, 2012, Ferrer appeared on a Distinguished Americans series postage stamp issued.
