Rodolfo Acosta

For the Colombian composer, see Rodolfo Acosta (composer).

Rodolfo Acosta
Born	(1920-07-29)July 29, 1920 Chamizal, Texas, USA
Died	Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, USA
Cause of death	Cancer
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills
Years active	1946–73

Rodolfo Pérez Acosta (July 29, 1920 – November 7, 1974) was a Hispanic American character actor who became known for his roles as Mexican outlaws or Native Americans in Hollywood western films.

Early life and education

Acosta was born to Jose Acosta and Alexandrina Perez de Acosta on July 29, 1920 in the disputed American territory of Chamizal outside of El Paso, Texas. His father, a carpenter, moved the family to Los Angeles, where Acosta was raised and graduated from Lincoln High School. Acosta studied drama at Los Angeles City College and UCLA and he appeared at the Pasadena Playhouse. At the age of 19, he received a scholarship to the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City where he studied for three years. In 1943, during World War II, Acosta enlisted in the United States Navy where he worked in Naval Intelligence.

Career

After the war, Acosta worked on stage and in films which eventually led to a bit role in John Ford's 1947 film The Fugitive, directed by Emilio Fernández. Fernandez wrote the role of the gigolo Paco for Acosta in the 1949 film Salón México, for which Acosta earned a nomination as Best Supporting Actor at the 1950 Ariel Awards. He then was placed on contract by Universal Studios, beginning with a small role in One Way Street (1950). Although Acosta was considered a romantic screen idol in Mexico and South America, his burly body and strong features led to a long succession of roles as bandits, Native American warriors and outlaws in American films. In The Tijuana Story (1957), he had a sympathetic leading role, but in general he spent his career as a familiar western antagonist.

Acosta was also a regular as Vaquero on NBC's The High Chaparral from 1967-1969. His other television appearances included Cheyenne, Maverick, Zorro, Rawhide as Ossolo, an Indian Medicine Man in "The Incident at Superstition Prairie" in 1960, Bonanza, and Daniel Boone.

In 1959, Acosta played the Kiowa Chief Satanta in the third episode entitled "Yellow Hair" of the ABC western series The Rebel, starring Nick Adams as a former Confederate soldier who wanders through the American West.

Selected filmography

Films

• I Am a Fugitive (1946)
• The Fugitive (1947)
• Salón México (1949)
• Bullfighter and the Lady (1951)
• Victims of Sin (1951)
• Maria Islands (1951)
• Sensuality (1951)
• Yankee Buccaneer (1952)
• Horizons West (1952)
• Appointment in Honduras (1953)
• Hondo (1953)
• Destination Gobi (1953)
• Drum Beat (1954)
• Take Me in Your Arms (1954)
• The Proud Ones (1956)
• Bandido (1956)
• Trooper Hook (1957)
• The Tijuana Story (1957)
• Posse From Hell (1961)
• One-Eyed Jacks (1961)
• The Second Time Around (1961)
• How the West Was Won (1962)
• Rio Conchos (1964)
• The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)
• Return of the Seven (1966)
• Stranger on the Run (1967)
• Impasse (1969)
• The Great White Hope (1970)
• Blood Legacy (1971)
• The Reward (1965)

Television series

• Cheyenne (1958-1961)
• Maverick (1962)
• Zorro (1958-1960)
• Rawhide (1959-1964)
• Death Valley Days (1959-1965)
• The Man from U.N.C.L.E. as Captain Ramirez (1965)
• Bonanza (1964-1970)
• Daniel Boone (1965-1966)
• The High Chaparral as Vaquero (1967-1969)
• Have Gun – Will Travel (1957-1961)
• Mission: Impossible as Presidente Miguel Davarro (1969)
• Ironside (1971-1973)

External links

• Rodolfo Acosta at the Internet Movie Database
• Rodolfo Acosta at Find a Grave