Paul Naschy

Paul Naschy was a Spanish film actor, screenwriter, and director who was born on September 6, 1934 in Madrid, Spain. His real name was Jacinto Molina Álvarez, but he adopted the stage name Paul Naschy as a tribute to the actor Paul Newman and the boxer Primo Carnera. He was known as the Spanish Lon Chaney for his ability to play various horror characters such as the Wolfman, Frankenstein's monster, Dracula, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, Fu Manchu, and a mummy. He was also a fan of horror literature and wrote several books and comics in the genre. Naschy grew up during the Spanish Civil War and was fascinated by adventure comics and movie serials. He was especially influenced by the Universal horror films and the performance of Lon Chaney Jr. as the Wolfman. He became a professional weightlifter and won the Spanish championship in 1958. He also worked as a model, illustrator, and pulp writer before pursuing an acting career. He started with minor roles in films such as King of Kings (1961) and met his idol Boris Karloff on the set of an episode of I Spy (1966). In 1968, he wrote a script for a werewolf film called The Mark of the Wolfman (1968) and played the lead role of Waldemar Daninsky, a Polish nobleman who is cursed to become a werewolf. This was the first of a series of 12 films featuring Daninsky as Naschy's most iconic character. Naschy also wrote, directed, and starred in many other horror films such as The Werewolf vs. The Vampire Woman (1971), Horror Rises from the Tomb (1973), Count Dracula's Great Love (1973), Inquisition (1977), Howl of the Devil (1988), and Rojo Sangre (2004). He often collaborated with directors such as Leon Klimovsky, Carlos Aured, Javier Aguirre, and José Luis Merino. Naschy was also known for his political and social activism. He opposed the dictatorship of Francisco Franco and supported the democratic transition in Spain. He was a member of the Communist Party and campaigned for human rights, peace, and environmental causes. He also received several awards and honors for his work in cinema, such as the Goya Award for Best Actor in 2001 for School Killer (2001), the Gold Medal for Fine Arts in Spain in 2001, and the Fangoria Hall of Fame in 2000. Naschy died of pancreatic cancer on November 30, 2009 at a hospital in Madrid, Spain at the age of 75. He was survived by his wife Elvira Primavera and his two sons Sergio and Bruno, who are also actors. He was buried at the Burgos cemetery in Burgos, Spain. He left behind a legacy of artistic excellence and passion for horror cinema that inspired many fans and filmmakers around the world.