Anthony Quinn died from pneumonia and respiratory failure on June 3, 2001 at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massaschusetts, USA. Quinn had been hospitalized for 17 days for pneumonia and respiratory failure.
Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda main cast actor Kevin Sorbo and second season guest star Micheal Hurst had worked with Anthony Quinn in the "Hercules the Legendardy Journeys" TV movies. Sorbo had fun working with Quinn. Sorbo says "We bonded quickly, and he told me some amazing stories."
Anthony Quinn was in all five "Hercules the Legendardy Journeys" TV movies which were produced before the TV series "Hercules the Legendardy Journeys" Quinn had the role Zeus in all five movies. Zeus is Hercules father and the king of the Olympiads Gods. Kevin Sorbo had the role of Hercules in the TV movies and the TV series. Anthony Quinn and Kevin Sorbo were the only actors to be in all five "Hercules the Legendardy Journeys" TV movies. The movies TV rating were high enough to earn its own full time series. Quinn didn't like the schedules for producting the TV series and had no plans of continuing his role as Zeus. Other actors had the role of Zeus in the TV series.
Although he never had a role on Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda, Quinn at nineteen had read works of philosophers Nietzsche and Schopenhaur. Sylvia the mother of a girl he met at a party encourage Quinn to become a prodigious reader and self educated from reading books. Quinn was a infrequent reader of book before meeting Sylvia. She told him when you find an author you admired live as he preached for a week, a month, or as long as you can apply his thought to your life.
Anthony Quinn was born on April 21, 1916 in Chihuahua, Mexico. Quinn's father, Francisco Quinn, met his mother ,Manuela Oaxaca, as a member of Pancho Villa's army. Quinn said "I am a quarter Irish and a quarter Mexician on my father side and I am half Aztec Indian on my mother side".
Quinn's grandfather ,Frank Quinn, was from Ireland. He laid track from New York to Los Angels for Union Pacific Rail Road. Francisco Quinn and his mother Doña Sabina moved to Chihuahua about four years after Frank died in a train accident. Francisco spoke Spainish with an Irish brogue. People in Chihuahua said Francisco must looked very much like his father since they couldn't see any Indian in him. Francisco got in many fights with other soldier when he was called gringo.
During his childhood, his family moved to East Los Angeles. His father died from being hit by car while acrossing a street when Quinn was ten. The family could not afford and headstone for Francisco Quinn. Anthony ask the school shop teacher if can make a headstone for his father grave. The shop teacher gave him a cross and a big heart shaped wooden plaque. Anthony engraved the plaque with the following inscription.
When Marlon Brando was performing as Stanley kowaiski in the Broadway production of "A Streetcar Named Desire" (1947), Anthony Quinn had the role of Stanley in the road production in Chicago. When Brando left the New York production, Quinn took over the role of Stanley in New York. Harold Clurman ,who directed the road production, believed Quinn served the play better than Brando, although Brando was the better actor. The movie version of A Streetcar Named Desire made Brando a movie star in his role as Stanley.
Elia Kazan was the director of both the broadway play and the movie version of "A Streetcar Named Desire". When Kazan was the director of the movie "Viva Zapata!", Anthony Quinn and Marlon Marlon were casted in the movie. His role was Eufemio Zapata, the brother of a Mexican revolutionary Emiliana Zapata. Marlon Brando had the staring role as Emiliano Zapata. Quinn was also a Viva Zapata! technical adviser.
Anthony Quinn won his first Oscar in 1953 for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for "Viva Zapata!" (1952).
Quinn won his second Oscar in 1957 for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in "Lust for Life"(1956) as the painter Paul Guaguin. Kirk Douglas had the staring role as the painter Vincent Von Gogh. Quinn had only nine minutes of screen time as Guaguin which was the shortest Oscar winning performance.
Quinn appeared in more movies when other Oscar winning actors than any other Oscar winning actors. The total is 46 Oscar winning actors. They were 28 male actors and 18 female actors.
1970 Golden Globe: Best Motion Picture Actor - Musical/Comedy; for The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1969)
1997 Golden Globe: Best Performane by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV; for Gotti (1996) TV
Anthony Quinn had 13 children by three wives and four mistresses.
Quinn is survived by his third wife ,Kathy Benvin, and his 12 surviving children Christina, Kathleen, Valentina, Duncan, Francesco, Daniele, Lorenzo, Antonia, Ryan, Alex, Sean, and an unnamed son.
Friday June 8, 2001, Anthony Quinn was buried on his property in Bristol, Rhode Island during a private ceremory for family and close friends.
(c) June 4, 2001: Burton Craddock
update: June 13, 2001
update: June 20, 2001
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