Tony Martinez (actor)
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Tony Martinez | |
|---|---|
 Martinez (left) with Walter Brennan and Richard Crenna in The Real McCoys, 1962 | |
| Born | January 27, 1920 |
| Died | September 16, 2002 (aged 82) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| Occupations | Film, television and theatre actor |
| Spouse | Myra Martinez[1] |
| Children | 5[1] |
Tony Martinez (January 27, 1920 – September 16, 2002) was an American film, television and theatre actor. He was best known for playing Pepino in the American situation comedy television series The Real McCoys.[2] He was the first Latin American actor to perform in the Western genre.[3]
Martinez was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico.[4] He first studied music,[1] in which Martinez later moved to New York City, attending Juilliard.[4] He played five instruments, and formed his own musical ensemble, "Tony Martinez and His Mambo" in New York City.[1] In 1956, his group appeared in the film Rock Around the Clock.[1] Later, Martinez studied acting at the Pasadena Playhouse.[1]
Martinez began his film and television career appearing in small roles, including a credit in The Naked Dawn (1955).[1][3] In 1957 he was cast in the role of Pepino, the hired Mexican Farmhand farmworker in the ABC situation comedy television series The Real McCoys.[4][5] He won the role as he was discovered by the creator Irving Pincus and producer Norman Pincus,[1] while Martinez was just with his musical ensemble performing on the Sunset Strip.[5] Initially, he believed that the brothers were pranking him and did not call them back.[3] The brothers reaffirmed their offer, but Martinez still demanded some changes to the characterization of Pepino.[3]
During the 1980s, Martínez was involved in the founding of the Instituto de Cinematografía at Puerto Rico. [3] There, he was also the executive director of the Artists Variety Company. [3] After failing to receive supper from the government, he returned to Hollywood. [3] Despite this, he still intended to create a drama institute for Latin American talent. [3] However, this goal went unaccomplished.[3]
In his theatre career, Martinez had appeared in over 2,245 performances in the Broadway play Man of La Mancha.[5] He played Sancho Panza.[6] After The Real McCoys ended in 1963, Martinez guest-starred in a few television programs including The Man from U.N.C.L.E., F Troop, My Favorite Martian, Accidental Family and Storefront Lawyers. He then wrote music for numerous films in Mexico.[5] As a composer, he authored the song Bacalao con Panas. [3] Martinez retired his career in 2000, in which he last appeared on the cable network The Nashville Network.[4]