Paul Naschy Biography:
Jacinto Molina Alvarez, born on September 6, 1934, in Madrid, Spain, was a talented individual who would later become the true king of Spanish horror cinema. His father's successful fur business provided a comfortable upbringing, but the Spanish Civil War raging around him during his childhood left a deep impact. Naschy found solace in adventure comics and movie serials, which would later influence his work in horror films.
As a young man, Naschy was an athlete, playing soccer for his school team and becoming the lightweight champion of Spain in 1958. He also had a passion for writing, penning Western pulp novels under the pseudonym Jack Mills and working as an illustrator for a Spanish record label. His muscular build helped him land small roles in films such as "King of the Vikings" and "King of Kings" in the early 1960s.
Naschy's big break came when he wrote the script for "Frankenstein's Bloody Terror" in 1967. Forced to play the lead role of Waldermar Daninsky after Lon Chaney Jr. turned it down, Naschy went on to portray the character in over a dozen subsequent sequels. His portrayal of the anguished and sympathetic werewolf Daninsky became his signature part and cemented his status as a horror icon.
Throughout his career, Naschy played a wide range of horror characters, including the Mummy, Jack the Ripper, Dracula, the Hunchback, the Frankenstein Monster, the Phantom of the Opera, and even the Devil. He made his directorial debut with "Inquisition" in 1977 and went on to write his autobiography, "Memoirs of a Wolfman," in 1997.
Naschy faced a major setback when he suffered a heart attack in 1991, but he fully recovered and continued to work. He gained new momentum in the early 21st century, starring in films such as "School Killer" and "Rojo Sangre." Naschy was inducted into the Fangoria Hall of Fame in 2000 and received the Gold Medal Award in Fine Arts in Spain in 2001.
Despite passing away on November 30, 2009, at the age of 75, Naschy's legacy continues to scare, shock, and delight audiences around the world. His impressive and varied horror cinema career will be remembered for all eternity.
