[6][20] His parents were shocked by the proposal, but ultimately agreed to support his decision. [55] On October 16, 1994, Juliá and Poloway attended the Metropolitan Opera in New York,[56] and afterwards, Juliá began feeling intense abdominal pain and was taken by ambulance to North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, Long Island. Julia’s commanding presence, athleticism, and vitality were showcased in such stage productions as Betrayal (1980) and Arms and the Man (1985) and in such films as Eyes of Laura Mars (1978), One from the Heart (1982), The Morning After (1986), and Presumed Innocent (1990). Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. [16], By the seventh grade, Juliá was able to speak English fluently and had gained interest in the works of William Shakespeare. Vaya con Dios." [60] Juliá was a lifelong supporter of the Puerto Rican independence movement; on one occasion, he convinced his agent to allow him to do an advertising campaign on behalf of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company. Juliá accepted the role based on its political nature, seeking to draw attention to the issues in that Central American region. In 1966, Juliá was cast for the role of Macduff in a Spanish version of Macbeth and performed in The Ox Cart, a stage play written by Puerto Rican playwright René Marqués. In 2003, Daniel Rodríguez won the first Raúl Juliá Global Citizen Award from the Puerto Rico Family Institute based in New York, receiving the recognition due to charity work. [78], Retrieved from Netflix: "Kiss of the Spider Woman" (1985), National Board of Review Award for Best Actor, National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, Outstanding Actor in a Miniseries or Movie, Outstanding Actor in a Limited Series or Movie, "Raul Juliá, Broadway and Hollywood Actor, Is Dead at 54", "Raúl Juliá and Meryl Streep Go Head-to-Head", "Raúl Juliá: The World's a Stage: Raúl Juliá – Timeline", "The Blazing Path and Legacy of Raul Julia", "America's Greatest Legends: A compendium of the 500 stars nominated for top 50 "Greatest Screen Legends" status", "The Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Recipients", "H.R. [67] The Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce created the Raúl Juliá Scholarship Fund in 1997, intended to provide college education for teenagers. He had lost some weight and was physically weakened by his condition. [40] His cellmate was a flamboyant homosexual (William Hurt), jailed for immoral behavior in Brazil, who passed the time by detailing scenes of his favorite romantic movie to him; slowly, the two form a bond based on mutual understanding and respect. Although he did not make his screen debut before 1950, Juliá was a nominee for the American Film Institute's AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars.
[17] He studied liberal arts, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree. As Juliá's coffin was lowered, a load of carnations was dropped from a helicopter while the crowd shouted ¡Viva Puerto Rico Libre!. Eventually, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. This was followed by the role of David Suárez in the romantic comedy Compromising Positions. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. [58] The service was attended by thousands of Puerto Ricans, with plena being played in the background. [56] On the night of October 20, Juliá suffered a stroke, fell into a coma and was put on life support. [74] In 1994, the government of El Salvador recognized his activism for human rights, granting him the role of overseer in their general elections in representation of Freedom House.
Subsequently, he reprised his role as Gomez Addams in Addams Family Values. He took over the role of Orson in the Off-Broadway hit Your Own Thing, a rock musical updating of Twelfth Night. Rafael the Fix-It Man ran the Fix-It Shop with Emilio Delgado's character Luis, who debuted with Juliá on the show. On Broadway he earned four Tony award nominations for his roles as Proteus in Two Gentlemen of Verona (1971), Charley in a revival of Where’s Charley? To prepare for the role, he took lessons and worked at a hair salon for some time.[44]. [18], Juliá continued acting in local plays and nightclubs. [29], In September 1968, after auditioning four times for the role, Juliá debuted in his first Broadway play, performing as Chan in a staging of The Cuban Thing. In 1986, Julia played a hairdresser named Joaquin Manero in The Morning After. In 1987, Juliá had the lead role in The Penitent. [61] A church mass in Miami and numerous private ceremonies were also held.
[25] Initially, Juliá received allowance from his parents, but after contracting Jeff Hunter as manager, he was able to perform in a staging of Bye Bye Birdie, declining further donations. His off-Broadway success led him to movies, where he first appeared in "Stiletto" (1969), and other films such as "The Panic in Needle Park" (1971), "The … [3] In 1979, Juliá starred in the original Broadway production of Harold Pinter's Betrayal alongside Roy Scheider and Blythe Danner. He was the oldest of four brothers and sisters Maria Eugenia Juliá and Olga Maria Juliá. The New York Shakespeare Festival paid to have an obituary in Variety, where his birth and death dates were accompanied by a quote from Shakespeare. His first work was in a production of Pedro Calderón de la Barca's Life Is a Dream, where he played Astolfo.