Fernando Fernan Gomez

Who was Fernando Fernan Gomez?

Fernando Fernán-Gómez was a Spanish actor, screenwriter, film director, theater director and member of the Royal Spanish Academy for seven years. He was born in Lima, Peru while his mother, Spanish actress Carola Fernán-Gómez, was making a tour of Latin America. He would later use her surname for his stage name when he moved to Spain in 1924.

After the Spanish Civil War he began to study law but interrupted his studies to work in theater. In 1942 he began to act in movies but also continued working on plays. He formed his own theater company and received awards for directing and writing. In the 1950s he began to direct movies, including the film of his novel, El viaje a ninguna parte. He received praise for his 1958 comedy La vida por delante, which led to a sequel, La vida alrededor. In 1977, he won the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the 27th Berlin International Film Festival for his role in The Anchorite. He won the award again at the 35th Berlin International Film Festival in 1985 for his role in Stico.