Tomas Milian - Details

TOMAS MILIAN came to New York from Cuba with the dream of being accepted at the Actors Studio. His dream became a reality in 1957.

Two years later, in his first off-Broadway performance, he was seen by Jean Cocteau and Gian Carlo Menotti. They invited Milian to the Spoleto Festival in Italy to star in Cocteau’s "The Poet and the Muse," written especially for him.

Thus began Milian’s career in Italy, which would come to include starring roles in more than 100 films, including Michelangelo Antonioni’s "Identification of a Woman." He is the recipient of the Nastro d’Argento, Italy’s equivalent of the Academy Award, for his performance in Bernardo Bertolucci’s "Luna"; and the Coppa del Consiglio dei Ministri, an award bestowed by the Italian government for Outstanding Career in Cinema.

He achieved overwhelming popularity in Italy when he created and starred in "Monezza," a film about a roguish, streetwise character who imagines himself to be an undercover cop. The movie was such a hit that it spawned a dozen sequels and earned Milian the Rodolfo Valentino Award as Most Creative Actor.

Since returning to the United States in the late 1980s, Milian has been seen on stage in New York, Boston, Los Angeles (as the enigmatic doctor in Ariel Dorfman’s "Death and the Maiden," at the Mark Taper Forum), and Miami (as the sinister Nicolas in Harold Pinter’s "One for the Road," at Area Stage).

Milian’s screen appearances include Sydney Pollack’s "Havana," Oliver Stone’s "JFK," John Frankenheimer’s HBO feature "The Burning Season," Steven Spielberg’s "Amistad," and James Gray’s "The Yards."

His television work includes playing the male lead in the CBS series "Frannie’s Turn," a "lifer" in HBO’s "Oz," and, most recently, HBO’s "For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story" (directed by Joseph Sargent).