Trivia

He found out he had cancer during the production of From Russia with Love (1963). The schedule of production was altered so he could finish his scenes in a timely fashion. He wanted to finish the movie so his family could receive his salary. From Russia With Love was released less than four months after his passing.

Both he and his son, Pedro Armendáriz Jr. appeared in James Bond movies. Pedro Armendáriz appeared as Kerim Bey in From Russia with Love (1963). Pedro Armendáriz Jr. appeared as President Hector Lopez in Licence to Kill (1989).

Died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Los Angeles after finding out he had terminal cancer.

Was one of 91 people, along with John Wayne, Susan Hayward, and Agnes Moorehead, whose cancer was attributed to their exposure to radioactivity while working on the film The Conqueror (1956).

One of Mexico's most admired and respected actors, he was a six-time nominee for the Ariel Award for Best Actor, which he won twice (1948 and 1953). The Ariel Award is considered Mexico's Academy Award. In 1947, he won a special Ariel Award.

Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1961

Even though he played several rude, fierce and uncouth characters, he was a very refined person. He was very fluent in English (he had to enhance his Mexican accent in some roles he had to play).

The characters Armendáriz played in his final two films had almost identical names: In Captain Sindbad (1963) his character's name was el Kerim, and in From Russia with Love (1963) he played Kerim Bey.

Armendáriz's last appearance was in the second James Bond film, From Russia with Love (1963), as Bond's ally, Kerim Bey. Armendáriz was terminally ill with cancer during the filming of From Russia with Love, and towards the end of shooting he was too ill to perform his part; his final scenes were performed by his double, director Terence Young.

Father of Pedro Armendáriz Jr.

He underwent surgery for renal cancer in 1958.

He appeared in seven films with actress Dolores Del Río: Wild Flower (1943), Maria Candelaria (1944), The Abandoned (1945), Bugambilia (1945), The Fugitive (1947), La malquerida (1949) and The Soldiers of Pancho Villa (1959).

He appeared in three films directed by John Ford: The Fugitive (1947), Fort Apache (1948) and 3 Godfathers (1948).

He later studied in California, attending the California Polytechnic State University from September 1928 to May 1932 . At Cal Poly, he studied mechanics and in May 1931 graduated from the academic course of the school. He remained an additional year as a freshman in the Junior College division, but in 1932 returned to Mexico after the end of the school year.

His meeting with the director Emilio Fernández was providential, whereupon the actor and director began working in numerous films. Under the guidance of Emilio Fernández, Pedro Armendáriz developed the film personality traits of strong nationalist; often, he played tough and manly men, indigenous, peasants and revolutionaries.

When Armendáriz finished his studies, he moved to Mexico, where he worked for the railroad, as a tour guide, and as a journalist for the bilingual magazine México Real.

While at the California Polytechnic State University, Armendáriz was active in student activities, including editing the student newspaper and the student yearbook and acting in several student dramatic productions.

He was discovered by film director Miguel Zacarías when Armendáriz recited a soliloquy from Hamlet to an American tourist.

With Dolores del Río and María Félix, he was one of the best-known Latin American movie stars of the 1940s and 1950s.

Amendáriz repeatedly portrayed Pancho Villa and played opposite actresses such as Dolores del Río and María Félix.

Was the first actor in a James Bond movie to die in real life.