Eugene Iglesias(1926-2023)

Iglesias was a prolific supporting actor found in many Hollywood westerns of the 50s and 60s. He was born Eugene Luis Francisco Iglesias Carrillo in San Juan, Puerto Rico, said to have come from a distinguished family with connections to José Luis Alberto Muñoz Marín, the first elected governor of Puerto Rico. Iglesias arrived in California as a student, was signed by Columbia and made his debut as Mel Ferrer's determined younger matador brother in The Brave Bulls (1951). Thereafter, he found his niche in westerns playing an assortment of colourful characters, sometimes outlaws (perhaps his best-remembered tole as Johnny Sombrero in The Duel at Silver Creek (1952)), often Native Americans (Chibiabos in Hiawatha (1952), Gray Eagle in Jack McCall, Desperado (1953), Chato in Taza, Son of Cochise (1954) and Walk the Proud Land (1956)). Other roles cast him as Italians (the impassioned patriot Rollo D'Anterras in Mask of the Avenger (1951)), Hispanics (Don Manuel Arriega in Cowboy (1958)) or Portuguese (Paulo in East of Sumatra (1953)). Iglesias segued into TV work from the mid-60s and retired from acting in 1970.