Joaquim António Portugal Baptista de Almeida CvIH (born 15 March 1957) is a Portuguese-American actor.[2][3] He started his film career playing a role in the 1982 action film The Soldier, and later achieved recognition for playing Andrea Bonanno in the 1987 Italian film Good Morning, Babylon. He achieved international fame with his portrayals of Félix Cortez in the 1994 thriller Clear and Present Danger and Bucho in the 1995 action thriller Desperado. Several years later, he became popular for playing Ramon Salazar on the Fox thriller drama series 24, between 2003 and 2004, and Hernan Reyes in the 2011 film Fast Five, a role he reprised in 2023's Fast X.

Joaquim de Almeida

Almeida at the 2011 Festival International du Film d'Amour de Mons
Born (1957-03-15) 15 March 1957 (age 67)
Citizenship
  • Portuguese
  • American (2005–present)[1]
OccupationActor
Years active1982–present
Spouses
Andrea Nemetz
(m. 1976, divorced)
Anne Rogoshan
(m. 1979, divorced)
Maria Cecília Gonçalves
(m. 1992, divorced)
Children2

Fluent in several languages, Almeida has worked in several countries in Europe and the Americas, in many film and stage productions, winning some international awards in films like Retrato de Família, Adão e Eva and O Xangô de Baker Street. His other well-known films include The Honorary Consul (1983), Only You (1994), La Cucaracha (1998), One Man's Hero (1999), Behind Enemy Lines (2001), Whore (2004), The Death and Life of Bobby Z (2007), Che: Part Two (2008), The Burning Plain (2008), and The Gilded Cage (2013).

Early life and education edit

Almeida was born in Lisbon, Portugal,[2][4] as the son of João Baptista de Almeida and Maria Sara Portugal.[citation needed] At the age of 18, after attending a theater course at the Lisbon Conservatory (School of Theatre and Cinema) for two years, he left Portugal to continue his studies after the Conservatory was temporarily closed following the 1974 democratic revolution. He spent a year in Vienna, moving again, in 1976, to New York City where he studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, a school for the performing arts.[5]

Career edit

1980s edit

After his beginning in theater, Almeida started his film career in 1982 appearing in The Soldier. His first significant role came in a 1983 film, The Honorary Consul. He made appearances in TV series such as Miami Vice,[6] and made his breakthrough four years later when he appeared in Good Morning, Babylon, a film directed by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani that opened the Cannes Film Festival in 1987. Being fluent in six languages, Almeida continued his acting career in several countries such as Portugal, England, Spain, France, Italy, Brazil, Argentina, and Germany, working in numerous films.[5]

1990s edit

In 1994, Almeida played Félix Cortez, a former colonel of Cuban military intelligence in the Tom Clancy thriller, Clear and Present Danger, co-starring Harrison Ford, Willem Dafoe and Anne Archer. The film debuted at number one in the box office, earning a reported $20.5 million on its opening weekend in the United States, and over $122 million in total box office revenue.[7]

Later in 1994, Almeida starred in the romantic comedy Only You, in which he plays a suave Italian businessman named Giovanni. According to The New York Times, the film director and producer Norman Jewison said: "I interviewed many actors for the role.... There was one Italian actor, fairly prominent, that I met in L.A. and again in New York and in Rome. And I wanted to meet several other Italian actors in Italy." When the production moved from Pittsburgh to Italy last fall, however, none of the country's actors seemed right for what Jewison called "the clichéd Italian gigolo, the guy that women from the Midwest always meet." After the interview with Almeida, Jewison recalled: "Howard Feuer, the casting director, said, 'Joaquim's not that tall. He's not that handsome. He's no Rossano Brazzi here.' I said, 'But listen to his voice.' There's a machoness. Especially when he lowers it, whispers, leans across the table and pours you another glass of wine. He can be extremely intimate with his voice."[8]

In 1995, Almeida appeared with Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek in the Robert Rodriguez's action thriller Desperado. This film is the sequel to Rodriguez's independent film El Mariachi and the second entry in the Mexico Trilogy. Joaquim de Almeida portrays the main villain Bucho, a wealthy but casually bloodthirsty drug kingpin, who rules a seedy Mexican border town.[9] Almeida replaced Raúl Juliá as Bucho, following Juliá's death in 1994. Desperado was screened out of competition at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival.[10] He won a Portuguese Golden Globe for Best Actor in his next film, the 1995 Portuguese drama Adão e Eva (Adam and Eve),[citation needed] where he played the main female character career rival Francisco.[11]

In 1997 he appeared in the miniseries Nostromo and starred in the Luís Galvão Teles' drama Elles (Women).[12] The following year, he co-starred with Eric Roberts in the Jack Perez thriller La Cucaracha (1998). The film premiered at the Austin Film Festival where it won the Feature Film Award.[13]

2000s edit

In 2001, Almeida starred in the Brazilian comedy O Xangô de Baker Street, where he plays the legendary British detective Sherlock Holmes. The film is based on a book written in 1995 by celebrated Brazilian author/actor/entrepreneur Jô Soares about a case involving Sherlock Holmes and his loyal friend Doctor Watson, who are invited to Brazil by its Emperor, Pedro II, to find the thief of a priceless Stradivarius owned by his lover. Almeida's outstanding portrayal of the iconic fictional character earned him another Portuguese Golden Globe for best actor, his third, and was nominated for Cinema Brazil Grand Prize award for best actor.[citation needed] In 2001, he had a supporting role in the war film Behind Enemy Lines as Admiral Juan Miguel Piquet, the commander of NATO's naval forces, starring alongside Owen Wilson and Gene Hackman. The film, based on the Mrkonjić Grad incident, is centered on the story of an American naval flight officer, played by Owen Wilson, who was shot down over Bosnia, who ends up uncovering a massacre during the Bosnian conflict.

In 2004, he starred with Daryl Hannah and Denise Richards in Yo Puta, a gritty docu-style prostitution tale[14] — in which interviews with real-life prostitutes are interspersed – that is based on a bestselling book by Spaniard Isabel Pisano that tracks the slow descent of a girl into the sex business.[15]

That same year, he joined the cast of 24 as Ramon Salazar, the ruthless leader of a drug cartel who is put into—and later broken out of—prison by Jack Bauer. In 2007, Joaquim de Almeida limns a brutal foreman named Baxter, in the Antonio Cuadri's El corazón de la tierra, a heady romance with a social conscience.[16]

Later in 2004, Almeida portrayed a Spanish-born photo journalist named Michael in the romantic drama La Cucina, a film about several mostly separated storylines in which couples, friends and associates meet for a night of cooking and befriending.[17]

In 2008, he starred in Che: Part Two, a biographical film about the Argentine doctor-turned-international revolutionary Ernesto Guevara. Almeida played President René Barrientos, a former Bolivian politician who served as his country's Vice President in 1964 and as its President from 1964 to 1969.[citation needed]

Later that year, Almeida appeared in The Burning Plain as local man named Nick Martinez, starring alongside Charlize Theron and Kim Basinger. He also provided his voice for the animated show The Batman as the voice of the villain Bane, and reprised his role in all of his appearances in the show except one in which Ron Perlman voices the character for one line.[citation needed]

2010s edit

On 16 July 2010, Almeida was confirmed for the role of main antagonist Hernan Reyes in the 2011 action film Fast Five directed by Justin Lin and co-starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Dwayne Johnson.[18] The film took $3.8 million in receipts during launch midnight showings marking the best ever opening for a Universal title and Fast & Furious franchise.[19] Fast Five became the highest-grossing film of 2011 for 15 days before being replaced on 30 May 2011.[20]

Between 2013 and 2020, Almeida starred in The Gilded Cage, Our Brand is Crisis, The Hitman's Bodyguard, and Downsizing.

Beginning in 2016, Almeida starred for two seasons as the drug kingpin Don Epifanio Vargas in the USA Network crime drama Queen of the South, opposite Alice Braga. He garnered Imagen Awards nominations as Best Actor in both 2017 and 2018 for his portrayal of Don Epifanio, and after the character was killed by Braga's character in the last episode of Season Two, Almeida also appeared during Season Three. The show wrapped up its 5th season in 2021.

Selected filmography edit

Films edit

Year Title Role Notes
1983 The Honorary Consul Leon Movie nominated for two BAFTA Film Awards.
1987 Good Morning, Babylon Andrea Bonanno Movie presented in 1987 Cannes Film Festival.
1990 Sandino Augusto César Sandino
1994 Clear and Present Danger Col. Felix Cortez Movie nominated for two Academy Awards.
Only You Giovanni
1995 O Xangô de Baker Street Sherlock Holmes
Desperado Bucho (Cesar) Movie presented in 1995 Cannes Film Festival.
Sostiene Pereira Manuel
2001 La voz de su amo Oliveira
Behind Enemy Lines Admiral Juan Miguel Piquet
2003 Il Fuggiasco Lolo
2006 The Celestine Prophecy Father Sanchez
2008 The Burning Plain Nick Martinez
Che René Barrientos
2011 Fast Five Hernan Reyes
2013 The Gilded Cage José Ribeiro "People's Choice Award" at the 26th European Film Awards.
2014 Of Mind and Music Dr. Alvaro Cruz
2015 Our Brand is Crisis Pedro Castillo
2016 A Date with Miss Fortune Jose
2017 The Hitman's Bodyguard Assistant Director Jean Foucher
2018 Downsizing Dr. Oswaldo Pereira
2023 Missing Javi
Fast X Hernan Reyes Cameo
The Palace Dr. Lima
2024 Road House The Sheriff
TBA O Último Animal Ciro Post-production

Television series edit

Year Title Role Notes
1985 Miami Vice Nico Arroyo Episode: "Bought and Paid For"
1996–1997 Nostromo Col. Sotillo
1999 Camino de Santiago Gonzalo Leyva
2003–2004 24 Ramon Salazar
2005 Wanted Captain Manuel Valenza
2012 The Mentalist Gabriel Porchetto
2013 Bones Raphael Valenza S9 Ep7 "The Nazi on the Honeymoon"
2016–2018 Queen of the South Don Epifanio Vargas
2017 Training Day Menjivar
2020–present Warrior Nun Cardinal Duretti
2021 Aruanas Robert Johnson
2022 Now and Then Bernie
2022 Ganglands Bucho Season 2, 6 episodes (French title: Braqueurs)
2024 Shōgun Father Domingo

Awards and nominations edit

Year Ceremony Award Film/TV Show Result
1994 Cairo International Film Festival Cairo International Film Festival Award for Best Actor Retrato de Família Won
1995 Portuguese Golden Globes Golden Globe for Best Actor Adão e Eva Won
1997 Portuguese Golden Globes Golden Globe for Best Actor Sostiene Pereira Nominated
1998 Portuguese Golden Globes Golden Globe for Best Actor Tentação Won
2000 Portuguese Golden Globes Golden Globe for Best Actor Inferno Nominated
2002 Cinema Brazil Grand Prize Cinema Brazil Grand Prize for Best Actor O Xangô de Baker Street Nominated
Portuguese Golden Globes Golden Globe for Best Actor Won
2004 Festival Cinema de Badajoz Career Award[21] Won
2005 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series 24 Nominated
2006 Portuguese Golden Globes Golden Globe for Best Actor Um Tiro no Escuro Nominated
2008 Avanca Film Festival Avanca Film Festival Award for Best Actor Óscar. Una pasión surrealista Won
2009 Festival de Cine Iberoamericano de Huelva Prize of the City of Huelva Won

References edit

  1. ^ "Joaquim de Almeida naturalizou-se norte-americano" [Joaquim de Almeida became a naturalized American citizen] (in Portuguese). Público. 27 October 2005. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2011.
  2. ^ a b "Joaquim de Almeida". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Joaquim de Almeida naturalizou-se norte-americano". PÚBLICO (in Portuguese). 27 October 2005. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  4. ^ "For this Portugese character actor, 'Fatima' feels like home". America Magazine. 3 September 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Biografia – Joaquim de Almeida" [Biography – Joaquim de Almeida] (in Portuguese). Sapo.pt. 27 October 2009. Archived from the original on 20 December 2010. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
  6. ^ "Bought and Paid for". Miami Vice. Season 2. Episode 9. 29 November 1985. NBC.
  7. ^ Fox, David (8 August 1994). "A 'Clear' Triumph at Box Office: Movies: The Harrison Ford thriller seizes the No. 1 spot with estimated ticket receipts of more than $20 million". Los Angeles Times.
  8. ^ Lee, Linda (2 October 1994). "Charm the Ladies, Kill the Drug Lord". The New York Times.
  9. ^ Maslin, Janet (2007). "Desperado (1995)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 24 October 2007.
  10. ^ "Details: Desperado". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  11. ^ Fountain, Rovi (2008). "Adao E Eva". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 26 February 2008. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  12. ^ Holden, Stephen (29 October 1999). "Women (1998)". The New York Times.
  13. ^ "Austin Film Writers' Fest A Go Under Construction". AllBusiness.com. 5 October 1998.
  14. ^ Rooney, David (25 February 2003). "Richards, Sheen keen on scurrying 'Scary 3'". Variety.com.
  15. ^ Hopewell, John (10 November 2003). "Gaga over 'Whore'". Variety.com.
  16. ^ Hopewell, John (12 February 2006). "Spain's 'Heart of Earth' digs Guillory". Variety.com.
  17. ^ Buchanan, Rovi (2007). "La Cucina (2008)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 24 December 2007.
  18. ^ Siegel, Tatiana (16 July 2010). "'Fast and the Furious' adds to cast". Variety.
  19. ^ Gray, Brandon (28 April 2011). "Forecast: 'Fast Five' Fever". Box Office Mojo.
  20. ^ Gray, Brandon (31 May 2011). "Around-the-World Roundup: 'Pirates' Booty Grows, 'Hangover,' 'Panda' Sequels Open Strongly". Box Office Mojo.
  21. ^ "Biografia – Joaquim de Almeida" [Biography – Joaquim de Almeida] (in Portuguese). entretenimento.pt.msn.com. 27 December 2010. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 2 January 2011.

External links edit