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Perhaps no one has portrayed more ethnicities and historical heavyweights than Anthony Quinn. Beyond the Oscars and countless accolades, Quinn has appeared in more movies –46-- with other Oscar-winning actors (for acting) than any other Oscar-winning actor.
Renaissance man Antonio Rudolfo Oaxaca Quinn was born in Chihuahua, Mexico in 1915. His Irish-Mexican father rode with Pancho Villa before bring his family north to El Paso, Texas before settling in Los Angeles so he could work as a cameraman.
Anthony grew up in Echo Park, attending Polytechnic and Belmont high schools. Reportedly he told stories about Echo Park in the 1930s, when Mexican-American thugs would try to get his help beating up the Irish gangs, and that later the same day, Irish bullies tried to get him to brawl against the Mexicans.
Anthony’s first job experience was as a butcher, a boxer, shining shoes, hawking newspapers, working in a slaughterhouse, and two highly unusual jobs: playing the saxophone for and preaching with infamous Los Angeles evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson, and studying architecture with Frank Lloyd Wright.
 But the acting bug bit, and although it was obviously difficult for an non-Anglo to get many roles in early-20th century racist Hollywood as a leading man, however Quinn was the obvious exception.
Quinn became known in Hollywood when he stood up to legendary director Cecil B DeMille who had harangued him after casting him as an Indian in "The Plainsman" (1937). As cast and crew looked on, Quinn reportedly told the director how he should shoot the scene and where he could put his $75 a day salary. After staring-down Quinn, DeMille announced, "The boy's right. We'll change the set-up," and later added, "It was one of the most auspicious beginnings for an actor I've ever seen." Quinn acted in two other films ("The Buccaneer" 1938, "Union Pacific" 1939) for DeMille, marrying his adopted daughter. Quinn has had several marriages and liaisons, fathering 13 children.
He played numerous historical roles, including Crazy Horse in "They Died with Their Boots On" (1942), Attila the Hun in "Attila" (1955), artist Paul Gaughin in "Lust for Life" (1956), Kublai Khan in "Marco the Magnificent" (1966), Aristotle Onassis in "The Greek Tycoon" (1978), and even becoming Zeus in five syndicated "Legends of Hercules" movies in 1994.
 Quinn even ending up with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby in two "road" movies ("Road to Singapore" 1940; "Road to Morocco" 1944). Other roles included "Blood and Sand" (1941), "The Ox-Bow Incident" (1943) and "Back to Bataan" (1945). Director Elia Kazan cast him as Marlon Brando's brother in "Viva Zapata" (1952) earning him his first Oscar as Best Supporting Actor.
Quinn played an aging bullfighter in "The Magnificent Matador" (1955) and then won his second Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for "Lust for Life.” The next year would see him garner a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his turn opposite Anna Magnani in "Wild Is the Wind", as well as Quasimodo in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame".
"The Guns of Navarone" was in 1961, followed by "Requiem for a Heavyweight" and "Lawrence of Arabia.” What many considered his signature role, as "Zorba the Greek" (1964), which gave him another Oscar nomination. Other roles included "Jesus of Nazareth" (1977) , the “Last Action Hero” (1993) and “A Walk in the Clouds” (1995).
Anthony Quinn, had a love for art and painted. He died in 2001.
"It doesn't make a difference as long as I'm a person in the world." - when asked about his ethnicity”
"They said all I was good for was playing Indians."
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