Gilbert Roland (December 11, 1905 – May 15, 1994) was a dashing Mexican-born American actor whose incredible seven-decade career saw him evolve from a romantic “Latin lover” of the silent era into a highly respected, Golden Globe-nominated character actor.
After his family fled Pancho Villa’s revolution, Roland famously came to Hollywood as a teenager by hopping a freight train. He quickly became a silent film star, playing the romantic lead opposite screen sirens like Clara Bow in The Plastic Age (1925) and Norma Talmadge in Camille (1926). In the 1940s, he gained new popularity starring as the adventurous hero “The Cisco Kid” in a series of successful Westerns.
Beginning in the late 1940s, Roland earned widespread critical acclaim for his powerful supporting performances. He was a favorite of director John Huston and received a Golden Globe nomination for his role as the charismatic movie star “Gaucho” in the classic Hollywood drama The Bad and the Beautiful (1952). He continued to work in major films like John Ford’s Cheyenne Autumn (1964) until his final role in the 1982 western Barbarosa, cementing his legacy as one of Hollywood’s most enduring stars.
