Alfred Molina

Ever since his emergence from the British stage, actor Alfred Molina carved out a prominent career as a chameleon-like character actor who occasionally emerged in leading man roles. After climbing the traditional ladder of British theatrical aspiration, moving from the repertory circuit to the Royal Shakespeare Company, Molina created a stir as The Maniac in "Accidental Death of an Anarchist" (1979). But it was his success on the big screen - starting with a small, but memorable role as a turncoat guide covered in spiders in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981) - that spurred Molina to success. From there, his mixed heritage allowed Molina to play just about any nationality in a variety of roles - from a Russian sailor in "Letter to Brezhnev" (1985) to an Iranian in Western clothing in "Not Without My Daughter" (1991) to a Cuban refugee in "The Perez Family" (1995) and a Greek-American lawyer in "Before and After" (1996). Though often tapped to play villains - most notably as Dr. Octopus in the blockbuster sequel "Spider-Man 2" (2004) - he also made an enormous impression in quieter roles such as the pleasure-seeking artist Diego Rivera in "Frida" (2002) or a gay man whose life is thrown into turmoil when he's fired from his job in "Love Is Strange" (2014). With his impressive range, it was clear to audiences that there were few roles Molina was not willing or able to play.