Julio Medina

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Medina and the second or maternal family name is Salazar.
For the Panamanian footballer, see Julio Medina III.
For the Chilean Olympic boxer, see Julio Medina (boxer).
Julio Medina
Born
Julio Medina Salazar

(1933-01-16)16 January 1933
Chiquinquirá, Colombia
Died23 November 2024(2024-11-23) (aged 91)
Bogotá, Colombia
Alma materPasadena Playhouse
OccupationActor
Years active1966–2016

Julio Medina Salazar (16 January 1933 – 23 November 2024) was a Colombian actor. He was notable for his debut work in Gunsmoke and for his award-winning role in Las aguas mansas. For nearly thirty years, Medina worked and lived in Los Angeles until moving to Colombia, later basing his acting works there.

In his Hollywood career he appeared in numerous television roles ranging from I Dream of Jeannie to The Partridge Family. He was considered to be the first Colombian actor to have a successful Hollywood career in the United States.[1]

Early life

Medina was born in Chiquinquirá, Colombia in 1933.[2] He studied at Pontifical Xavierian University and later at the Pasadena Playhouse after moving to the United States in 1954. He was enlisted in the United States Navy where he served for two years.[3]

Career

In 1965, Medina moved to Peru to make small movies, but moved to the United States afterwards.

He made his acting debut in the television series Gunsmoke (as Pedro, in S11E8 episode "The Reward").

In his Hollywood career he worked alongside Michael Douglas, Hal Holbrook, David Carradine and Sally Field.[4]

In his career in the United States, Medina also appeared in I Dream of Jeannie, The Partridge Family, Kung Fu, The Rockford Files, Wonder Woman, Dallas and in Drug Wars: The Camarena Story.[5]

In 1984, Medina returned to Colombia where he continued to make movies and telenovelas.[6] In Colombia, he is known for his roles in Cascabel (1985), Las Aguas Mansas (1994), La viuda de Blanco (1996) and in El pasado no perdona (2005).

He appeared in the 2016 comedy film Malcriados as Omar until retiring shortly afterwards.[7]

Personal life and death

In a 2017 interview, Medina stated he lived on his own in solitude in rural Colombia and while asked about his bachelorhood and rumours about him being a homosexual, he said: "I've had friends, very beautiful friends, but marriage?!, Not even for the devil".[6]

Medina died aged 91, in Bogotá on 23 November 2024.[8]

Partial filmography

In the United States:[4]

References

  1. ^ "Esta es la historia de Julio Medina, primer actor colombiano en Hollywood". Canal1. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
  2. ^ "Actor Julio Medina". Tornado Movies. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
  3. ^ ColArte el arte en Colombia. "Julio Medina". Archived from the original on 2004-08-24. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
  4. ^ a b "Con fotografías, Julio Medina muestra el pasado desde su pasión". El Tiempo. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
  5. ^ "Julio Medina, el feliz actor que vive en un hogar geriátrico". Caracol TV. June 25, 2017. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  6. ^ a b "Julio Medina, primer actor colombiano con éxito en Hollywood, vive en un geriátrico". Pulzo. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
  7. ^ "Julio Medina, un jubilado feliz". Las2Orillas. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
  8. ^ "Falleció Julio Medina, leyenda de la actuación colombiana". Revista Vea. 23 November 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2024.