**Fernando Rey (1917-1994)** was a Spanish actor of international stature, renowned for his refined elegance and distinctive presence.

He became an iconic face in Luis Buñuel's cinema, collaborating with him on surrealist masterpieces such as *Viridiana* (1961), *Tristana* (1970), *The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie* (1972), and *That Obscure Object of Desire* (1977), often portraying bourgeois figures, priests, or charming but ambiguous elders.

His international career also saw him in the role of the charismatic drug trafficker Alain Charnier in William Friedkin's *The French Connection* (1971). He often portrayed complex figures: aristocrats, intellectuals, ecclesiastics, or elegant antagonists. His tall and slender physique, combined with an intense gaze and a deep voice, imbued his characters with an unmistakable aura of mystery and sophistication.