From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia Gilbert Roland born Luis Antonio Dámaso de Alonso December 11 1905 May 15 1994 was a Mexicanborn American film and television actor whose career spanned seven decades from the 1920s until the 1980s He was twice nominated for the Golden Globe Award in 1952 and 1964 and inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 Roland was born in Ciudad Juárez Chihuahua Mexico When Pancho Villa took control of their town Roland and his family fled to the United States He lived in Texas until at age 14 he hopped on a freight train and went to Hollywood He chose his screen name by combining the names of his favorite actors John Gilbert and Ruth Roland He was often cast in the stereotypical Latin lover role Rolands first film contract was with Paramount His first major role was in the collegiate comedy The Plastic Age 1925 together with Clara Bow to whom he became engaged In 1926 he played Armand in Camille opposite Norma Talmadge with whom he was romantically involved and they starred together in several productions With the advent of sound films Roland frequently appeared in Spanish language adaptations of American films in romantic lead roles Roland served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II Beginning in the 1940s critics began to take notice of his acting and he was praised for his supporting roles in John Hustons We Were Strangers 1949 The Bad and the Beautiful 1952 Thunder Bay 1953 and Cheyenne Autumn 1964 He also appeared in a series of films in the mid1940s as the popular character The Cisco Kid He played Hugo the agnostic friend of the three shepherd children in The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima In 1953 Roland played GreekAmerican sponge diver Mike Petrakis in the epic Beneath the 12Mile Reef His last film appearance was in the 1982 western Barbarosa Roland married actress Constance Bennett in 1941 They were married until 1946 and had two daughters His second marriage to Guillermina Cantú in 1954 lasted until his death 40 years later Gilbert Roland died of cancer in Beverly Hills California in 1994 aged 88
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