Francisco Rabal Valera, better known as Paco Rabal, was a Spanish actor, director, and screenwriter born in Aguilas, a town in the south-western part of the province of Murcia, Spain.
12 Facts About Francisco Rabal
2.
One of Spain's most loved actors, Francisco Rabal was known for his commitment to human rights and other social causes.
3.
Young Francisco Rabal had to work as a street salesboy and in a chocolate factory.
4.
Francisco Rabal used his full name, Francisco Rabal, as his stage name.
5.
Francisco Rabal starred in three films directed by Luis Bunuel - Nazarin, Viridiana and Belle de jour - with whom he would develop a lifelong friendship.
6.
Francisco Rabal was named best actor by the Circulo de Escritores Cinematograficos for El hombre de la isla in 1962.
7.
Friedkin discovered that Francisco Rabal did not speak English or French, so he decided to keep Rey.
8.
Francisco Rabal did work with Friedkin in the much less successful but Academy Award-nominated cult classic Sorcerer, a remake of The Wages of Fear.
9.
Francisco Rabal died in 2001 from compensatory dilating emphysema while on an airplane travelling to Bordeaux, returning from having received an Award at the Montreal World Film Festival.
10.
Francisco Rabal's death happened only a few weeks before he was due to collect the lifetime Donostia Award at the San Sebastian International Film Festival.
11.
Francisco Rabal is the only Spanish actor to have received an honoris causa doctoral degree from the University of Murcia.
12.
Murcia's Film Library and Cinematheque, Filmoteca Regional Francisco Rabal, created in 2004 as a meeting point for movie lovers, was named after him.