27 Facts About Paul Naschy

Jacinto Molina Alvarez known by his stage name Paul Naschy, was a Spanish film actor, screenwriter, and director working primarily in horror films.

Paul Naschy wrote the screenplays for most of his films and directed a number of them as well, signing many of them "Jacinto Molina".

Paul Naschy was bestowed Spain's Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts in 2001.

Paul Naschy was born as Jacinto Molina Alvarez in Madrid in 1934, and grew up during the Spanish Civil War, a period of great turmoil in Spanish history.

Paul Naschy's father Enrique Molina was a successful furrier, and Naschy grew up in very comfortable surroundings, at one point living in his parents' country mansion.

Paul Naschy had an uncredited bit part in the classic 1961 Biblical epic King of Kings and the experience drew him further into filmmaking.

Paul Naschy allegedly acted as an assistant director on two other films, Aventura en el Palacio Viejo and Cronica de Nueve Meses.

Paul Naschy wrote the screenplays for most of the films he starred in, especially the horror movies.

Paul Naschy praised Klimovsky's professional workmanlike attitude, but he always felt that Klimovsky rushed through the filming and never allowed for enough retakes that might have improved some of their films.

Paul Naschy enjoyed working for director Carlos Aured, and was proud of the films they did together.

Paul Naschy claimed in interviews that he even considered suicide during this period.

Paul Naschy only returned to filmmaking in 1987 with his supposed "comeback film" El Aullido del Diablo.

Paul Naschy's career took a second downturn when he suffered a near-fatal heart attack himself on August 27,1991, triggered by weightlifting in a local gym.

Paul Naschy had to later contact a number of fanzine publishers in various countries to inform them that he was still very much alive.

In 1996, Paul Naschy wrote and starred in his 11th werewolf film Licantropo, which he thought would be a big comeback film for him, but the movie did not do well at all, critically or financially.

Paul Naschy has appeared in a number of low budget horror films and crime dramas during the following decade, during which time he won a number of prestigious fan awards and appeared as a celebrated guest at many horror film conventions during the 1990s and the 2000s.

Also, Paul Naschy had brought his wife and son Sergio along with him, and the day after they arrived, his wife was hospitalized with a stomach virus, so Paul Naschy was a bit preoccupied during the shoot.

On October 24,1969, Paul Naschy married Elvira Primavera, the daughter of an Italian diplomat living in Spain, and they remained happily married 40 years later at the time of his death.

Paul Naschy's wife was always very supportive of his filmmaking projects and was undoubtedly one of the factors that led to his success.

Paul Naschy was survived by his widow Elvira and his two sons, Bruno and Sergio Molina.

Paul Naschy died of pancreatic cancer on November 30,2009, at a hospital in Madrid, Spain at the age of 75.

Paul Naschy struggled desperately to stay alive for over one year after being diagnosed with the cancer in 2008, but the end was inevitable.

Paul Naschy holds the record for the greatest number of roles as a werewolf, easily beating out Lon Chaney Jr.

Paul Naschy claims he based this character on a real-life medieval nobleman named Gilles de Rais, a serial killer on whose life story Paul Naschy based the lead character in his 1974 film El Mariscal del Infierno.

Las Noches del Hombre Lobo, which Paul Naschy claimed was the 2nd film in the series, is considered a lost film today.

Paul Naschy played generic werewolves in four other films that were not part of the Hombre Lobo series.

Note* - Paul Naschy starred in many other horror films that did not feature el Hombre Lobo, as well as a number of crime films, historical dramas, action thrillers, etc.