Pedro Armendáriz (born Pedro Gregorio Armendáriz Hastings; May 9, 1912 – June 18, 1963) was a Mexican actor best known for playing King Francis I in the 1956 film Diane and MI6 section chief Ali Kerim Bey in the 1963 James Bond film From Russia with Love with Sean Connery, Daniela Bianchi and Fred Haggerty. Severely ill with cancer, he took his own life in his Los Angeles hotel room in June 1963 shortly after shooting his scenes for the film.
Trivia[]
- His son was Pedro Armendáriz Jr., who played Hector Lopez in Licence to Kill.
- The cause of Armendáriz's cancer was believed to be a result of fallout caused by nuclear testing conducted by the US Government in Neveda that was carried downwind to the neighbouring state of Utah where Armendáriz was starring in the Howard Hughes-produced film, The Conqueror, released in 1956.
- It is believed that Armendáriz was one of the 91 cast and crew who were diagnosed with cancer from the fallout in which 46, including Armendáriz had died.