"Who was the first person of Hispanic descent to win an Academy Award for Best Actor?"

Rogerio N. - Barcelona, ES

Hi Rogerio,

Good question. With today's strong Latin presence in music, movies, and sports, it's hard to imagine a time when Hispanics were not major players in the entertainment industry. But in truth, it wasn't so long ago that actors from around the world had to hid their ethnicity because it would negatively impact their careers.

The first Hispanic person to win a Best Actor Oscar was Jose Ferrer in 1950. A Puerto Rican born actor Ferrer played the title role in the smash hit Cyrano De Bergerac. With a fake nose, and a Frecnh accent, he won over critics and audiences alike, and paved the way for our modern Latino mega-stars.

Thanks, Jose!