Anecdotes

The son of theater actress 'Carola Fernan Gomez' and actor Luis Fernando Diaz de Mendoza, who were not married. It was Fernando's paternal grandmother, actress María Guerrero (1867-1938), who ultimately prevented the marriage between his parents.

Born in Lima, Peru during a tour by his actress mother Carola Fernan Gomez, theater was his life from Day 1. His birth was registered in Buenos Aires and Fernan Gomez kept Argentine nationality until the 1980s although he spent most of his life in Spain.

Known for his booming voice, stern and imposing physical presence and sometimes irascible temper, he appeared in more than 200 films, directed another 20 and wrote novels, plays and poetry.

He studied philosophy and literature in Madrid before performing in the theater.

Father of actress Helena Fernán-Gómez

His early career was stalled by the outbreak of the three-year Spanish Civil War in 1936. He later became one of the most recognizable faces of Spanish cinema during the ensuing 36-year-long dictatorship of Gen. Francisco Franco.

He was a member of the Spanish Royal Academy, the official watchdog of the Spanish language.

One of Spain's most beloved entertainers, best known to American filmgoers for playing the father in the Oscar-winning foreign film Belle époque (1992).

Along with Icíar Bollaín, he's the only person to have been nominated as performer (El abuelo (1998), director (El viaje a ninguna parte (1986) and writer (Lázaro de Tormes (2001) for three diferent movies at the Goya awards. He actually won in every category at least once.