Fernando Lamas
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Fernando Alvaro Lamas (January 9, 1915 – October 8, 1982) was an Argentine actor and director.
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[edit] Early years and career
Lamas was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. By 1942, he was an established movie star in Argentina. In 1951, he signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and went to the United States to play "Latin Lover" roles.
[edit] Personal life
Lamas was married four times, to Pearl Mux (married 1940-divorced 1944), Lydia Barachi (married 1946-divorced 1952), actress Arlene Dahl (married 1954-divorced 1960), and swimmer and actress Esther Williams (married 1969-his death 1982).
He had a daughter with Mux and another with Barachi, and a son, actor Lorenzo Lamas (b. January 20, 1958), with Dahl.
[edit] Directing career
Lamas directed for the first time in 1963. It was a Spanish movie titled Magic Fountain starring his wife Esther Williams. He was most active directing on television, doing episodes that included Mannix, The Violent Ones, Alias Smith and Jones, Starsky and Hutch and Falcon Crest. The latter show co-starred his son, Lorenzo.
[edit] Later years
Lamas lived on in popular culture via the "Fernando" character developed by Billy Crystal on Saturday Night Live in the mid-1980s. The character was outlandish and exaggerated, but reportedly inspired by a remark Crystal heard Lamas utter on The Tonight Show; "It is better to look good than to feel good." This was one of the Fernando character's two catchphrases along with the better-remembered "You look marvelous!"
Fernando Lamas died of pancreatic cancer in Los Angeles, California at the age of 67.
