Mar 9, 1940

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Raúl Rafael Juliá y Arcelay (March 9, 1940 – October 24, 1994) was a Puerto Rican actor who lived and worked for many years in the United States. His career spanned stage and screen, and included dramatic, comic, and musical roles.

Juliá's father dreamed of bringing pizza to Puerto Rico. In fact, his father made that dream a reality when he added pizza to the menu at "La Cueva del Chicken Inn," his oddly named restaurant in San Juan. His son later hailed that pizza as "the best you've ever ea... ... (read more...) ten."

The success of La Cueva del Chicken Inn ("The Chicken's Cave Inn") provided Juliá with more than good pizza. It paved the way for him to follow his own dreams, and to become one of the finest Puerto Rican actors of his generation. For 30 years, working in theater, film, and television, he would challenge and delight audiences with his complex, often enthralling performances.