Alejandro Rey
A suave Argentine-born actor who charmed American television audiences as a Latin lover while quietly directing episodes of the shows that made him famous.
1930–1987 (age 57)·American actor and television director·Birthday: February 8·The Silent Generation
Biography
Alejandro Rey brought a continental sophistication to American screens in the 1960s. Fleeing the political instability of Perón's Argentina, he arrived in the United States and carved a niche that defied the limited stereotypes often offered to Latino actors. His breakthrough came playing the debonair bachelor Carlos Ramirez on the CBS sitcom 'The Flying Nun', a role that leveraged his natural charm and accent into a defining television persona. Rey understood the industry's confines, however, and expanded his influence behind the camera, directing numerous episodes of popular series. His career was a quiet testament to versatility, navigating between film roles in projects like 'The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes' and television work that allowed him a measure of creative control, paving the way for broader Latino representation both in front of and behind the lens.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Alejandro was born in 1930, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alejandro Was Born
The biggest hits of 1930
#1 Movie
All Quiet on the Western Front
Best Picture
All Quiet on the Western Front
Alejandro's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1930Born
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1935Started school
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1943Became a teenager
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1946Could drive
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1948Could vote
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1951Turned 21
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1960Turned 30
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 40
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 50
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1987Died at 57
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
Key Achievements
- Starred as the romantic lead Carlos Ramirez on the hit television series 'The Flying Nun' (1967-1970).
- Directed multiple episodes of popular TV shows including 'The Flying Nun' and 'The Doris Day Show'.
- Appeared in notable films such as 'The Missiles of October' (1974), playing Soviet Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin.
- His early work included a role in the influential independent film 'The Young Savages' (1961).
Did You Know?
He was a trained ballet dancer in his youth in Argentina.
Rey served as a narrator for the Spanish-language version of the children's television program 'Sesame Street'.
He was considered for the role of 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.', which ultimately went to Robert Vaughn.
During World War II, he served in the Argentine Navy.
“I was always the foreigner, the charming stranger with the accent and the mysterious past.”
