Star of ‘Spider-Man 2’ and ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ coming to SLO for Film Festival honor
From Mexican muralist Diego Rivera to comic-book supervillian Doc Ock, Alfred Molina has played more than his share of memorable characters.
In March, Alfred Molina will take on a new role: San Luis Obispo International Film Festival honoree.
Molina, 65, will receive the King Vidor Award for Career Excellence on March 16 at the Fremont Theatre in downtown San Luis Obispo, according to a news release. The evening kicks off with the George Sidney Independent Film Awards and concludes with an after-party at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art.
Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewisz will present the award to Molina, then interview the actor on stage before a screening of 2000’s “Chocolat.”
Past recipients of the King Vidor Award, named after the Oscar-winning director of “War and Peace,” include Josh Brolin, Jeff Bridges and Morgan Freeman. In 2018, “Foxy Brown” star Pam Grier became the third woman to receive the festival’s highest honor.
“It is beyond thrilling to honor an actor like Alfred Molina with so many distinctive performances in so many acclaimed and memorable films,” festival director Wendy Eidson said in the release. “We could seriously have a film festival comprised of nothing but his films with the major challenge being which ones not to include in the program.”
Molina made his big-screen debut in 1981’s “Raiders of the Lost Art,” playing the sidekick who doublecrosses Indiana Jones in the movie’s opening sequence.
Over the decades, the British-born actor has starred in both big-budget blockbusters (“Spider-Man 2,” “The Da Vinci Code,” “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”) and arthouse hits (“Chocolat,” “Frida,” “Love Is Strange”).
Most recently, Molina earned Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for his role as director Robert Aldrich in FX’s “Feud: Bette and Joan” in 2017. He played another real-life figure, Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee, in 2018’s “The Front Runner.”
Also in 2018, Molina voiced a character in “Wreck It Ralph” sequel “Ralph Breaks the Internet” and made a surprise cameo as a waiter in “Vice.”
In addition to his onscreen roles, Molina has enjoyed a successful stage career, earning Tony Award nominations for his performances in Broadway productions of “Art,” “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Red.”
The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival runs March 12 to 17 at venues across San Luis Obispo County. For more information, visit slofilmfest.org.
This story was originally published February 26, 2019 at 11:00 AM with the headline "Star of ‘Spider-Man 2’ and ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ coming to SLO for Film Festival honor."
