Happy Birthday to Shakespeare’s Puerto Rican
Today, Raúl Juliá would have been 81 years old. In 1991, as a little girl I saw the Addams Family in a movie theater. It was excellent. My favorite character was the lead role, Gomez, played by Raúl Juliá. He had a Spanish accent, vivacious and funny. It wasn’t until years later that I learned he was Puerto Rican and a classically trained actor. Thanks to PBS, I saw an American Masters episode about him and fell in love. Raúl Juliá, a Puerto Rican, was reciting Shakespeare! It was magical. I probably would have appreciated Shakespeare more if I knew other Puerto Ricans had an affinity for his work. Interesting what happens when you see one of your own on stage. I was in awe of his ability to orate Shakespearean English with a thick Spanish accent and still be understandable. He was intense and made Shakespeare sexy.
I went online to watch more clips of Raúl performing Edmund in “King Lear,” Prospero in “The Tempest” and Petruchio in “The Taming of the Shrew” which was performed with Meryl Streep at Shakespeare in Park in 1978. On Broadway, he is best known for “Man of La Mancha” and “Nine.” He is also known for his critically acclaimed performance in the film, “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” in 1985.
I wish I had discovered his work sooner so I could share it with others who do not know of his talents. I suspect many millennials are unaware of Raúl Juliá. Unfortunately, he passed away in 1994 at an early age but left an important legacy. As a Latino on Broadway during the 70’s and 80’s he broke barriers. Who knew that thirty years later, another Puerto Rican would come along at the Public Theater and make Broadway history…… Lin-Manuel Miranda? I wonder what possible collaboration between these two Puerto Ricans might have produced. But that’s the thing about legacy — what lives beyond death.
The best quote from Raúl Juliá is: “Some people think the only way to do Shakespeare is to do it like the British do it, because the British have the answer to Shakespeare! So, I would imitate all the British. But then afterward I started realizing that I didn’t have to do it like that. I could bring myself to it. I could bring my own culture, my own Puerto Rican background, my own Spanish culture, my own rhythms.” I suppose Shakespeare is rolling in his grave. One thing is certain, however. He would have loved to watch this Puerto Rican perform his classic plays.
