Hugo Stiglitz

Extraordinarily prolific Mexican actor Hugo Stiglitz appeared in scores of low-budget, crowd-pleasing genre films from his native country, including "Survive!" (1976) and "Tintorera" (1977), which translated into international appeal and opportunities to appear in other foreign productions, including American pictures lensed in Mexico. Tall, rugged and exceedingly stoic - occasionally to the point of seeming ossified - Stiglitz began his career in 1969 and worked steadily throughout the 1970s, scoring hits throughout the world with the aforementioned titles, both gritty, grimy exploitation movies by writer-director Rene Cardona, Jr. These and other films helped to make Stiglitz a dependable box office presence throughout the world, which translated into roles in European and the occasional American film like "Under the Volcano" (1984). In the 1980s, Stiglitz worked almost exclusively in direct-to-video features, often pulling double duty as writer, director or producer. His cachet among Mexican audiences and American cult movie fans alike kept him busy into the 21st century while earning tributes from the likes of Quentin Tarantino, who borrowed the actor's name for Til Schweiger's violent rogue Nazi in "Inglourious Basterds" (2009). Throughout his long career, Hugo Stiglitz remained the rare Mexican screen star who also enjoyed popularity around the world.