Spider-Man 2 villain Doctor Octopus was played by Alfred Molina, who made his debut as Satipo in Harrison Ford’s Raiders of the Lost Ark. Since then, Molina has built a solid portfolio in Hollywood with projects like Boogie Nights, Frida, and The Da Vinci Code. However, his father was not happy that he turned down the high-paying manager position to pursue his dream of acting. Molina was moved to tears as he shared that he hoped his father had lived longer to see his success in the industry.
Molina returned to his Spider-Man villain role in the MCU film Spider-Man: No Way Home. He began his career on Broadway as an actor, even earning the Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Best Newcomer. He has also received Tony award nominations for his Broadway roles.
Spider-Man 2 Actor Alfred Molina Tears Up As He Recalls Story About His Father
Alfred Molina opened up about his relationship with his father in an interview with Vanity Fair. The 70-year-old star teared up when he recalled how his father could never accept what he did for a career. Molina shared that his father got him a job as a waiter in a restaurant. The actor was good at that job too as the restaurant later offered him a managerial position if he was willing to attend a two-week management training course.
However, Molina turned down the offer because he landed his first acting gig back then. This greatly disappointed his father, who questioned him, “This acting job, how much are they paying you?”. The Luther actor responded, “I’m getting union wage, so 15 pounds a week.” His manager job would’ve made him 35 pounds a week, and his father could never understand why his son willingly chose a low-paying gig.
Molina shared that he could never forget the disappointed look on his father’s face. While he tried to reason with his father about how much he loved his acting job, his father never fully accepted it. Molina wished that his father had lived a little longer to see how successful his son turned out to be. He shared with Vanity Fair:
“He looked at me and he had the look on his face that you reserve for the mad and the lost. He stared at me like he didn’t recognize me. The only thing I could say to him was, ‘This is what I love, dad.’ He never quite got it. I did disappoint my dad. I think if my dad had lived a little longer he’d hopefully would have realized I hadn’t wasted my time.”
Molina’s parents were both immigrants. His father was from Spain and worked as a waiter, while his Italian mother was a cleaner. He grew up in a working-class district in Notting Hill, predominantly inhabited by immigrants.
Alfred Molina’s Father Secretly Kept Photos & Bits Of Him From Magazines
Alfred Molina’s father passed away in 1999 in Spain, and the actor who went there for his father’s funeral was in for a surprise. His father’s widow pulled him aside and showed him a suitcase kept by his father. Inside the suitcase, his father had collected all the photos and bits of him from magazines and even kept letters from people who wrote to him saying they saw him.
Molina shared that his father never really talked about his acting career, but it appeared that he was proud of his son eventually. The Chocolat actor shared:
“I was with his widow and she drags out this suitcase and it’s full of clippings and photos and bits from magazines and letters from people that wrote to him saying they saw me. He kept all this stuff, but he never talked about it. My step mom said, ‘Do you want any of this?’ I couldn’t handle it. I said no.”
Concluding his emotional story about his father, Molina shared that he has always tried to be there for his kids. Molina realized that all he needed to do as a father was to tell his children how brilliant they were. The actor’s Spider-Man 2 is now available for streaming on Disney+, while Spider-Man: No Way Home is now available for rent on AppleTV+.
