Jaime Fernández

Jaime Fernandez, the Mexican movie star, director, and union leader, was born on December 6, 1937 in Monterrey, Mexico, the youngest of the three Fernandez brothers. His half-brother Emilio "El Indio" Fernandez was Mexico's greatest native-born movie director, as well as a greate movie star himself, while his brother Fernando Fernández was a famous singer and movie actor. Fernandez began acting when he was 10 years old, making his credited screen debut in director Fernando de Fuentes's Out on the Big Ranch (1949). His second credited role, in La malquerida (1949), was directed by his brother, Emilio Fernández. Jaime Fernandez worked with the great El Indio on seven other films, and won the Ariel Award (the Mexican equivalent of the Oscar) for Best Actor in a Minor Role (Mejor Papel de Cuadro Masculino) under his brother's direction for La rebelión de los colgados (1954) (Rebellion of the hanged). Jamie had won his first Ariel award for Best Young Actor (Mejor Actuación Juvenil) for Soledad's Shawl (1952) ("Soledad's Shawl"), and would win a third as Best Supporting Actor (Mejor Coactuación Masculina) playing Friday in 'Luis Bunuel' 's English-language _Aventuras de Robinson Crusoe, Las (1954)_ . Fernandez eventually appeared in over 180 films and a number of television mini-series, as well as acted on the stage. The height of his career came in the 1950s and '60s, but he continued to work as a movie actor into the 21st century. In 1979, he directed himself in La mafia de la frontera (1979), the first of the six films he would helm, five of them in the period 1979-82. He also directed himself in La cosecha de mujeres (1981) and San Juan de Dios es Jalisco (1982). The last film he directed was Las paradas de don Roque (1992), which was released in 1992. Fernandez also was heavily involved in the National Actors Association (ANDA), Mexico's largest and most influential actors union. He was elected general secretary of ANDA, the union's highest position, in 1966, and served in the post for 11 years. As a union boss, Fernandez established his reputation as a strong defender of actors' rights. The union underwent a crisis when some actors formed their own, competing union, but his strong leadership during the schism won him the nickname "Chief White Feather." After stepping down as ANDA boss, Fernandez remained active in the union. On April 16, 2005, he was attending a meeting of union representatives with television broadcaster Televisa in Mexico City when he suffered a fatal heart attack linked to his chronic diabetes. Jaime Fernandez was survived by his widow, Glenda, and four children.