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Roland Carey

Roland Carey

Acting

Biography

This 1960s Italian epic star of Swiss-French dual nationality was different from most other "peplum" actors in that he actually went to drama school. Born in Lausanne in 1933 of an Irish father and French mother, Roland attended the Paris Conservatory, and his early work on the Paris stage included the role of Fortinbras in Hamlet, plus several performances for the Comedie-Francaise. From 1951 he played small parts in French films and eventually made his international screen debut in 1956 with a small part in Trapeze in which he doubled for Burt Lancaster. In 1959 he tried his luck in Hollywood, but owing to work permit problems was only given television bit parts in Bonanza, Laramie, The Twilight Zone, U.S. Steel Hour and Thriller. Returning to Europe, he appeared in the television series Tales of the Vikings produced in Munich for Kirk Douglas's company. This attracted the attention of the Rome studios who were seeking athletic actors to play in historical epics. Since Roland's CV listed his sporting activities as tennis, horse riding, ice hockey, roller hockey, soccer, American football, skiing, water skiing, swimming, motor racing, sailing, boxing, karate, fencing, cycling, motocross, side-car racing, volleyball, basketball and rafting, it was hardly surprising that Riccardo Freda selected him for the lead part of mythological hero Jason in The Giants of Thessaly (1960). He also starred in Sword of El Cid (1963) and Revolt of the Barbarians (1964). After the epics Roland switched to more artistic parts and cameo roles, and used the pseudonym "Rod Carter" for action movies. Because of his theatrical experience he was also in demand as a voice actor at Fono Roma where he dubbed Italian pictures into French, but he also speaks fluent English, German and Italian. Since 1982 he has been based almost entirely in Switzerland, although he lives near Florence. Thank you to the Cinematheque Suisse for assisting with this biography, and special thanks to Roland Carey for his kind help.

Known For

They Were Five
5.6

Now that the world conflict is over, five inseparable wartime buddies swear eternal friendship now to each other. But there's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip. Jean becomes a postman, Marcel a boxer, Roger an actor, André a student and Philippe remains what he has always been, a young man of good social standing. Roger, who can't find any role, is introduced through his singer sister Valérie, to Frédo, a shady nightclub owner.Roger soon becomes one of Frédo's henchmen. To make matters worse, he swipes Jean's fiancée, Simone. Marcel, who loses fight after fight, ends up joining Fredo's gang as well. André, who wanted to redeem the faults of his father during the Occupation, gets killed in the Indochina war. Marcel is shot down while taking part in a robbery. In her turn, Valérie is bumped off by an accomplice of Fredo and Roger is sent to jail.

They Were Five

1952Movie