Alfred Molina, who has worked for four decades in the entertainment industry, has shown his expertise in playing various iconic characters. One of the roles that made him popular was Doctor Otto Octavius ​​aka Dr. Octopus, the villain from the Spider-Man movies. Every role that Molina has played, whether in film or stage, or television series, has left an iconic and lasting impression among the audience.

His performances in various iconic roles have earned Alfred Molina multiple awards and nominations for a Golden Globe Award, Primetime Emmy Award, BAFTA Award, 5 Screen Actors Guild Awards, and 4 Tony Awards. Do you want to learn more about Alfred Molina? Here are 14 interesting facts about the actor who was popular as Dr. Octopus. Check this out!

1. Happy to Play Dr. Octopus Because He is a Marvel Fan

Alfred Molina is a big fan of Marvel comics, which is why he was so excited to play Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man 2. He also really likes and is attracted to Doc Ock's crazy sense of humor, for example by greeting "Hello Peter" with a joking tone in Spider-Man No Way Home.

2. The Audiobook He Narrated Won An Award

Alfred Molina narrated the 17-part audiobook project for Audible.com entitled The Chopin Manuscript which won the Audiobook of the Year Award from the Audio Publishers Association.

3. He Has a Spanish Father and an Italian Mother

Alfred Molina was born on May 24, 1953 to Esteban Molina and Giovanna in Paddington, London, England. He grew up in a working-class district of Notting Hill inhabited by many other immigrant families.

His father was a Spanish immigrant from Madrid, who settled in England in 1939, and worked as a waiter and driver. Her mother was an Italian immigrant who moved to England after World War II, working as a cook and housemaid.

4. Spartacus Inspired Him to be an Actor

When he was 9 years old, Alfred Molina watched the film Spartacus which tells of a rebellion led by a slave in ancient Rome. After watching the legendary Spartacus, one of the best films in history, Molina decided that he wanted to be an actor. He also enrolled in the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

5. He was A Stand Up Comedian At The Beginning Of His Career

Alfred Molina started his career in the entertainment world as a stand-up comedian. He also does several odd jobs to earn a living. Until finally he was accepted into the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1977.

6. He is a Social Activist Who Really Cares About People with AIDS and HIV

Alfred Molina is an advocate for people living with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Molina is also known for his various contributions to AIDS research. He is also a social activist participating in the Los Angeles AIDS Walk.

Molina even appeared as himself in the documentary "Walk On," which was produced by Joseph Kibler, who is HIV positive and has been disabled since birth. The documentary tells of Kibler's life struggle in the fight against HIV.

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7. His Real Name is Alfredo and He Changed It to Alfred at the Urging of His First Agency

As a man of Spanish and Italian descent, Alfred Molina's real name is Alfredo Molina. He auditioned to become a member of the National Youth Theater, after which he officially changed his name to Alfred at the age of 21, at the urging of his first agency.

8. Made His Feature Film Debut in Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark

Alfred Molina's film debut was with a small role in the legendary 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark. In the film, Molina plays Satipo, a local guide who takes Indiana Jones to find a hidden treasure. When Indiana Jones found the treasure and entrusted it to Satipo, he betrayed Dr. Jones by stealing the treasure.

As a result, Satipo, who ran away from Indiana Jones, died in a trap where the treasure was stored. While Molina's appearance is brief at the start of the film, it is the scene in the iconic and all-time memory of the legendary Indiana Jones saga.

Thanks to that role, Molina was immortalized with three Lego Minifigures, namely Satipo from Raiders of the Lost Ark, Doctor Octopus from Spider-Man 2, and Sheik Amar from Prince of Persia.

9. Rose to Fame in the 1980s

Alfred Molina's big breakthrough in his career as an actor came in the 1985 film Letter to Brezhnev. Molina's fame in the film was followed by his leading role as Kenneth Halliwell in the film Prick Up Your Ears. In the film, Molina plays Joe Orton's lover.

In the early 1990s, Molina appeared on various British television shows, with his most prestigious role being the lead role in the first two series of El C.I.D.

10. He Became a United States Citizen in 2004

Alfred Molina announced in 2004 that he had become a citizen of the United States. He moved to La Cañada Flintridge, in Los Angeles County, California.

Even in the 2016 United States presidential election, Molina publicly supported Senator Bernie Sanders as President in the senator's political campaign.

11. He Lost Weight To Look Like Dr. Octopus

For his role as Diego Rivera in the 2002 film Frida, Alfred Molina had to gain weight to get the look he needed.

However, he had to lose the weight he had gained for his next role as Doctor Octopus in the 2004 film Spider-Man 2. He did his best because he wanted the character of Doc Ock to be perfect.

12. He Listens To 2 Songs Repeatedly Boogie Nights

In preparation for his role as Rahad Jackson in the 1997 film Boogie Nights, Alfred Molina had to listen to Rick Springfield's Jessie's Girl or Sister Christian by the Night Ranger repeatedly for three days in a row.

He did this because his character often sang these two songs in Boogie Nights, and Molina needed to memorize them. Being from England, he had never heard these songs before he shot the film.

13. Spider-Man 2 Filming as Dr. Octopus is Quite Challenging Because of the Tentacles

During the making of Spider-Man 2, Alfred Molina stated that the stunt team was troubled the most by Dr. Octopus. This team had to work on Doc Ock's tentacles so that Molina can perform his actions

The gear wheel of Doc Ock weighs 35 kilograms, and each of Doc Ock's tentacles must be controlled by 4 people. They had to train in unison for each scene with Molina in order to get a more natural tentacle movement.

While filming the wall-climbing scene in Spider-Man 2, Molina hums a song called If I Were a Rich Man while hearing the stunt team move the tentacles in time to the tune.

While involved in the production of the film Spider-Man 2, Molina also simultaneously worked in the production of the drama Fiddler on the Roof, playing as Tevye.

14. Molina's Wedding with the Director of Frozen was Attended by Few People Because of COVID-19 

Alfred Molina married an actress named Jill Gascoine in Tower Hamlets, London in 1986. They were married until Jill's death on April 28, 2020 in Los Angeles due to Alzheimer.

After that Molina had a relationship with Jennifer Lee, a director of Frozen and CCO of Walt Disney Animation Studios. They were married on August 9, 2021, in their private garden, inviting few people due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Those are the 14 facts about Alfred Molina, the actor who plays Dr. Octopus in Spider-Man. Do you think there are other Alfred Molina facts that have not been discussed here? You can share them in the comment section.

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