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Raul Julia

Raul Julia

Actor · Died October 24, 1994, aged 54 · San Juan, Puerto Rico

Raúl Rafael Juliá y Arcelay (March 9, 1940 – October 24, 1994) was a Puerto Rican actor. His film career peaked in the US in the early 1990s. Born in San Juan, he gained interest in acting while still in school. Upon completing his studies, Juliá decided to pursue a career in acting. After performing in the local scene for some time, he was convinced by entertainment personality Orson Bean to move and work in New York City. Juliá, who had been bilingual since his childhood, soon gained interest in Broadway and "Off Broadway" plays. He performed in mobile projects, including the Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre. Juliá was eventually noticed by Joseph Papp, who offered him work in the New York Shakespeare Festival. After gaining notoriety, he received roles in two television series, Love of Life and Sesame Street. For his performance in Two Gentlemen of Verona, he received a nomination for the Tony Award and won a Drama Desk Award. Between 1974 and 1982, Juliá received Tony Award nominations for Where's Charley?, The Threepenny Opera and Nine. During the 1980s, he worked in several films, receiving nominations for the Golden Globe Awards, for his performance in Tempest, and Kiss of the Spider Woman, winning the National Board of Review Award for Best Actor for the latter. In 1991 and 1993, Juliá portrayed "Gomez Addams" in two film adaptations of The Addams Family. In 1994, he filmed The Burning Season and a film adaptation of the Street Fighter video games. Later that year, Juliá suffered several health afflictions, eventually dying after suffering a stroke. His funeral was held in Puerto Rico, being attended by thousands. For his work in The Burning Season, Juliá won a posthumous Golden Globe and Emmy Award.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
March 9, 1940
Died
October 24, 1994 (aged 54)
From
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Works as
Actor
Titles
29 on Motif · 51 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 7% in 30 days

What are Raul Julia's films like?

Across their 25 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.

Genres

Drama7 titlesTypical Motif score: 62nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy6 titlesTypical Motif score: 52nd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Action4 titlesTypical Motif score: 35th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Biography3 titlesTypical Motif score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Motif score: 43rd percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Mystery2 titlesTypical Motif score: 63rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Mystery movies

Their Motif films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Motif score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
30%
Self
24%
Power
15%
Bonds
12%
Survival
9%
Society
6%
Ideas
4%
Justice8 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity7 titles, browse their movies with this themePower4 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 25 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 8 · Stylized 11 · Heightened 6

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 15 · Intense 9

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 11 · Shifting 12 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 15 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 4

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 10 · Even-paced 13 · Relentless 2

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 8 · Engaged 15 · Full focus 2

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 12 · Open-ended 10 · Ambiguous 3

Roles they play

18 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 6 of 18 analyzed roles.

Hero
6 of 18
Shadow
5 of 18
Mentor
3 of 18
Shapeshifter
2 of 18
Herald
1 of 18
Trickster
1 of 18
Show the 18 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
18
Melancholic
16
Contemplative
5
Thrilling
4
Absurd
3
Other
21

How their films linger

Bittersweet10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 6 with a twist

  • Happy6
  • Bittersweet10
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous5

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Raul Julia's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 15 of their 29 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Raul Julia's titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Motif score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

51 credits, 29 with a Motif page; 7 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Disclosure(2020)

    as Valentin Arregui (archive footage)

    Motif score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2019)

    as Archive footage

  • Down Came a Blackbird(1995)

    as Tomas Ramirez

    Motif score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Street Fighter(1994)

    In Memory Of · as Bison

    Motif score: 5th percentile of all films

  • The Burning Season: The Chico Mendes Story(1994)

    as Chico Mendes

    Motif score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Addams Family Values(1993)

    as Gomez Addams

    Motif score: 80th percentile of all films

  • The Plague (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1992)

    as Cottard

  • The Addams Family(1991)

    as Gomez Addams

    Motif score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Havana(1990)

    as Arturo Duran (uncredited)

    Motif score: 44th percentile of all films

  • The Rookie(1990)

    as Strom

    Motif score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Frankenstein Unbound(1990)

    as Dr. Victor Frankenstein

    Motif score: 24th percentile of all films

  • The Monkey People (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1990)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • Presumed Innocent(1990)

    as Sandy Stern

    Motif score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Un Recorrido de la Isla de Puerto Rico (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1990)

    as Narrator

  • Mack the Knife (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1989)

    as MacHeath

  • Romero(1989)

    as Archbishop Oscar Romero

    Motif score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Tequila Sunrise(1988)

    as Commandante Xavier Escalante

    Motif score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Moon Over Parador(1988)

    as Roberto Strausmann

    Motif score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • The Penitent (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1988)

    as Ramon Guerola

  • Trading Hearts (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1988)

    as Vinnie Iacona

  • Onassis: The Richest Man in the World(1988)

    as Aristotle Onassis

    Motif score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Costa Rica: Child of the Wind (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1988)

    as Narration (voice)

  • The Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory(1987)

    as General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna

    Motif score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Tango Bar (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1987)

    as Ricardo Padín

  • The Morning After(1986)

    as Joaquin "Jackie" Manero

    Motif score: 36th percentile of all films

  • La gran fiesta (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1986)

    as Adolfo

  • Florida Straits (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1986)

    as Carlos Jayne

  • Cuba: In the Shadow of Doubt (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1986)

    Actor

  • Mussolini: The Untold Story (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 4 episodes · as Count Galeazzo Ciano

  • Compromising Positions (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1985)

    as David Suarez

  • Kiss of the Spider Woman(1985)

    as Valentin Arregui

    Motif score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Overdrawn at the Memory Bank (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1984)

    as Aram Fingal / Rick Blaine

  • Tempest(1982)

    as Kalibanos

    Motif score: 51st percentile of all films

  • The Escape Artist(1982)

    as Stu Quiñones

    Motif score: 50th percentile of all films

  • One from the Heart(1981)

    as Ray

    Motif score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • American Playhouse (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Aram Fingal / Rick

  • Strong Medicine (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1981)

    Actor

  • Kiss Me, Petruchio (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1981)

    as Petruchio

  • A Life of Sin(1979)

    as Paulo

    Motif score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Eyes of Laura Mars(1978)

    as Michael Reisler

    Motif score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Gumball Rally(1976)

    as Franco

    Motif score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Streetkill(1975)

    as Detective Nick Rodriguez

    Motif score: 55th percentile of all films

  • King Lear (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1974)

    as Edmund

  • The Bob Newhart Show(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Greg Robinson

    Motif score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • The Organization(1971)

    as Juan Mendoza

    Motif score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me(1971)

    as Juan Carlos Rosenbloom

    Motif score: 12th percentile of all films

  • The Panic in Needle Park(1971)

    as Marco

    Motif score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Great Performances (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as Edmund

  • McCloud(1970)

    Show 1 episode · as Father Augusto Nieves

    Motif score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • Stiletto (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1969)

    as Party Guest (Uncredited)

  • Ripe Strawberries (not in the Motif catalog yet)

    Actor

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 51 titles, 50 of them dated from 1969 to 2020; peak year 1990.

Biggest box office

Presumed Innocent (1990)

$221M worldwide

Highest rated

Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)

Motif 89th

Most popular right now

The Addams Family (1991)

Film career

19692020

Peak 1990 · at the high point of their film career. Top draw in 10 Motif titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1971Screen debut· The Panic in Needle Park
  • 1984First top-billed film· Overdrawn at the Memory Bank
  • 1991Career best· The Addams Family

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting51 of 51: 50 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Motif score53rdOther crew1 of 51: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

By decade

1960s1 · acting1970s11 · acting1980s24 · acting1990s12 · 12 acting · 1 crew2010s1 · acting2020s1 · acting

Billing

usually 3rd · top billed in 19% of 21 roles
718691

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Motif score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Raul Julia's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Motif score in the 51st percentile, the median of all 27; across their 25 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 50th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

50thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 25

Approval · how many liked their films

46thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 25

Reach · how many have seen their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 25

Motif score across 29 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th8
  • 25th to 49th8
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 29 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser11
  • Broadly Agreed8
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · actor

A Life of Sin (1979)

63rd percentile spread · 39% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Disclosure (2020)

Motif 98th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the acting 71/100 in their films, across 24 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 48. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Motif score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Raul Julia's work okay for kids?

Across up to 12 Motif titles with content scores, sex & nudity and profanity run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore8 titles43–62 · median 51 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity12 titles31–53 · median 44 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity8 titles29–78 · median 55 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs8 titles26–69 · median 34 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense8 titles38–69 · median 45 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Raul Julia work with?

People who share at least 2 of Raul Julia's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Sonia Braga shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles