Roger Cudney obit

 Actor Roger Cudney Has Died

He was not on the list.

Roger Cudney, a smallish, 66-year-old with a receding hairline and a gleaming smile, may be the most notorious gringo in Mexico. Some Mexicans know him as a plunderer of ancient archaeological treasures. Others remember him as the union-busting manager of a sweatshop. Still others recognize Mr. Cudney as a pathologically nasty Texas ranger or a meddling diplomat.

Mr. Cudney has been all of these things and more in a 30-year acting career in Mexican TV and movies. The Ohio-born Mr. Cudney came to Mexico in the 1960s to play the lead in the musical Show Boat but he soon found a different dramatic calling. "Roger Cudney is the epitome of the bad gringo, a blending of all the worst American stereotypes," says David Wilt, who compiled the Biographical Dictionary of Mexican Film Performers.

On the [2001] Mexican soap opera, Amigas y rivales (Friends and Rivals), Mr. Cudney was a racist South Texas rancher who caught a couple of illegal Mexican immigrants trespassing on his property, shortly after the World Trade Center attack. "Git off of my land," the actor snarled, waving a shotgun. Then, in his distinctively accented Spanish, he ad-libbed: "Thousands of Americans have just died in New York. They shouldn't let anyone enter my country anymore."

Cudney also had parts in mainstream Hollywood films, including a co-starring role opposite Charles Bronson in The Evil That Men Do, Total Recall, Rambo: First Blood Part II, the James Bond film Licence to Kill, Julia, Perdita Durango and Original Sin. He portrayed the part of the United States Ambassador to Mexico in La Dictadura Perfecta.

Cudney was married, with three sons and one daughter.

He died on July 5, 2021, of a heart attack following a car accident

 

Filmography

 

Year     Title            Role            Notes

1971    Eye for an Eye              Original title: El sabor de la venganza

1972    Ni solteros, ni casados                        Spanish-language comedy

1972    The Revengers            Sheriff            uncredited

1972            Slaughter         Gio            blaxploitation film starring Jim Brown

1975    Mary, Mary, Bloody Mary            Howard Miller           

1975    Lucky Lady    Hotel clerk    

1976            Swashbuckler   Guard            uncredited

1976    El karateca azteca            Calvin            Spanish-language comedy

1977    Mina, Wind of Freedom            Colonel Young  Original title: "Mina, viento de libertad"; biography of Martín Javier Mina y Larrea

1977    Los hermanos del viento              

1978    Roots of Blood            Factory Foreman            Original title: "Raíces de sangre"

1978    The Recourse to the Method            Army captain Original title: "El recurso del método"

1978            Cananea          Ted Nolan            cinematic account of the Cananea strike of 1906

1978    The Bees            Blankeley        

1979    Border Cop            Slaughterhouse foreman           

1980    El hombre sin miedo   Mr. Brown 

1981    Cattle Annie and Little Britches            Capps 

1981    357 Magnum                      

1981    Priest of Love                        British biographical film about D. H. Lawrence

1982    Red Bells                 Soviet Union-Italy-Mexico co-production

1982            Amityville II: The Possession            Prosecutor            uncredited

1982    Quell and Co.            Ames            Original title: "Showdown at Eagle Gap"

1983            Triumphs of a Man Called Horse            Durand

1984    The Evil That Men Do       Cannell

1984    Escuela de placer                     

1984    El mexicano feo               

1984    Toy Soldiers            Mr. Green  

1984            Hombres de acción                

1984    Perros salvajes                        Alternate title: "Wild Dogs"

1984    El traficante II                  

1984    El carro de la muerte                 

1985    The Falcon and the Snowman            FBI agent            uncredited

1985    Rambo: First Blood Part II  Chief Radio Operator            uncredited

1985    La fuga del rojo            Callahan         

1985    Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins  Captain Young

1986            Miracles           Captain Irvine   

1986    La venganza del rojo            Callahan

1986            Murieron a la mitad del rio   Mr. Smith   

1987    Ghost Fever   TV announcer            US-Mexico co-production

1987    A Walk on the Moon                

1987    Hot Pursuit            Bartender

1987    Ratas de la frontera               

1988    Con el odio en la piel              

1988            Deathstalker and the Warriors from Hell      Inaros            Alternate title: "Deathstalker III: The Warriors from Hell"

1988    Con el niño atravesado            Banker

1988    Licence to Kill            Wavekrest Captain            16th film in the James Bond series

1990    Total Recall   Agent            6th highest-grossing film of 1990

1990            Demons of the Desert              Original title: "Los demonios del desierto"

1990            Barbarian Queen II: The Empress Strikes Back            Hofrax            Direct-to-video

1990    El fiscal de hierro 2: La venganza de Ramona                       

1992    Muerte infernal Dr. Emmanuel Richter            Alternate title: "Hell doll"

1994    Juana la Cubana                        biography of Juana Bacallao

1994            Immortal Combat            Stan            Alternate title: "Resort to Kill"

1995    Una papa sin catsup            

1996    The Arrival  JPL Official

1997    Perdita Durango            Herbert           

1997            Henequen         Ranch foreman            depiction of Korean henequen field laborers in Mexico circa 1905

1999    Santitos            Scott Haines 

1999    One Man's Hero            Colonel Harney            Dramatization of John Riley and the Saint Patrick's Battalion: Irish Catholic immigrants who deserted the mostly Protestant U.S. Army to join the mostly Catholic Mexican side during Mexican–American War.

2000    Baño de sangre            El General            Direct-to-video

2001    Blind Heat     Bautista            US-Mexico co-production

2001    Original Sin       Ship's Captain           

2001    The Pearl                based on novella by John Steinbeck

2002    Fidel            Ambassador Butler            David Attwood's film about the Cuban revolution and political career of Fidel Castro

2004    Puerto Vallarta Squeeze            Bill the Bartender            Adaptation of novel by Robert James Waller

2006    The Champion            Minuteman      Original title: "Los pajarracos"

2006    Fast Food Nation            Terry            loosely based on Eric Schlosser's bestselling 2001 non-fiction book of the same name

2007            Propiedad Ajena            Roger Cassey

2007            Species: The Awakening            Leland 

2007    The Wailer 2            Professor Tomas McBride            Original title: "La Llorona 2"

2008    Julia            Frank            US/France/Mexico/Belgium co-production

2011    La Noche del Pirata   Paddy O'Brien           

2012    Soul Walker Donato

2012    Z-Baw            Great Chancellor            English version, voice only

2012    For Greater Glory            US Secretary of State Frank B. Kellogg            alternate titles: "Cristiada" and "Outlaws"

2012    Portion            Art      

2012    The Fantastic World of Juan Orol     Don Guillermo         

2013            Instructions Not Included            Abogado de Julie            Original title: "No se aceptan devoluciones"

2014    Cesar Chavez Grower           

2014    The Perfect Dictatorship            Embajador USA            Original title: "La dictadura perfecta"

2014            Cantinflas         John            film biography of popular Mexican actor/icon Cantinflas

2014    Happy Times   Dr. Guillermo Murray Original title: "Tiempos Felices"

2016            Hysteria            Stephen         

2017    Diario de un Mirrey            Don Steven Rice     

2018    Más sabe el Diablo por viejo            Stuart Young 

2019            Mentada de padre            Williams          

Television

Year     Title            Role            Notes

1971    The Virginian            Cowboy            Episode: "Flight from Memory"

1975            McCloud        Drake            Episode: "Lady on the Run"

1975    Nevada Smith    Perkins            TV movie

1975    A Home of Our Own     Oil executive            TV movie biography of Father William Wasson

1977    The Rhinemann Exchange            party guest    3-part miniseries

1980    Mein Freund Winnetou                      Episode: "Duels"

1980    Secreto de confesión            Burton            3 episodes

1981            Computercide            Robbins           TV movie

1982            Falcon's Gold            Hathaway         TV movie

1986    On Wings of Eagles  General Jerome O'Malley            2-part miniseries

1986    Oceans of Fire  Tool pusher  TV movie

1987    Auf Achse   Theo Moll            Episode: "Kampfstiere nach Santa Maria"

1987    Rosa salvaje            Botones en el hotel de Nueva York            1 episode

1988    The Aeronauts (TV series)              Original title: "Les nouveaux chevaliers du ciel"

1988    Crime Story    Jenkins            2 episodes

1988    The Second Voyage of the Mimi    Harvey Westerman            PBS-broadcast educational series; 12 episodes

1989    Trying Times   Persival            Episode: "The Hit List"

1991            Tropical Heat   Ezra            Episode: "Tara, Tara, Tara"

1994    The Cisco Kid            Alcott            TV movie

1994    The Burning Season: The Chico Mendes Story            Reporter         TV movie

1997    La chacala            Professor Von Derek            5 episodes

1998            Soñadoras        Doctor            1 episode

1999            Acapulco H.E.A.T.            Arthur Cox            Episode: "Code Name: Death of a Friendship"

1999    Por tu amor    Doctor            1 episode

2000    Carita de ángel            Ryan            1 episode

2000    Por un beso     Dr. Newman            1 episode

2001            Warden of Red Rock            Prisoner           TV movie

2001    In the Time of the Butterflies            Dominican Ambassador Manuel de Moya   TV film about lives of the activist Mirabal sisters

2001    Mujer, Casos de la Vida Real                     1 episode

2001            Blameless Love/Sin pecado concebido            Dr. Reyes   4 episodes

2001    Amigas y rivales            Hombre con rifle            1 episode

2002    King of Texas            Smithwick        William Shakespeare's King Lear placed in 19th century Republic of Texas

2004    Rubí            Stephen Howard            6 episodes

2004            American Family            Desert Driver   2 episodes

2004            Wooden Woman/Mujer de madera            Dr. Wilson  2 episodes

2005    La ley del silencio            Meyer            11 episodes

2006    La fea más bella            Manager         1 episode

2006            Vecinos            Director Canadiense            Episode: "Los Rivers en Canadá: Parte 1"

2007-2008            Palabra de mujer            Doctor Wilkins 5 episodes

2008-2009            Mañana es para siempre            U.S. Ambassador            7 episodes

2009    Juro Que Te Amo            Empresario      1 episode

2009    Hasta que el dinero nos separe            Doctor            2 episodes

2009    Los simuladores            Empresario      3 episodes

2009    El Pantera Rich man      1 episode

2010    Llena de amor            Airport security guard            1 episode

2010    El octavo mandamiento            Doctor            1 episode

2011    La fuerza del destino Mark            35 episodes

2011    Double Life/Dos hogares            Mister Daivis   15 episodes

2011    El encanto del águila    Paul Von Hintze            1 episode

2011    La que no podía amar            Vaquero texano            3 episodes

2012    Por ella soy Eva            Mr. Keaton 2 episodes

2012    Un refugio para el amor                3 episodes

2010-2012            Capadocia      James Medina 14 episodes

2014            Camelia la Texana            Dr. Fragger            4 episodes

2015    Hasta el fin del mundo            Mike Stone (Mister Sam)[7]            5 episodes

2016    Sueño de amor            Andrew         12 episodes

2016    Por siempre Joan Sebastian            Doctor            miniseries - 1 episode

2016    40 y 20            Arnold            Episode: "Se renta departamento"

2017    Su nombre era Dolores, la Jenn que yo conocí  Mr. Perkins            Episode: "Sufriendo a solas"

2017    La doble vida de Estela Carrillo            Jonas Logan   20 episodes

2017    Run Coyote Run            Jefe de Migracion            Episode: "Un Lindo Gatito"

2018            Descontrol            Morrison            Episode: "Call Center"

2018    Hijas de la luna                      3 episodes

2019    El corazón nunca se equivoca                  2 episodes

2019    Swipe Night            Stranger           1 episode