Biography
Tough-talking American character actor Perry Lopez played "ethnic" roles from the time of his his stage debut in the early 1950s. Signed to a Warner Bros. contract in 1955, Lopez lent support to such studio projects as
Mister Roberts (1955),
The McConnell Story (1956) and The Violent Road (1958). He is best remembered as police officer Lou Escobar in
Roman Polanski's
Chinatown (1974). Perry Lopez reprised this uniformed character (now promoted to captain) in the 1990
Chinatown sequel
The Two Jakes. Lopez died of lung cancer in February 2008. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide