Biografia

His father was an army general under a Cuban dictatorship. In 1933 the dictatorship was overthrown and his father arrested. He committed suicide in 1945 in his home, with Tomas as an eyewitness.

He decided to become a movie actor after seeing James Dean in La valle dell'Eden (1955).

In the 1970s he specialized in playing lone-wolf anti-heroes in giallos and crime features. He started an extremely successful series of tough, violent films as the small-time crook Er. Monnezza (three times) and police detective Nico Giraldi (12 times).

In most of the crime films and comedies he made during the 1970s, his voice was dubbed by Ferruccio Amendola, who provided a strong Roman accent. However, Milian had an extensive knowledge of Roman slang and generally wrote his own lines. Although Milian had previously looped himself for the English versions of most of his earlier Westerns, for these roles he was usually dubbed by Frank von Kuegelgen, who gave Milian a Brooklynese accent. Von Kuegelgen would also usually direct the dubs of these films.

Studied method acting under Lee Strasberg.

[on how he would play a character] I just believed it.

[on appearing in a play in University] I saw the play's poster with my name on it, and said, "What the hell am I doing here? I'm losing time."

People like and enjoy a superhero, a man bigger than life. Then there is the other type of actor--and that's me.

I'd get bored if I'd have to be good-looking all the time. I would prefer to work in a bank.

During my first year in Italy, I made mainly intellectual movies where I was bored to death.