Nestor Paiva

Born: 1905-06-30

Birthplace: Fresno, California, USA

Biography

Nestor Paiva (June 30, 1905 - September 9, 1966) was a prolific American actor of Portuguese descent who portrayed the innkeeper on Walt Disney's live-action television series Zorro by ABC and its feature film The Sign of Zorro which was shot in Burbank's Walt Disney Studios.

Nestor appeared in motion pictures and television shows from the 1930s to the 1960s such as Get Smart, Bonanza, I Spy, Family Affair, Gunsmoke, The Beverly Hillbillies, and The Addams Family. In 1943, he played the Italian Major in the 20th Century Fox wartime movie Chetniks! The Fighting Guerrillas. He played the part of Lucas (the boat captain) in the 1954 horror film The Creature from the Black Lagoon starring Ben Chapman as the title monster; Paiva would reprise this role in that film's sequel Revenge of the Creature the following year. He appeared in more than 250 movies. Paiva married in 1941 and had two children, Joseph and Caetana, who appeared with him in the 1956 movie Comanche with Dana Andrews.

Paiva died of cancer in 1966. He is buried in Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Nestor Paiva, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Creature from the Black Lagoon
Double Dynamite
Vice Raid
Fear
Comanche
Scandal Incorporated
North West Mounted Police
Viva Zapata!
5 Fingers

Top Movie Credits

The Hunchback of Notre Dame Man in Street When Gypsies Arrive (uncredited)
Double Dynamite 'Hot Horse' Harris, the Bookie
Vice Raid Mob Boss Frank Burke
Fear Detective Shaefer
Comanche Puffer
Scandal Incorporated Leland Miller, tabloid publisher
Viva Zapata! New General (uncredited)