José Vicente Ferrer de Otero y Cintrón ( January 8 , 1912 -- January 26 , 1992 ) , known as José Ferrer , was an American actor and theatre and film director . He was the first Puerto Rican-born actor , as well as the first Hispanic actor , to win an Academy Award ( in 1950 for Cyrano de Bergerac ) . In 1947 , Ferrer won the Tony Award for his theatrical performance of Cyrano de Bergerac , and in 1952 , he won the Distinguished Dramatic Actor Award for The Shrike , and also the Outstanding Director Award for directing the plays The Shrike , The Fourposter , and Stalag 17 . Ferrer 's contributions to American theatre were recognized in 1981 , when he was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame . In 1985 he received the National Medal of Arts from Ronald Reagan , becoming the first actor to receive that honor .
José Ferrer was a person.