Alfred Molina has entertained fans all over the world as classic movie characters since the 80s, but underneath it all lies a great tragic man.

Not every person lives boldly enough to achieve their dreams. Those who do, wish their dreams were powerful enough to move the world. Alfred Molina was gifted with both — the opportunity to not only pursue what he loved but also immortalize his work in cinematic history. Unfortunately, even for a celebrated icon of his caliber, Molina still missed out on the third and most tragic wish of all — the chance to make his parents proud.

The Spider-Man actor first gained notoriety for his work in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981. Later, he slowly climbed the Hollywood ladder with roles in the 1990s and 2000s — the most prominent among them being Sam Raimi’s superhero feature: Spider-Man 2 in 2004. But all of his Hollywood accomplishments fell short in the face of 1 factor.

Alfred Molina Finds No Solace in the Past

Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man films may guarantee fame beyond measure. However, the Sam Raimi trilogy does not promise happiness without any hurdles. In the case of the British actor, Alfred Molina got his first taste of the wedge between happiness and success at a young impressionable age while working two jobs supporting his family as well as his passion.

However, as a working-class young boy, the chance to pursue one’s dreams and passions was a rare commodity not many could afford. As such, the confrontation that inevitably resulted between him and his father made for a life-long of unhappy memories. In a Vanity Fair interview, the actor recalled the incident while revisiting the memory of his father:

Dad got me a job as a waiter in the restaurant where he was working. And if I say so myself, I was a good waiter, to the point where the management offered me the chance to do a 2-week management training course and I turned it down because I’ve got an acting job. So my father says, ‘What is this acting job? How much are they paying you?’ And I said, ‘Well, I’m getting union, you know, it’s 15 pounds a week.’ ’15? How much you make in here?’ ‘About 30-35.’ ‘Wait a minute, wait a minute. You making 30-35 here, then you go to [act] and make 15?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’

And he looked at me, and he had that look on his face that you reserve for the mad and the lost. He just stared at me, like he didn’y recognize me. And the only thing that I could say to him was, ‘This is what I love, Dad.’ And he never quite got it. I did disappoint my Dad, yeah. I think if my Dad had lived a little longer, I think he, hopefully, would’ve realized that I hadn’t wasted my time.

While clearly a far throw from the “disappointment” he labeled himself, the legendary Alfred Molina not only went on to prove himself invaluable and timeless as an artist but also a great man undeserving of the ruthlessness of Hollywood.

Alfred Molina Accomplishes More Than Just His Dreams

The Spider-Man 2 star has not only accomplished his dreams but is also celebrated by billions of fans around the world. After breaking out with his role beside Harrison Ford in the first Indiana Jones film, there was no stopping the tidal wave that was Alfred Molina. Scattered across the decades that followed, the young star kept proving himself in every genre known to Hollywood.

Starting from the biopic drama Frida (2001) to the mystery thriller The Da Vinci Code (2006), the iconic 1997 Paul Thomas Anderson film, Boogie Nights, the mind-bending drama Magnolia (1999), the Agatha Christie-composed Hercule Poirot classic, Murder on the Orient Express (2001), the 1997 adaptation of Anna Karenina, and the animated feature, Ralph Breaks the Internet (2012) – nothing has been outside the purview of Alfred Molina.

With Spider-Man: No Way Home being his latest foray into the big screen, Alfred Molina’s reprisal of the classically loved supervillain, Doc Ock, in Marvel’s Multiversal film was not only celebrated but ecstatically welcomed by fans all over the world. Along with the return of Willem Dafoe, Jamie Foxx, and the big screen’s 3 greatest Spider-Men actors, the MCU film was nothing short of a phenomenon. With Molina recently turning 71, fans eagerly wait to find out what else the versatile actor has in store for his fans.

Spider-Man: No Way Home is available for streaming on Disney+