50 Greatest Soap Actors: #34 A Martinez

NAME: A Martinez
RANK: 34
SOAP ROLES: Ray Montez, ONE LIFE TO LIVE (2008-2009); Roy DiLucca, GENERAL HOSPITAL (1999-2002); Cruz Castillo, SANTA BARBARA (1984-1992); Julio Delgado, FALCON CREST (1982)

AWARDS:
2009 Imagen Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor/Television
2004 Imagen Award nomination for Best Actor in a Television Drama
2002 ALMA Award win for Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama
2001 ALMA Award win for Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama
2000 ALMA Award win for Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Soap Opera
1998 ALMA Award win for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Television Series in a Crossover Role
1993 Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
1993 Soap Opera Digest Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor
1992 Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
1991 Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
1991 Soap Opera Digest Award win for Outstanding Lead Actor: Daytime
1990 Daytime Emmy win for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
1990 Soap Opera Digest Award win for Outstanding Lead Actor: Daytime
1990 Soap Opera Digest Award win for Outstanding Super Couple: Daytime
1989 Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
1989 Soap Opera Digest Award nomination for Outstanding Hero: Daytime
1989 Soap Opera Digest Award nomination for Favorite Super Couple: Daytime
1988 Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
1988 Soap Opera Digest Award win for Outstanding Hero: Daytime
1988 Soap Opera Digest Award nomination for Favorite Super Couple: Daytime
1987 Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
1986 Soap Opera Digest Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role on a Daytime Serial
1986 Soap Opera Digest Award nomination for Favorite Daytime Super Couple on a Daytime Serial

COMMENTS FROM THE PANEL:
Damon L. Jacobs:  Some actors thrive by chewing the proverbial scenery, releasing all the adrenaline and pent-up emotion in their scenes.  But others hold back and make a career out of challening their audience to look deeper for emotional expressions and soul-filled revelations.  A Martinez belongs in the latter category, infusing restraint, heat, and spiritual gravity into each of his roles.  I enjoy A on every show, but for me he will always be the quintessential masculine myth Cruz Castillo from SANTA BARBARA.  There he was able to display smoldering sexuality mixed with strength, morality, and integrity.  It's been a long time since daytime has celebrated heroes such as Cruz, and all shows have suffered because of it.  

Roger Newcomb: Martinez proved you could have a heroic soap opera character, give him some flaws but never take away the core goodness, and keep him interesting for years and years. Did any actor have more dialogue that Martinez recited during his SANTA BARBARA run? He sold every story, created one of the best love stories ever with Marcy Walker's Eden, and developed an international fan following along the way.