Born in Mexican revolution times, Pedro Armendáriz was the first child of Mexican Pedro Armendáriz García-Conde and American Adele Hastings. He was raised in Churubusco, then a suburb of Mexico City, before the family traveled to Laredo, Texas. They lived there until 1921, the year Armendáriz' parents died. His uncle Francisco took charge of his education, and young Pedro went to the Polytechnic Institute of San Luis Obispo, California. There, he studied business and journalism. He graduated in 1931 and returned to Mexico City where he found work as a railroad employee, insurance salesman and tourist guide. He was discovered by director Miguel Zacarías when Armendáriz was reciting Hamlet's monologue (to be or not to be) to an American tourist in a cafeteria. After that, Armendáriz began a brilliant career in Mexico, the United States and Europe. Together with 'Dolores del Río' and Emilio Fernández , Armendáriz made many of the greatest films in the so-called Mexican Cinema Golden Era: Flor silvestre (1943), Bugambilia (1945), María Candelaria (Xochimilco) (1944), among others. He was considered a prototype of masculinity and male beauty. His green eyes and almost perfect features made him perfectly cast in any role he made. But it was his passion, force and acting abilities, combined with his quality of a gentleman what made him an instant favorite of great directors like John Ford , international costars like María Félix , Sean Connery or Susan Hayward , and his fans in Mexico and other countries.

Father of Pedro Armendáriz Jr.Died of self-inflicted gunshot wound in Los Angeles.It's important to note that his self-inflicted gunshot suicide was prompted by his impending slow death from cancer, something he obviously wished to avoid.Was one of 91 people, along with John Wayne , Susan Hayward , and Agnes Moorehead , whose cancer was attributed to their exposure to radioactivity while working on the film The Conqueror (1956).Even though he played several rude, fierce and uncouth characters, he was a very refined person. He was very fluent in English (he had to enhance his Mexican accent in some roles he had to play).Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1961Found out he had cancer during the production of From Russia with Love (1963). The schedule of production was altered so he could finish his scenes before his death. He wanted to finish the movie so his family could receive his salary.