Nick Jonas probably isn’t the first person you think of when you imagine a cigar smoking icon. He’s a clean cut, boy band member and Disney star. And he’s only 28 years old.
But he’s helping bring cigar smoking into the mainstream thanks to a high-profile feature in Cigar Aficionado magazine. Find out how much Nick has already achieved in life and how he became a fan of cigars – then buy some of his favourite cigars online.
Early Life
Nick was born in 1992 and grew up in New Jersey along with his two older brothers, Kevin and Joe. His musical career began at a very young age – he was discovered singing in a hair salon at just six years old. A year later, he was performing on Broadway.
When he was 10, Nick wrote a song which caught the attention of Columbia Records, leading to his first solo album. Kevin and Joe made a guest appearance on one of the tracks and the rest is history…
The Jonas Brothers
Nick, Kevin and Joe were signed as a group called The Jonas Brothers but were dropped from their label shortly after releasing their first album. However, they were quickly snapped up by Disney’s Hollywood Records and started a new chapter as Disney Channel stars.
The teen brothers made their acting debut alongside Miley Cyrus in an episode of ‘Hannah Montana’. Their own TV show, a hit film called ‘Camp Rock’ and a lucrative 3D concert documentary soon followed, plus a few number one albums. They also became the youngest band to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone. But clouds were gathering.
Going Solo
In 2013, the Jonas Brothers called it quits over creative differences. Nick continued as a solo artist, scoring a Top 10 hit in 2014. He was awarded the Hal David Starlight Award in the Songwriters Hall of Fame and featured in Forbes’s ‘30 Under 30’ list.
Although the Jonas Brothers reunited in 2019, Nick has continued to establish himself individually. He joined The Voice as a vocal coach, starred in a Hollywood blockbuster and hosted SNL.
Nick broke another record when he became the first person under 30 to appear on the cover of Cigar Aficionado magazine. He’d made no secret of his wish to feature in the publication but always assumed he was too young.
Despite being open about his love of cigars, many of his fans were still shocked.
Nick’s interest in cigars came from watching his tour crew smoking them and hearing them talk about the craftsmanship involved. When he eventually decided to try one, he dived in at the deep end with a robust Ashton VSG. His favourites now include Fuentes, Camacho Corojos and various fat Cubans. Smoking a cigar, preferably with a coffee or tequila, is how he likes to unwind when he’s not busy being a star.
And for anyone who thinks he’s an unlikely cigar icon? As Nick says, “there shouldn’t be any barriers around who can enjoy them.”
If you want to buy cigars online, check out our store and choose a robust Cuban smoke like Nick Jonas.
Smoking cigars on screen is nothing new, but it’s always a joy to know that those who enjoy a smoke on screen also enjoy one when the cameras aren’t rolling. That’s why in this edition of our Cigar Smoking Icon series, we’ll be looking at one of the biggest names of 1980s action films, Sylvester Stallone.
Who is Sylvester Stallone?
Stallone was born Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone on July 6th 1946, in a Hell’s Kitchen hospital in New York. He didn’t have the easiest upbringing, spending the first five years of his life in boarding care before living with his father in Maryland, before joining his mother in Philadelphia when he turned 15.
With a history of expulsion from schools, Stallone was sent to a private school for troubled teens before finally attending the American College of Switzerland, where he was first introduced to acting. When he was a few credits short of graduating from the University of Miami, Stallone returned to New York and began his acting career with the adult film The Part at Kitty’s and Studs.
From there, his acting career took off, and Stallone wound up writing the script for the still critically acclaimed Rocky. After refusing to sell the script unless he could play the key role of Rocky Balboa, Stallone soon rose to stardom as Rocky became the highest-grossing film of 1976.
From there, his stardom only grew, making Stallone into the well-known actor, writer and director that he is today.
Early in his career, Stallone was known as an avid smoker. However, his taste leaned closer to those of cigarettes, with the actor being known to smoke between takes. However, after realising the adverse health effects of cigarettes, Stallone quit.
In 1977, while filming another iconic action film (F.I.S.T.), Stallone was introduced to the wonder of smoking cigars, and he’s never looked back! In fact, Stallone is such a huge fan of cigars that he has a humidor stocked with his favourite cigars in all of his homes. This was even noted in the Mar/Apr 98 issue of Cigar Aficionado.
Stallone believes that smoking is a private experience, and he likes to spend his evenings smoking a cigar either by himself or with his good friend and fellow cigar smoking icon Arnold Schwarzenegger.
What is Sylvester Stallone’s Favourite Cigar?
So, what cigars do famed action stars smoke? Well, Stallone has admitted that his personal favourite is the 1995 flagship cigar from the Arturo Fuente family, the Opus X. This particular cigar has been referred to as ‘cigar perfection’ and is entirely handmade. The unique blend of Fuente tobaccos offers a bold, smooth flavour with a sweet and lingering fullness from the Opus X wrapper. The Opus is truly the champion of cigars, and we’d expect nothing less from Rocky himself.
During the day, Stallone tends towards something a little smaller: the Partagas Serie D No.4 Cigar. This powerhouse cigar is strong and full-bodied, with rich aromas of spice and wood in a marvellous Colorado to Maduro wrapper.
From Cuban classics to one of the most unique cigars on the market, it’s safe to say that Stallone’s taste in cigars is nothing short of immaculate. But then, did you expect anything less?
If you’re looking to add a little Hollywood to your smoking experience, then why not check out our store? There you’ll find only the best in Cuban and Dominican cigars like those favoured by the Italian Stallion himself.
From TV personalities to top tier comedians, we’ve covered a lot in our Cigar Smoking Icon series, and now it’s time for something a little different.
Everyone knows who Michael Jordan is, but were you aware of his love for Cuban cigars? In this article, we’ll be taking a look at the life of Michael Jordan as well as what cigars he smokes and when.
If you’ve missed the rest of our Cigar Icon Series, you can find them all over on our blog.
Who is Michael Jordan?
Michael Jordan was born February 17th 1963 in Brooklyn, New York. Now he is widely regarded as being one of the greatest basketball players of all time. During his career, Michael Jordan led the Chicago Bulls to six National Basketball Association (NBA) championships between 1991 and 1998.
As well as being a star at the NBA’s, Jordan also led the U.S. basketball team to win gold at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and again during the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
Jordan was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) five times in 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996 and 1998 and also earned the nickname “Air Jordan” for his extraordinary leaping ability and acrobatic manoeuvres.
Michael Jordan swinging a bat in the Bulls locker room while smoking a cigar and dunking on his opponents is the most Michael Jordan thing ever#TheLastDancepic.twitter.com/jO1qNOcbCV
After his permanent retirement in 2003, Jordan has had plenty of time to spend on the other loves in his life. This includes his love for quality Cubans.
Having been an avid cigar smoker since 1993, there is now no limit to where this NBA star will enjoy a smoke, including on the golf course, while fishing and even while sitting in a locker room. Jordan has even admitted that since his retirement, he’s smoked as many as six cigars in a day!
During his hour-long interview with the editor of Cigar Aficionado, Marvin Shanken, Jordan said he “Started smoking a cigar going to the games. In 1993. It became a ritual for every home game.” He continued by saying “It became such a relaxing thing to do… each and every day for a home game. I smoke a cigar. I wanted that feeling of success and relaxation. It’s the most relaxing thing.”
What Cigars Does Michael Jordan Smoke?
It’s safe to say that Michael Jordan has expensive taste when it comes to his cigars and nothing but the best will do. Jordan has said in an interview with Cigar Aficionado that his favourite cigars are the classic and iconic Partagas Lusitania. However, he also said that he appreciates having a variety and isn’t opposed to smoking a smaller cigar.
There is a lot to respect about Michael Jordan, and his immaculate taste in cigars is just the start. If you want to smoke like the basketball legend himself, you can browse our range of quality Cuban cigars available in our store now. Feature Image credit: Cigar Aficionado
Cigar Smoking Icons: Danny DeVito
24 August 2021 by Ellie
Actor, director, comedian and cigar aficionado?
Join us as we continue our Cigar Smoking Icon series by taking a closer look at one of Hollywoods best-known personalities, Danny Devito and his love for Cuban cigars.
Who Is Danny DeVito
Danny DeVito was born in Neptune, New Jersey in 1944. He landed his first movie role in 1968 in Dreams of Glass and since then has appeared in a vast amount of productions for stage, television and the big screen.
DeVito has had a phenomenal career as an actor, starring in films such as Matilda and Batman Returns (for which he earned a nomination for Best Villain), as well as branching out into the role of director, producer, and even screenwriter.
DeVito has been gracing our screen with his shameless and comedic presence for years and despite being 76 years old, he stated he doesn’t have any plans to retire any time soon.
Danny DeVito and Cigars
DeVito isn’t quiet about his love for cigars, even going so far as asking every passenger on a transatlantic flight if they minded him lighting one up. He’s even graced the cover of Cigar Aficionado and has been interviewed by the magazine multiple times.
While he’s been known to smoke one or more cigars a day to help him relax, DeVito came to smoking gradually. His father used to smoke machine-made cigars, DeNobilis, which DeVito found to be a little rough. While filming the popular 70’s television show, Taxi, DeVito really got into the habit when he’d join the rest of the cast for a celebratory Cuban on special occasions.
Typically, DeVito likes to smoke alone, finding a nice quiet spot to light up after dinner, but he’s not a complete smoking recluse! He was known to smoke cigars with fellow actor and cigar lover, Arnold Schwarzenegger while the pair were working on Ivan Reitman film, Twins.
What Cigars Does Danny DeVito Smoke?
While DeVito claims to have gone through many phases in his life, one thing has always remained the same; his love for a good Cuban cigar. He’s even said before how much he wants to go to Cuba to watch them being made.
His favourite cigar is the Partagás Serie D No. 4, a strong and full-bodied cigar with aromas of wood and spice that has become one of the top-selling Havanas in the world.
If you’d like to find out more about some of the most iconic cigar smokers, past and present, or you’re looking for guides on all things cigar-related, check out our blog. Or, if you’re feeling inspired, why not browse our vast collection of Cuban cigars available online in our store.
Cigars are an indulgence, much like a fine wine or an aged whiskey. They are meant to be savoured and enjoyed – used to celebrate a win or consolidate a defeat.
So, it shouldn’t come as a shock to us that some of our favourite athletes have even been known to indulge in a premium cigar once in a while.
We’ve decided to take a look at some of our favourite athletes who share the same penchant for fine cigars as we do.
Michael Jordan and Cigars
It’s no secret that Michael Jordan loves cigars and he’s even been on the cover of Cigar Aficionado twice during his career.
The once professional basketball player even admitted in an interview with Marvin Shanken (editor-in-chief of Cigar Aficionado) that he’s even lit up a cigar before a game. His cigar of choice was usually a Hoyo de Monterrey Double Corona, and Jordan said that smoking pre-game would allow him to relax and be ready to play.
LeBron James and Cigars
American basketball player, LeBron James, is often considered to be one of the best players in the game’s history. But, did you also know that he has a penchant for cigars?
With four championship rings and four Finals MVP awards under his belt, Lebron James has plenty of reason to celebrate, and he chooses to do so in style.
Dinwiddie, DeRozan, and Lowry are all linked to the Lakers this off-season #LakeShow BUT NO ONE WANTS TO PLAY WITH LEBRON pic.twitter.com/WO2NRmeVD3
Babe Ruth is perhaps America’s most celebrated athlete to date. With 22-seasons, and over 700 home runs between 1919 and 1935 he’s a true baseball legend!
He was also known to live a rich, luxurious lifestyle that included smoking four to five cigars in a single evening. He even had a cigar named after him and he endorsed White Owl cigars, although they didn’t exactly match up to his preference.
Wayne Gretzky and Cigars
Former professional ice hockey player Wayne Gretsky set the standard for the sport with his fantastic 20-year career.
Now retired, he can often be found playing golf with the greats and enjoying a cigar. Having gotten into cigars during his championship days, Gretsky is said to prefer milder smokes with a more slender ring from brands such as Ashton and Macanudo.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Cigars
Body-builder, actor, producer, businessman, politician; these are just some of the words that have been used to describe the icon that is Arnold Schwarzenegger. But there’s one more to add to that list – cigar aficionado.
Not only does he smoke between one and two cigars a day, Schwarzenegger has also been said to have Cohiba cigars flown out to him while filming! His love of cigars even makes it into his movies, with him smoking a stogie in films like Predator (1987).
We can’t fault this icon’s taste either, as he is said to smoke a Punch Punch cigar after dinner.
If you want to smoke like one of the greats, why not browse our range of Cuban Cigars available now in our store?
Cigar Smoking Icon: Whoopi Goldberg
16 July 2021 by Ellie
For decades, Whoopi Goldberg has been a household name. If you don’t know her from her iconic appearances in Oscar-winning films, then you may know her from her hilarious comedy shows – or maybe from her run on Star Trek?
But there’s one thing you may not have known about Whoopi, and that’s her affinity for fine cigars. Join us as we explore just who Whoopi Goldberg is and what her take on a ‘fine cigar’ is.
Who is Whoopi Goldberg?
Although known internationally by her professional name, Whoopi Goldberg is in fact called Caryn Elaine Johnson and was born in Chelsea, New York, United States in 1955.
After starting her acting career on Broadway, Whoopi caught the eye of none other than Steven Spielberg, who then cast her in the lead role for his film ‘The Colour Purple’.
After its release in ‘85, the film achieved critical and commercial success winning ten Academy Awards and five Golden Globe nominations. Whoopi herself received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress and won her first Golden Globe Award for Best Actress.
Since then, Whoopi’s career has only grown with her being one of only sixteen entertainers to have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Academy Award and a Tony Award. In her decades-long career, Whoopi had done everything from being a television personality and comedian to writing her own books.
Whoopi Goldberg and Cigars
Whoopi Goldberg is a fantastic example of how cigars are not only to be enjoyed by men. When she’s not lighting up the stage, she’s been known to light up a cigar and even has a humidor of her own at home.
Whoopi’s taste in cigars has come a long way. When she was a teenager, she was known to sneak a cheap cheroot, whereas now she tends to favour small cigars or cigarillos. That being said, she has been known to dabble from time to time, even sharing a big Cohiba with director Ridley Scott.
What Cigars Does Whoopi Goldberg Smoke?
It’s clear that Whoopi appreciates the finer things in life. She’s been known to buy her cigars from the Davidoff outlet in Beverly Hills. As any cigar aficionado knows, Davidoff cigars are a luxury and some of the best-loved cigars in the world.
Despite their incredible flavours and aromas, she has admitted that she doesn’t tend to smoke more than one cigar in a day.
How Does Whoopi Smoke Cigars?
Not only does Whoopi Goldberg have exquisite taste, but she is also rather particular about how she prepares her cigars. Instead of clipping the cap, Whoopi prefers punching a hole in the head of her cigars and never rushes a fine smoke.
Whoopi has been a delight on our screens for many years and knowing now that she has impeccable taste in cigars just makes us appreciate her all the more.
If you’re looking to buy cigars online, why not check out our store where we have exquisite brands like Davidoff as well a variety of other Cuban and Dominican cigars available now.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is, without a doubt, a cigar-smoking icon. Having graced the cover of Cigar Aficionado more times than any other cigar smoker, we can’t think of anyone currently living that is more well-known for smoking cigars!
To celebrate this cigar-smoking icon, we take a look at his life and how his love of Cuban cigars developed!
Early Life
Schwarzenegger was born in Austria in 1947 and grew up in a Catholic family in the village of Thal.
Throughout his childhood he played several sports, and at the age of 13, he began weight training. By 15 years old, he had started Olympic lifting, and at 17 he officially started his competitive career.
Bodybuilding Career
During the 1960s, Schwarzenegger began to participate in bodybuilding competitions. In 1965, he was voted “best-built man of Europe”, and his popularity in the bodybuilding world grew.
In 1967, he won the coveted Mr. Universe title, becoming the youngest ever to win the title, at the age of 20.
Schwarzenegger continued his training in America, following his move to California in 1968. At the age of 23, he won the Mr. Olympia title in New York, which he would win again a total of seven times!
Acting Career
Schwarzenegger wanted to move into the world of acting but struggled to do so due to his thick accent, height, body shape and name.
Luckily, his big break came with the film Conan the Barbarian in 1982, and he went on to star in a number of incredibly successful action movies including The Terminator (1984), Commando (1985), Predator (1987) and Red Heat (1988).
After this, he turned to more comedic roles, such as Twins (1988), Kindergarten Cop (1990) and the Christmas classic, Jingle All the Way (1996).
Political Career
Schwarzenegger has been a long time member of the Republican party. His first political appointment was as the Chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, a position he held from 1990 to 1993.
In 2003, Schwarzenegger was elected Governor of California, a position he held until 2011.
Dubbed ‘Cigar Smoker of the Year’ by Cigar Aficionado in 2014, there is no doubt that Arnold is a cigar-smoking icon! Attributed as being the inspiration for the cigar habit of many of Hollywood’s finest, Schwarzenegger’s love of cigars is certainly infectious.
Schwarzenegger first smoked small cigars during the early days of his bodybuilding career, when other competitors offered him smokes.
However, his true passion for cigars did not develop until 1977, when he visited the family home of his partner Maria Shriver, where he was offered a cigar by her father.
Arnold is now a true cigar connoisseur and smokes one to two cigars each day. His favourite cigar brands are Punch and Cohiba. He has Cohiba cigars flown in for him when he is filming and is said to enjoy a Punch Punch cigar after dinner.
Arnold’s love for cigars has even made its way into his movies, with him seen smoking a stogie on screen in films such as Predator (1987).
Watch Arnold here as he explains how you should smoke a cigar – and the things you should absolutely avoid!
Considered one of America’s greatest comedians, Groucho Marx is a distinctive figure of stage and screen. Making a cigar a central part of his character and appearance, Marx has long been an icon in the world of cigars.
To celebrate this cigar-smoking icon, we take a look at his life and relationship with cigars.
Early Life
Born as Julius Henry Marx in 1890 in Manhattan, Marx spent his youth working alongside his brothers in vaudeville. This did not bring in much money for the family, but it helped to establish Marx within the vaudeville and stage world of New York.
Career Success
After years of working in small-time vaudeville, Marx and his brothers landed a spot on stage as the comedic stars of Palace Theatre in New York. Together they found success on Broadway with a number of comedic productions.
Following his work on stage, Marx made 26 films, many of which were in collaboration with his older brothers. Two of his most popular films were developed from stage productions he had made – Animal Crackers and The Cocoanuts.
In addition to his work on stage and screen, Groucho Marx also worked as a radio host, performing comedy and hosting a quiz on-air. The quiz, You Bet Your Life, proved so popular on the radio that Groucho eventually took to the show to the screen, with the quiz show running on TV for 11 years!
Appearance
One of the most notable aspects of Groucho Marx’s life is his distinctive appearance. Known for his trademark glasses, moustache and – of course – always having a cigar in hand, Marx used his exaggerated appearance to enhance his comedy performances.
Love of Cigars
Groucho Marx discovered cigar smoking when he was 15 and acting on vaudeville. To start with, the cigar was used as a clever acting prop. The idea behind it being that if he forgot his lines, he could smoke the cigar on stage until he remembered them, without the audience realising.
At the time, he used nickel cigars as they were all he could afford, but as he earned more money, he upgraded to more luxurious smokes.
Groucho Marx began to smoke a brand of Cuban cigars called La Preferencias due to the fact they were advertised as offering ’30 Minutes in Havana’. In a move that perfectly summarises Groucho’s humour, he returned to the shop to complain after the cigar only smoked for 20 minutes! He managed to return and get a replacement cigar five times before he was told to leave the store!
Despite loving cigars, Marx didn’t smoke that many, especially compared with other famous cigar smokers. He chose to smoke one cigar after lunch and one after dinner.
If you want to try Cuban cigars like Groucho, then you can find a wide range available online at Havana House.
Cigar Smoking Icons: Mark Twain
17 June 2020 by Ellie
One of the great names of American literature, Mark Twain was an international figure of great recognition during his lifetime. A wizard with words, he became a source of inspiration for many around the world through his humourist approach and exciting tales.
Mark Twain was a larger than life character in many ways, including his smoking. A legendary smoker who supposedly spent the majority of his life with a pen, pipe or cigar in his hand. Here, we look at his incredible life and some of the stories that make him an undeniable cigar-smoking icon.
Mark Twain: The Early Years
Mark Twain was born as Samuel Langhorne Clemens in a small village in Missouri in November 1835 (Mark Twain is his literary pen name). The sixth of seven children, his premature birth led to him being a sickly child that was cared for deeply by his mother, which supposedly gave birth to his slightly mischievous nature.
Mark Twain was raised in Hannibal, a city that would become the setting of some of his stories. Slavery was legal in the city when he was growing up, which also influenced some of his later work.
Mark Twain left school at a young age to become a printer’s apprentice. When one of his older brothers became the owner of the city journal, Mark Twain worked for him as a typesetter, creating articles and sketches – his first experience with publishing.
Mark Twain’s Most Famous Works
Mark Twain’s career was full of various writing gigs, some large and some small. Ultimately, it’s impossible to chronicle his entire works due to how many have been lost in obscure newspapers from across America. However, there are some of his creations that have truly stood the test of time.
The Innocents Abroad (1869)
Mark Twain did not experience success right away. In fact, he was supposedly embarrassed when he conceded that his strength was not in writing classic novels but humorous stories. He spent much of his early career writing for insignificant newspapers across America and giving lectures, which fed into what would become his breakthrough novel.
The Innocents Abroad was originally a collection of letters that Mark Twain wrote while travelling through Europe with a group of Americans a few years prior. More of a commentary than a fictional tale, Mark Twain unpicks many of the fables that underpin history, particularly how they are manipulated for profit.
The Innocents Abroad was one of the best-selling books by Mark Twain during his lifetime.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876)
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was one of Twain’s earliest and largest successes in the world of fiction. Set in a fictional town inspired by his home city of Hannibal, the story follows the various adventures of the titular character and his friend Huckleberry Finn.
The story uses the charm of young Tom Sawyer, a scheming child similar to Twain, as a medium for the author to conduct his usual blend of humour and social criticism. This was the first attempt by Mark Twain to write a complete fictional story by himself (he had previously collaborated on fictional works) and was initially a failure, before going on to be a great selling novel. Eventually, the story would come to be regarded as one of the greatest in American literature, alongside its sequel.
Life on the Mississippi (1883)
Another of Twain’s famous ‘non-fictional’ stories, Life on the Mississippi is an exaggerated memoir about his time as a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River. Chronicling the changing makeup of America during his time, it is again famous for its observations on greed and Twain’s distaste for the towns forming along the riverside.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884)
Arguably his most famous work, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was the sequel to the story following his friend, Tom Sawyer. Unlike its predecessor, this tale was much more scathing about American society, tackling issues of racism and slavery with such force that the book was (and remains) banned by some.
Despite its coarse language, the book has remained hugely popular, particularly as part of studies into American literature where it is seen as the quintessential work.
Mark Twain: A Smoking Legend
Beyond being a great author, Mark Twain was an avid smoker. In fact, some argue that there was nobody in the world then or since that enjoyed smoking as much as Mark Twain!
Hannibal, where he grew up, was a tobacco town with a large factory. Supposedly, Mark Twain started cutting and smoking tobacco before the age of ten. Mark Twain wrote in 1891 that he smoked “all the time”. His grandniece called him a “human furnace”.
Mark Twain Smoking Quotes
Mark Twain is frequently pictured using a pipe, but he also smoked cigars. Smoking played such a massive role in his life that it featured in almost all of his works. There are also many smoking quotes accredited to him; here are some of our favourites:
“Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know that because I’ve done it thousands of times.”
On humans and cigars: “Both are wrapped at the beginning, can later be ignited and end as ash.”
“If I cannot smoke cigars in heaven, I shall not go.”
Mark Twain was a literary genius who was inspired by his surroundings, including the tobacco industry he grew up alongside. His most popular style of cigar isn’t clear, except his preference for the cheap versions that were available to him when he was young.
If this article has inspired you to grow your collection, why not check out our range of excellent cigars? Alternatively, discover more of our Cigar Smoking Icons series!
Cigar Smoking Icons: Orson Welles
8 April 2020 by Ellie
A legend of film and radio, Orson Welles is widely regarded as being one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. As well as directing, Orson Welles starred in over 60 movies, as well as acting on stage and in television productions.
Early
Life
Born in 1915, Welles spent much of his childhood living in Chicago. His early years were filled with much tragedy, as his mother died when he was nine, and his father passed away when he was 15 years old.
Despite this, he excelled at school and was awarded a scholarship to Harvard University. However, he declined this, in favour of travelling to Europe. It was on his travels that his career in acting began, as he began performing at the Gate Theatre in Dublin.
Career
Beginnings
Throughout
the 1930s, Welles starred in a number of stage productions, particularly
Shakespeare. He also worked as a radio actor for extra money. The money he
earned was then put towards the development of his own stage productions.
Theatre
Work
By
1937, Welles had established his own theatre company, the Mercury Theatre.
Welles acted as the executive producer for the theatre and directed many
prominent actors, including Joseph Cotton and Geraldine Fitzgerald.
Radio Work At the same time as his work in theatre, Welles worked in radio as an actor, writer, producer and director. He performed dramas, including Shakespeare’s works on air.
Move
to Hollywood
The
1940s saw change for Welles, as he was offered a contract to write, produce,
direct and feature in two Hollywood movies. One of these films was Citizen Kane
(1941), which Welles co-wrote, produced and directed, as well as starring in
the lead role. The film received nine Academy Award nominations and is still
regarded as one of the best films ever made to this day!
Welles worked on a few other films during the 1940s, although productions became limited by the Second World War. Throughout the war, Welles, who was unfit to serve, produced patriotic radio programmes and other radio series.
After
the war, Welles returned to New York to direct a Broadway musical of Around the
World. At the same time, he began two new radio series, as well as directing
and starring in a number of films, including Macbeth (1948), The Third Man
(1949) and Othello (1951).
Welles
often jumped between projects, using acting jobs as ways to finance his
theatrical endeavours.
During
the late-1950s, he returned to Hollywood, where he directed and starred in
Touch of Evil (1958).
Work
in Europe
He
then moved back to Europe, where he worked on an adaptation of Don Quixote, a
film which he never managed to finish. Welles spent much of the 1960s working
in Europe, directing television shows in Italy, as well as acting and directing
in a number of films that were shot in Europe.
Throughout the 60s, he worked in a number of countries, including Croatia, Italy, Spain and France.
Returning
to Hollywood in the 1970s, Welles began to self-fund a number of film projects.
He also continued to act and direct for other films and television shows, as
well as narrating a number of documentaries.
By the end of the 1970s, Welles began acting in advertisements, many of which became very popular and greatly increased the sales of the products being advertised!
While
Orson Welles may not be as renowned for cigar smoking as the likes of Churchill
and Hitchcock, he did greatly enjoy cigars, and many photographs of him smoking
them exist.
It is believed that his favourite cigar brands were Montecristo cigars and Por Larranaga. According to Zino Davidoff, Welles would ask a cigar box to be opened before he bought it; however, he would still buy the box even if the seller refused to oblige.
As
well as smoking cigars personally, Welles also wrote cigar-smoking characters
into a number of his movies, intentionally bringing the cigar onto the big
screen.
Ernest Hemingway, another cigar enthusiast, gifted Welles a cigar ashtray after learning of his love of cigars. The ashtray became one of Welles’ most treasured possessions.
Welles
was married several times during his life, and one of these unions was with
actress Rita Hayworth. The couple divorced after five years, due to Welles
prioritising work over family life. However, Welles love for cigars inspired a
story that reimagined the cause of their separation.
Authors
David Camus and Nic Abadzis wrote ‘The Cigar That Fell in Love With a Pipe’
about the Welles-Hayworth split. In their reimagining of events, Hayworth
became annoyed with Welles’ cigar-smoking habit and decided to take out her
grievances by smoking a cigar from his humidor.
The
chosen cigar is a one-of-a-kind cigar rolled by a renowned torcedor who had
since passed away. In the story, Welles become so enraged by the loss of his
rare cigar, the couple ended up divorcing.
While
this is unlikely to have been the real cause of their divorce, it does go to
show the lengths some cigar aficionados will go to for the stake of their
stogies!
If you want to enjoy cigars like Orson Welles, then check out our range of Montecristo cigars online at Havana House!
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