Although many people are under the impression that Pedro de Cordoba was Mexican, his mother was French and his father was Cuban, and he was born in New York City. De Cordoba's career began in silent films, where he established himself as a solid character actor, and his career carried over into talkies. A tall, somewhat frail-looking man, he often played wealthy, aristocratic Latins, usually (but not always) kind-hearted and benevolent.