The Ugly - Eli Wallach

WM456

2018

Movies and TV

Tuco Benedicto Pacífico Juan María Ramírez, often simply known as Tuco, is a fictional character best known from Sergio Leone's 1966 spaghetti western, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

Played memorably by Eli Wallach, Tuco is a quick-witted, opportunistic, and highly volatile Mexican bandit. He is wanted by authorities and other outlaws alike for a long list of crimes.

Though initially presented as the "Ugly" of the trio in the film's title, Tuco's resourcefulness and surprising resilience make him a complex and ultimately somewhat sympathetic character. He demonstrates a cunning survival instinct and a warped, yet occasionally present, sense of loyalty. His humor provides much of the film's levity.

He's considered one of cinema's most memorable and iconic villains (though arguably an anti-hero), and Wallach's performance is widely praised as a career highlight.