MOSCOW (AP) — Hollywood star Will Smith slapped a male television reporter who he said tried to kiss him on the lips as he walked down the red carpet for the Moscow premiere of “Men in Black III.”

The reporter from the Ukrainian TV channel 1+1, Vitalii Sediuk, made headlines at the Venice Film Festival in September when he presented a bouquet of clearly unappreciated purple hydrangeas to Madonna and called her “my princess.”

Smith was even less charmed by the reporter, who approached him on the carpet outside the movie theater on Friday night and tried to kiss him.

“C’mon man, what the hell is your problem buddy?” Smith stated as he pushed Serdiuk away and slapped him lightly across the cheek with the back of his left hand.

“He’s lucky I didn’t sucker punch him,” Smith said to the crowd of journalists and fans. “Oh, I said that on camera. It’s all good.”

He said he thought Sediuk tried to kiss him on the mouth, but it was not clear whether the reporter intended to do so or was aiming for his cheek as Smith swiveled to avoid him.

Madonna rebuffed Sediuk rather ungraciously in Venice, saying: “I absolutely loathe hydrangeas.” She stashed the flowers under a table before beginning a press conference.

She later made a short silent video called “Madonna’s love letter to hydrangeas.” The video begins with a sarcastic apology and concludes with subtitles reading “I’m left with the feeling that I still hate hydrangeas.”

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Country music legend Loretta Lynn is three years older than she has led people to believe, an age change that undermines the story she told of being married at 13 in “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” documents obtained by The Associated Press show.

Lynn’s birth certificate on file at the state Office of Vital Statistics in Frankfort, Ky., shows that Loretta Webb was born on April 14, 1932, in Johnson County, Kentucky. That makes her 80 years old, not 77. Also on file is her marriage license and two affidavits from her mom, Clara Marie Ramey, and S.W. Ward Jr., who wasn’t related to the family, listing the same birthdate.

The records weren’t filed until 1965, which meant that Lynn needed multiple documents to prove her age at that time. Lynn’s signature appears on the document as Loretta Webb Lynn.

Melvin Webb lists his daughter “Loretta” as 7 years old for the 1940 Census, according to a digital copy on file at the Kentucky Historical Society. Lynn’s marriage license, obtained by the AP from the Johnson County clerk’s office lists her as 15 on Jan. 10, 1948.

In “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” the autobiography that became an Academy Award-winning film, Lynn told a different story — that she was married at 13 and was a mother of four by 18. Most books and public references to Lynn list her current age as 77.

When contacted by the AP, Lynn’s spokeswoman, Nancy Russell of Nashville, Tenn., declined comment. She stated that Lynn has told her before in no uncertain terms, “If anyone asks how old I’m, tell them it’s none of their business!”

Lynn’s younger brother, Herman Webb, declined to disclose Lynn’s age, although he stated there might have been a “mix-up” with Lynn’s paperwork after she moved to Nashville to launch her country career. Her parents and many other relatives are dead, including her husband, O.V. “Mooney” Lynn.

Certainly Lynn isn’t the first celebrity of a certain age to be less than forthcoming about a birthday, but the discrepancy is significant because age isn’t just a number for the Country Music Hall of Fame member. It is woven into her compelling life story, made famous in her 1976 bestselling autobiography, “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” and the subsequent film starring Sissy Spacek. The motion picture made $67 million nationwide and was nominated for seven Oscars; Spacek won for her portrayal of Lynn.

The Grammy-winning singer recently announced that it will become a Broadway musical, starring actress and singer Zooey Deschanel.

The way Lynn selected to tell it in the book, she was married at 13, moved with her husband to Washington Say at 16 and was a mother of four by 18. Lynn has six children in all. The marriage certificate shows that Lynn instead married just shy of her 16th birthday, which was not uncommon in Kentucky at that time. Her husband was 21.

It would have been illegal for a girl under the age of 14 to marry in Kentucky in 1948, said R. Eric Henninger of the Kentucky Say Law Library. At that time, he stated, “lots of folks didn’t have any sort of official proof of age.”

An AP reporter recently found Lynn’s birth certificate on the web that listed a different birthdate from the one listed in the news agency’s database of celebrity birthdays. The reporter changed the date in the database; when the new birthday was used in a recent story, the Country Music Hall of Fame contacted the AP about the discrepancy.

Lynn addresses the perils of disclosing her age in her autobiography.

“When I was born, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the president for several years. That’s the closest I’m gonna come to telling my age in this book, so don’t go looking for it,” she writes. “I’m trying to make a living singing songs. I don’t need nobody out there saying, ‘She don’t look bad considering she’s such-and-such years old.’”

Lynn’s co-author on “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” New York Times sports columnist George Vecsey, said in a phone interview that he did not verify the age claims in the book with official documentation.

“It’s her book, and I never saw a birth certificate, marriage license. It’s what they told me,” he said. “I couldn’t state that she was the one who told me first. Between her manager (David Skepner) who has passed and her husband who has now passed, it was at least three different people telling me that.”

Vecsey stated he didn’t want to speculate on what the age difference means to Lynn’s narrative.

Lynn’s daughter, Patsy Lynn Russell, didn’t respond to emailed requests for comment.

Webb, her brother who lives in their hometown of Van Lear, Ky., believes “there might have been a mix–up somewhere along the line” when Lynn first arrived in Nashville and signed with the Wilburn Brothers.

“When she was with Teddy and Doyle (Wilburn), she just don’t tell her age after that,” he stated. “I think they got some of her paperwork messed up.”

Webb declined to comment on Lynn’s age. When asked his own birthday, like a good brother, he replied: “I was born a year and a half after she was.”

Research supervisor Walter Bowman at the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives said in the early ’30s it was more common for people to register their prized horses or livestock than the births of their children.

Not until the Social Security system was founded in the mid-1930s did parents have a monetary reason to put their kids on record.

Social Security Administration officials said privacy laws prevent them from releasing information about any living person, including a birth date.

Music journalist and author Robert K. Oermann, who wrote “Finding Her Voice” about women in country music, said nothing can overshadow Lynn’s accomplishments.

“In the 1960s, you didn’t have the 24-hour news cycle, saturation of personality journalism that you have today. So what appealed to people was the fact that the songs were so amazing. Her singing was so great. Everything about her was so refreshing and country,” he stated.

“It wasn’t until much later that people became aware of her backstory, but the music itself is what made her a star. The biography, the life story was just the icing on the cake.”

In 1972, Lynn became the first woman to be named entertainer of the year by the Country Music Association. She’s known for hits, including “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” ”You Ain’t Woman Enough,” ”The Pill,” ”Rated X,” and “Don’t Come Home A’ Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ on Your Mind).” Her last top 10 record as a soloist was “I Lie” in 1982.

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Online: http://www.lorettalynn.com

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King reported from Washington. Contributing to this report were Associated Press reporter Joni Beall in Washington— who discovered the age discrepancy — Roger Alford in Frankfort, Ky., and Stephen Ohlemacher in Washington.

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For the latest country music news from The Associated Press, follow: http://www.twitter.com/AP_Country

CANNES, France (AP) — The breakout performance at the Cannes Film Festival this year is Aniello Arena’s turn as a Naples fishmonger who becomes obsessed with appearing on a “Big Brother”-style TV show in “Reality.”

But the star won’t be walking the red carpet at the Italian movie’s gala premiere Friday. He’ll be where he has been for two decades — in prison.

Arena is riveting in the film by “Gomorrah” director Matteo Garrone — lively, likable and lost — and many viewers were astonished to learn he is a lifer who has worked for a decade with the respected Fortezza prison theater company but has never appeared in a feature film.

“I wanted him to appear in ‘Gomorrah,’ but the judge wouldn’t grant it,” stated Garrone, whose bloody crime drama won Cannes’ second prize in 2008. “We received the authorization for him to appear in the film (Reality) but he was not allowed to come here to Cannes.”

Garrone said the absence was “not too bitter a disappointment” for Arena, because the movie’s success means he can continue acting. Movie publicists would not comment on the nature of his crime.

Incarceration — mental rather than physical — is a theme of the motion picture, the only Italian entry among 22 contenders for Cannes’ top prize, the Palme d’Or. Arena plays Luciano, a hustling but cheery family man who becomes obsessed with the notion of TV fame.

Garrone said the film depicts reality Television as “a paradise on Earth — a kind of El Dorado that people want to reach.” Entering the “Big Brother” home becomes an idea that traps Luciano and gradually takes over his life.

The director said the 40-something Arena’s exposure to the outside world after years behind bars helped him capture the essence of a man who is beguiled by a world that’s new to him.

“I think you can see that in his eyes and in his look,” said Garrone. “The character had to be portrayed by someone who is quite candid.”

It’s a departure from “Gomorrah,” his blood-soaked portrait of Naples’ ruthless Camorra crime syndicate. Garrone stated he spent a long time looking for a “powerful subject” for his follow-up feature before alighting on the idea of a simple tale that would allow him to show another slice of Neapolitan life and “portray with great love a character while denouncing an aspect of society.”

It’s hard not to see the story as a satire on our celebrity-obsessed culture, but Garrone wants it to have the timeless quality of a fable. He compares it to “Pinocchio,” the story of a puppet who yearns to be a real boy. Luciano is a real man who yearns to be a celebrity.

“I don’t think I have ever been a very realistic director,” Garrone said. “I talk about reality and then transfigure it, lend another dimension — and then it becomes a fable.”

“Reality” is full of heart and humor — especially from the voluble, Fellini-esque assortment of characters who make up Luciano’s family and neighbors — but it turns darker as Luciano’s single-minded pursuit of fame leads to a kind of madness.

“Initially our idea was to produce a comedy,” stated screenwriter Ugo Chiti. “I think the comedy evolved … and turned into a sort of tragedy.”

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Jill Lawless can be reached at http:twitter.com/JillLawless

Like the King of Pop or the Queen of Soul, Donna Summer was bestowed a title fitting of musical royalty — the Queen of Disco.

Yet unlike Michael Jackson or Aretha Franklin, it was a designation she wasn’t comfortable embracing.

“I grew up on rock ‘n’ roll,” Summer once stated when explaining her reluctance to claim the title.

Indeed, as disco boomed then crashed in a single decade in the 1970s, Summer, the beautiful voice and face of the genre with pulsating hits like “I Feel Love,” ”Love to Love You Baby” and “Last Dance,” would continue to make hits incorporating the rock roots she so loved. One of her biggest hits, “She Works Hard for the Money,” came in the early 1980s and relied on a smoldering guitar solo as well as Summer’s booming voice.

Yet it was with her disco anthems that she would have the most impact in music, and it’s how she was remembered Thursday as news spread of her death at age 63.

Summer died of cancer Thursday morning in Naples, Fla., said her publicist Brian Edwards. Her family released a statement saying they “are at peace celebrating her astonishing life and her continued legacy.”

Luminaries from Aretha Franklin to Dolly Parton and Barbra Streisand mourned the loss, as did President Barack Obama, who stated he and Michelle were saddened to hear of the passing of the five-time Grammy winner. “Her voice was unforgettable, and the music industry has lost a legend far too soon,” he stated. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to Donna’s family and her dedicated fans.”

It had been decades since that brief, flashy moment when Summer was every inch the Disco Queen.

Her glittery gowns and long eyelashes. Her luxurious hair and glossy, open lips. Her sultry vocals, her bedroom moans and sighs. She was as much a part of the culture as disco balls, polyester, platform shoes and the music’s pulsing, pounding rhythms.

Summer’s music gave voice to not only a musical revolution, but a cultural one — a time when sex, race, fashion and drugs were being explored and exploited with freedom like never before in the United States.

Her rise was inseparable from disco’s itself, although she remained popular for years after the genre she helped invent had died. She won a Grammy for ideal rock vocal performance for “Hot Stuff,” a fiery guitar-based song that represented her shift from disco to more rock-based sounds, and created another kind of anthem with “She Works Hard for the Money,” this time for women’s rights.

Elton John stated in a statement that Summer was more than the Queen of Disco.

“Her records sound as good this day as they ever did. That she has never been inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame is a total disgrace especially when I see the second-rate talent that has been inducted,” he said. “She is a great friend to me and to the Elton John AIDS Foundation and I’ll miss her greatly.”

Summer may not have liked the title and later became a born-again Christian, but many remembered her ideal for her early years, starting with the sinful “Love to Love You Baby.”

Released in 1975, a breakthrough hit for Summer and for disco, it was a legend of studio ecstasy and the genre’s ultimate sexual anthem. Summer came up with the idea of the song and first recorded it as a demo in 1975, on the condition that another singer perform it commercially. But Casablanca Records president Neil Bogart liked the track so much that he suggested to producer Giorgio Moroder they re-record it, and make it longer — what would come to be known as a “disco disc.”

Summer had reservations about the lyrics — “Do it to me again and again” — but imagined herself as a movie star playing a part as if she were Marilyn Monroe. So she agreed to sing, lying down on the studio floor, in darkness, and letting her imagination take over. Solo and multitracked, she whispered, she groaned, she crooned. Drums, bass, strings and keyboards answered her cries. She simulated climax so many times that the BBC kept count: 23, in 17 minutes.

What started as a scandal became a classic. The song was later sampled by LL Cool J, Timbaland and Beyonce, who interpolated the hit for her jam “Naughty Girl.” It was also Summer’s U.S. chart debut and the first of 19 No. 1 dance hits between 1975 and 2008 — second only to Madonna.

Summer, real name LaDonna Adrian Gaines, was born in 1948 in Boston. She was raised on gospel music and became the soloist in her church choir by age 10.

“There was no question I would be a singer, I just always knew. I had credit in my neighborhood, people would lend me money and tell me to pay it back when I got famous,” Summer stated in a 1989 interview with The Associated Press.

Before disco, she had already reinvented herself several times. She sang Motown songs with local groups in Boston as a teenager, then dropped out of school in the late 1960s and switched to pyschedelic rock after hearing Janis Joplin. An attempt to get a part in the musical “Hair” led her to get the principal role in Munich. She stayed in Germany for five years, worked in other productions and modeled.

Meanwhile, she was performing in operas, singing backup for Three Dog Night and other groups and releasing songs of her own. A marriage to Helmuth Sommer didn’t last, but the singer did hold on to her ex-husband’s last name, changing it to “Summer.” By 1974, she had met producers Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte and released her first album, “Lady of the Night,” to success in Europe.

Then came “Love to Love You Baby,” her memorable U.S. debut. Through the rest of the disco era she burned up the charts: She was the only artist to have three consecutive double-LPs hit No. 1, “Live and More,” ”Bad Girls” and “On the Radio.” She was also the first female artist with four No. 1 singles in a 13-month period, according to the Rock Hall of Fame, where she was a nominee this year but was passed over.

Musically, she began to change in 1979 with “Hot Stuff,” which had a tough, rock ‘n’ roll beat. Her diverse sound helped her earn Grammy Awards in the dance, rock, R&B and inspirational categories.

Summer said grew up on rock ‘n’ roll and later covered the Bruce Springsteen song “Protection.”

“I like the Moody Blues, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones as well as Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, the Supremes and Temptations,” she stated. “I didn’t know many white children who didn’t know the Supremes; I don’t know many black kids who don’t know the Moody Blues.”

Warwick stated in a statement that she was sad to lose a great performer and “dear friend.”

“My heart goes out to her husband and her children,” Warwick said. “Prayers will be stated to keep them strong.”

Summer later became a born-again Christian and was accused of making anti-gay comments in relation to the AIDS epidemic — a particular problem for a woman who was and remains a gay icon. Summer denied making the comments, but became the target of a boycott.

Religion played an important role in her later life, stated Michael Levine, who briefly worked as her publicist.

“Her passion in her life, besides music, was God, spirituality and religion. She held a bible study class at her home every week,” he said.

Summer released her last album, “Crayons,” in 2008. It was her first full studio album in 17 years. She also performed on “American Idol” that year with its top female contestants.

Summer is survived by her husband, Bruce Sudano, and three daughters, Brooklyn, Mimi and Amanda.

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AP National Writer Hillel Italie in New York and AP Music Writer Nekesa Moody and Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The three “American Idol” finalists earned almost uniform votes of confidence Wednesday from the show’s judges. Now it’s the audience tally that’ll determine which two compete for glory in next week’s finale.

If the night had a teacher’s pet, it was Joshua Ledet, 20, who delivered what Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler deemed flawless performances. Each contestant performed three songs: One picked by the judges, one by producer-mentor Jimmy Iovine, and one chosen by the singers themselves.

Ledet’s gritty version of Etta James‘ “I’d Rather Be Blind” had the judges on their feet, a common reaction to the Louisiana gospel singer. He also impressed the panel with John Lennon’s “Imagine” and Mary J. Blige’s “No More Drama.”

“This is another Joshua moment,” Tyler stated after the James cover, adding that Ledet sounded like an “American Idol” winner.

Jessica Sanchez, 16, of San Diego, didn’t disappoint the judges on their pick for her, Mariah Carey’s “My All.” It drew what verged on another Tyler prediction.

“When you sing, you make people hang on your each note. … You’ll be the last one standing here, I believe,” the rocker stated.

There was praise as well for Sanchez’s take on “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” from Tyler’s band Aerosmith, but Randy Jackson found her performance of the Jackson 5’s “I’ll Be There” just “OK,” differing with his colleagues.

Bluesy, guitar-strumming Phillip Phillips, 21, of Leesburg, Ga., had the audience swooning over his version of “Beggin’” by Madcon.

“Can you believe this guy?” Tyler said, gesturing toward the cheering crowd and suggesting that Phillips could be the “next Springsteen” if he wrote his own songs.

Phillips faltered with Matchbox 20’s “Disease,” which the judges deemed subdued and unimpressive, but he rebounded with Bob Seger’s “We’ve Got Tonight.”

“The perfect song, at the perfect time, and your best performance on the show ever,” gushed Jackson.

The audience vote will be announced on Thursday’s show, which is to feature Lisa Marie Presley and former “American Idol” finalist Adam Lambert.

Hometown victory laps by the trio of finalists were chronicled Wednesday, starting with Ledet’s trip to Westlake, La.

“They are really acting like I’m Barack Obama,” a wide-eyed Ledet stated of the police escort that shepherded him from the airport.

Sanchez, who got a lift from Los Angeles to San Diego by helicopter, was cheered during a dockside visit to the USS Midway and saluted her father, who she said served overseas as a naval reservist.

Phillips had an emotional reunion with his dad, Phillip Phillips Sr.

“To see your children doing what they love to do with integrity and passion, it’s a dream come true for me,” the elder Phillips said.

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Online:

http://www.fox.com

CANNES, France (AP) — Wes Anderson opened the 65th Cannes Film Festival with his meticulously composed ode to young love, “Moonrise Kingdom,” while less mannered theatrics surrounded the annual French Riviera extravaganza.

Anderson and his star-studded cast declared the festival officially begun at the opening ceremony Wednesday night shortly after striding down the absurdly glamorous Cannes red carpet, a seaside gauntlet of tuxedos and photographers. The premiere announced the start of 12 days of the most selective festival slate in cinema, with eagerly anticipated films to follow from many of the world’s most esteemed directors.

That is, when a camel isn’t running amok.

Sideshows are as much a part of Cannes as the main events, a tradition kicked off this year by Sacha Baron Cohen. The comedian again promoted his upcoming film, “The Dictator,” with a stunt, this time taking a humped mammal on a stroll down the Croisette, Cannes’ famous promenade.

The more dignified, black-tie-only opening ceremony was hosted by Berenice Bejo, who starred in one of the hits of last year’s Cannes, “The Artist” — which went on to win the ideal picture Academy Award. In attendance, along with the cast of “Moonrise Kingdom,” were Jane Fonda, Eva Longoria, Lana Del Rey and Alec Baldwin, who gallantly carried his fiance, Hilaria Thomas, up the many stairs of the Palais.

While Cannes’ 65th anniversary — marked by festival posters of Marilyn Monroe — suggests maturity, “Moonrise Kingdom” began things on a childlike note.

The film is about two preteens (newcomers Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward) in love and running away together on a remote New England island in a 1965, Norman Rockwell-esque America. Stamped with Anderson’s trademark visual style to almost the degree of his animated “The Fantastic Mr. Fox,” the movie is seen mostly from the point of view of the kids.

The adults in the film — a combination of Anderson regulars such as Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman with newcomers such as Bruce Willis, Edward Norton and Tilda Swinton — are more cynical and react in different ways to the purity of the children’s gambit.

“These are what you call art films,” Murray deadpanned at the film’s press conference. “All we get is a trip to Cannes.”

“Moonrise Kingdom,” Anderson’s first film at Cannes, was received well and found largely positive reviews — a thoroughly Wes Anderson film, it was roundly decided — starting the festival off with a congenial vibe.

Murray was happy to tweak the entry of the action star Willis to Anderson’s familial troupe of players.

“We could have gotten the Muscles from Brussels, but it wouldn’t have been the same,” stated Murray, alluding to Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Earlier, Baron Cohen appeared in character as Admiral General Aladeen at a news conference outside his hotel. A camel was brought to him, which he then mounted with some trouble and rode down the row of boutique stores to apparently take in some shopping.

As he slowly made his way down the street, Baron Cohen was mobbed by dozens of photographers, bringing traffic to a halt and drawing the curiosity of police. After a short stroll, Baron Cohen turned around and returned to the hotel.

Such a stunt, while certainly very special, isn’t uncommon at Cannes, where movies often go to extremes to catch the world media’s attention. Billboards of films due out this year are plastered around town and many others are being screened out of competition.

DreamWorks Animation and Paramount Pictures have consistently used the festival to hype projects in the works, and did so again Wednesday with a presentation of “The Rise of the Guardians,” an animated family film for this year’s holiday motion picture season.

It gathers slightly different versions of mythic childhood characters — including Santa Claus (Baldwin), the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman) and the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher) — in an “Avengers”-like league of world protection.

Baldwin, never one to bite his tongue, showed no interest in sugarcoating the truth for younger audiences: “Fairy Tooth is a club in lower Manhattan,” he declared.

A jury of nine will sift through the 22 in-competition entries — which include Walter Salles’ “On the Road,” David Cronenberg’s “Cosmopolis” and Michael Haneke’s “Amour” — to decide the festival’s top award, the prestigious Palme d’Or.

This year’s jury is presided over by Nanni Moretti, who won the festival’s top prize in 2006 for “The Son’s Room,” and includes actors Ewan McGregor and Diane Kruger, directors Alexander Payne and Raoul Peck, and fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier.

At Cannes, the psychology of the jurors is analyzed like tea leaves for hints of what kind of material they might respond ideal to. Moretti lamented the feverish scrutiny of the jury, saying he preferred when jury meetings were as secret as the thoughts of the conclave of cardinals who choose Roman Catholic popes — the subject of Moretti’s most recent film, “Habemus Papam.”

“There were two remaining taboos in the world: the silence after the awards and the conclave,” Moretti stated. “Now it’s just the conclave.”

Any puffs of white smoke at Cannes, though, are more prone to be the result of mischief from Baron Cohen than peaceful deliberation.

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Associated Press Writer Jill Lawless contributed to this report.

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Follow Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jake_coyle

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Author Carlos Fuentes, who played a dominant role in Latin America’s novel-writing boom by delving into the failed ideals of the Mexican revolution, died Tuesday in a Mexico City hospital. He was 83.

Mexico’s National Council for Culture for the Arts confirmed the death of Mexico’s most celebrated novelist.

He wrote his first novel, “Where the Air is Clear,” at age 29, laying the foundation for a boom in Spanish contemporary literature during the 1960s and 1970s. He published an essay on the change of power in France in the newspaper Reforma the day he died.

His generation of writers, including Colombia’s Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Peru’s Mario Vargas Llosa, drew global readership and attention to Latin American culture during a period when strongmen ruled much of the region.

“The Death of Artemio Cruz,” a novel about a post-revolutionary Mexico that failed to keep its promise of narrowing social gaps, brought Fuentes international notoriety.

The elegant, mustachioed author’s other contemporary classics included “Aura,” ”Terra Nostra,” and “The Good Conscience.” Many American readers know him for “The Old Gringo,” a novel about San Francisco journalist Ambrose Bierce, who disappeared at the height of the 1910-1920 Mexican Revolution. That book was later made into a film starring Gregory Peck and Jane Fonda.

Fuentes was often mentioned as a candidate for the Nobel prize but never won one. A busy man, Fuentes wrote plays and short stories and co-founded a literary magazine. He was also a columnist, political analyst, essayist and critic.

And he was outspoken. Once considered a Communist and sympathizer of Cuba’s Fidel Castro, Fuentes was denied entry into the U.S. under the McCarren-Walter Act.

More recently, as a moderate leftist, Fuentes strongly opposed harsh policies against immigration and the war on terrorism in the U.S. He warned about Mexico’s religious right but also blasted Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez as a “Tropical Mussolini.”

Described by Mexican cultural officials as the country’s most distinguished living author, Fuentes in 1987 won the Cervantes Prize, the Spanish-speaking world’s highest literary honor.

Fuentes also was named a commander of the National Order of Merit, France’s highest civilian award given to a foreigner, in 1997. Spain gave him a Prince of Asturias Award for literature in 1994.

Throughout his life, Fuentes also taught courses at Harvard, Princeton, Columbia and Brown universities in the United Says.

The son of a career diplomat, Fuentes himself served as an ambassador to England. He resigned from Mexico’s foreign service in protest over Mexico’s 1968 student massacre, but returned to serve as ambassador to Paris beginning in 1975.

Fuentes resigned from the foreign service again in 1977 when former President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz was appointed ambassador to Spain, saying he wouldn’t serve with the man who ordered the student massacre in Mexico City, which activists said killed up to 350 people.

A believer that literature granted him to say what would be censored otherwise, Fuentes also was the subject of censorship.

His mystery novel “Aura,” which narrates a romantic encounter beneath a crucifix with a black Christ that some officials claimed was too racy, was banned from public high schools in Puerto Rico. It also sparked controversy in Mexico in 2001 when a former interior secretary asked the novel to be dropped from a recommended reading list at his daughter’s private junior high school.

Fuentes was born in Panama City on Dec. 11, 1928 to Mexican parents. He lived most of his life abroad, growing up in Montevideo, Uruguay; Rio de Janeiro; Washington, D.C.; Santiago, Chile; and Buenos Aires, Argentina. He later divided his time between homes in Mexico City home and London, where he did most of his writing.

Fuentes was married from 1959 to 1973 to actress Rita Macedo, with whom he’d his only surviving daughter.

After the couple divorced, Fuentes married journalist Silvia Lemus and they’d two kids together. Their son Carlos Fuentes Lemus died from complications associated with hemophilia in 1999, and Natasha Fuentes Lemus died in 2005 after a cardiac arrest.

Fuentes also acknowledged having affairs with actresses including Jeanne Moreau and Jean Seberg.

As he grew older, Fuentes left many novels unfinished with imperfections and “wounds that make the book bleed,” he stated.

But Fuentes said in 2008 that he concurred with Mario Vargas Llosa to gather 12 writers, including Garcia Marquez, to each create a piece about their favorite dictator.

Fuentes wrote a 2008 opera inspired by Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, the five-time president of Mexico during the Texas Revolution.

He said he wanted to see the man he considered the most flamboyant character in Mexican political history dancing and singing with his wooden leg.

But Fuentes always postponed writing about himself.

“One puts off the biography like you put off death,” he said. “To write an autobiography is to etch the words on your own gravestone.”