Who was Juan Diego? Tributes pour in as Spanish actor dies aged 79

Spanish actor Juan Diego has passed away at the age of 79 on April 28, 2022 following a long illness. Several well-known personalities including Malaga’s Antonio Banderas, the President of Junta de Andalucia Juanmo Moreno, and the Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez paid tribute to Diego.

What do we know about Juan Diego?

Juan Diego began his theater career in 1957. He acted in many Spanish television programs and dramatic productions of Estudio I, which gained him recognition.

He was then cast in the 1984 film version of The Holy Innocents, following which he continued to appear in successful films like Elvoyage to Nowhere, Dragon Rapide, The Dark Night, and more. He won the Goya Award thrice for El Rey Pasmado, Paris-Timbuktu and Vete de mi.

He continued his career in theater and participated in the premiere of Petra Regalada in 1980. He also appeared in the stage version of the novel, Kiss of the Spider Woman, in 1981, which was directed by Jose Lucia Garcia Sanchez, Diego’s longtime friend. They had collaborated on many films.

Diego once again appeared on stage in 1990s and made quite an impact as the writer Charles Bukowski in the play, No Hay Camino Al Paradise, Nena, directed by Jesus Cracio. He bought the monologue La Lengua Madre by Juan Jose Millas in 2012.

Juan was an important figure in Spanish theater and cinema for a long time. In his youth, he was a member of Spain's clandenstine Communist Party in the late 1960s. He also played an important role in the 1975 actors’ strike alongside participating in the demonstrations in Spain against the Iraq War.

Diego died after suffering from severe COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) for quite a while. He had two children, Adan and Diego, with Paca Villalba and Clara Sanchis respectively.

Fans pay tribute on Twitter

Juan Diego is loved by film and theater buffs all over the world for his memorable performances on the stage and in films. Fans expressed their grief on Twitter after hearing about his demise.

About the author

Anupal is a pop culture writer at Sportskeeda with a degree in Political Science. He developed a keen interest in the lives of celebrities, films, TV shows, and box office collections since an early age. After accumulating significant experience as a content writer across varied fields at companies such as The Indian Wire, DigiStatement, and QuirkyByte Media, he eventually settled on writing about his favorite genre - pop culture.

Anupal believes in conducting in-depth research while writing about any topic and relies on varied sources to ensure he produces holistic articles. He also often glances through content that was published in the 80s and 90s to gain a better understanding of the subject he is covering.

Anupal admires Robert Downey Jr., who played one of his favorite Marvel superheroes, Iron Man. He is inspired by the actor's resilience and the determination in overcoming past struggles to building a successful Hollywood career and admires the way he articulates his thoughts while speaking in interviews.

If Anupal could travel back in time, he would love to experience James Cameron's 2009 film 'Avatar' in a theatre full of fans. When he's not busy working, he binges on the latest OTT titles across languages.

Know More