José Luis López Vazquez

José Luis López Vázquez de la Torre MMT (11 March 1922 – 2 November 2009) was a Spanish actor, comedian, costume designer, scenic designer, and assistant director whose career spanned nearly seven decades. He was one of the most prolific and successful actors in Spain in the 20th century, starring in 262 films between 1946 and 2007. Internationally he was best known for his lead role in the surrealist horror telefilm La cabina (1972). Born in Madrid of working-class parents, López Vázquez began his career on theatre in 1939 as a costume designer and set decorator before making his breakthrough as an actor. In the mid-1940s he switched over to film, where he continued his work in costume designs while serving as an assistant director. Throughout the 1950s he mostly played bit parts in the Spanish film industry, however, his comedic talent soon allowed him to get bigger roles, cultivating an image as Spain's on-screen everyman in numerous comedies during the Franco era and beyond. Around the 1960s he also revealed his ability to play dramatic roles. At one point in his career he became part of a distinctive Spanish art cinema led primarily by directors Luis García Berlanga, Juan Antonio Bardem, Carlos Saura and screenwriter Rafael Azcona. He played important roles in several films by Berlanga (Plácido, 1961, El Verdugo, 1963, La escopeta nacional, 1978, Patrimonio nacional, 1981, Nacional III, 1982) and Saura (Peppermint Frappé, 1967, The Garden of Delights, 1970, Cousin Angelica, 1974), which gained international attention. He won two consecutives Best Actor awards at the Chicago International Film Festival for The Ancines Woods in 1971 and My Dearest Senorita in 1972. He had the opportunity to occasionally collaborate with renowned foreign filmmakers such as Marco Ferreri (El Pisito, 1959, El Cochecito, 1960) and George Cukor (Travels with My Aunt, 1972). He was the recipient of numerous accolades, including four CEC Awards, two Fotogramas de Plata, two Sant Jordi Awards, two New York Latin ACE Awards, an Antena de Oro, and a TP de Oro. He earned the Spike of Honour at the Valladolid International Film Festival in 1989, the Actors and Actresses Union Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000, the National Theatre Award in 2002, the Honorary Goya Award in 2004, and the CEC Honorary Award in 2005. The Government of Spain honoured him with the Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts in 1985 and the Gold Medal of Merit in Labour in 1997.