Juan Diego Ruiz Moreno (14 December 1942 – 28 April 2022), professionally known as Juan Diego, was a Spanish actor who appeared on stage, in television and film productions since 1957. He starred in films such as The Holy Innocents, The 7th Day, Dragon Rapide, París-Tombuctú and You're the One.

Performing with a raspy voice for much of his career, he is often associated with abrupt, violent, and authoritarian roles, having a knack for nailing fascist-like characters. His most known television role was the foul-mouthed Don Lorenzo in Los hombres de Paco, popular for the idiom

Also known for his left-wing political activism, Juan Diego took part in the struggle for advancing film workers' labor rights in Spain.

Biography Juan Diego Ruiz Moreno was born on 14 December 1942 in Bormujos, and spent his childhood there. He made his acting debut in theatre in 1957. Key stage credits throughout his career include performances in plays such as Olvida los tambores, El lector por horas, La gata sobre el tejado de zinc, and Yo me bajo en la próxima, ¿y usted?

After studying performing arts in Seville, Juan Diego moved to Madrid in order to develop his acting career, featuring in Televisión Española shows (most notably in plenty of Estudio 1 plays), likewise making his film debut in Eloy de la Iglesia's Fantasía... 3 (1966).

Having joined the then clandestine Communist Party of Spain in the late 1960s, Juan Diego had a leading role in organizing the 1975 Spanish actors strike. The first of his two children was born in 1970. His left-wing political activism did not end upon the death of dictator Francisco Franco, but continued during the Transition and beyond. Decades later, he would also be seen demonstrating in Spain against the Iraq War.

Diego starred as Marcos, a popular television host and member of a post-Francoist party (and scorned husband), alongside Ana Belén and a big black dog in a love triangle in the 1977 zoophilia-themed film La criatura.

He landed a breakthrough role with his performance in Mario Camus' 1984 film The Holy Innocents, playing Señorito Iván, a repulsive authoritarian landlord from an Extremaduran , obsessed with game hunting and disdainful of his workers. He earned his first Goya Award nomination at the first edition of the awards celebrated in 1987, for his leading role as Francisco Franco in the period drama Dragon Rapide, which tracks the early stages of the Spanish Civil War. He portrayed a moor in the film The Bastard Brother of God. He earned another best actor nomination for his role as Saint John of the Cross in the 1989 film The Dark Night, his first collaboration with Carlos Saura.

He played a again twice in 1988: in the film Jarrapellejos, as Saturnino, a rapist and murderer, and in the ensemble comedy Pasodoble. He portrayed another historical figure by playing the title character of the 1991 Mexican film Cabeza de Vaca. He won his first Goya Award for his supporting role in The Dumbfounded King (1991), playing Father Villaescusa, a 17th-century scheming friar characterised by his "arrogant, enervated, and irascible" gaze. He featured in supporting roles in the 1992 film Jamón, jamón and in the 1993 film Banderas, the Tyrant, respectively portraying Manuel, the owner of the Sansón underwear factory and father of José Luis (Jordi Mollá), and the Nacho Veguillas, a sycophant pandering to megalomaniac dictator Santos Banderas, portrayed by Gian Maria Volonté.

Juan Diego appeared in Luis García Berlanga's last full-length film París-Tombuctú (1999), playing the anarchic nudist Boronat, a role that won him his second Goya Award for Best Supporting Actor. He starred as the title character in the 2002 television miniseries , directed by Benito Zambrano, in a story based on true events in which Juan Diego's character enters the underworld to find those responsible for the murder of his son.

Juan Diego's supporting performance in the 2003 comedy Torremolinos 73 as Don Carlos, a porn film producer, landed him another Goya award nomination. Another of his collaborations with Carlos Saura, his supporting performance in the 2004 film The 7th Day portraying Antonio Izquierdo (an illiterate man and co-perpetrator of the Puerto Hurraco massacre), earned him Goya award nominations in consecutive years.

The television role earning Juan Diego the most public recognition was that of the foul-mouthed Don Lorenzo in the crime comedy-drama television series Los hombres de Paco, whose original broadcasting run spanned from 2005 to 2010. The series was picked up for a revival in 2020, leading up to the release of new episodes in 2021 featuring Juan Diego in a recurring role.

Juan Diego won his only Goya Award for Best Leading Actor (and third overall) for his performance in Víctor García León's 2006 drama Go Away from Me, playing an aging thespian and father to a freeloading son portrayed by Juan Diego Botto.

In his later career, Juan Diego often worked for newcoming directors in films such as Nightfall in India (2014), Can't Say Goodbye (2017), The Cover (2021), or Víctor Conde's Venus, a posthumously released work. He also featured in the 2011 political thriller 17 Hours playing general Alfonso Armada, a member of the clique of officers who plotted the 1981 attempted coup d'état in Spain; in the 2012 drama Todo es silencio, portraying Mariscal, a local cacique with a grip over maritime smuggling; in the 2017 Catalan period drama Uncertain Glory, playing Cagorcio, the abusive father of femme fatale Carlana; and in the martial arts film Xtreme (2021), playing Ricardo, an aging crime lord.

Juan Diego died at Clínica de la Zarzuela in Madrid on 28 April 2022. Many fellow actors and friends attended his lying in repose at the Teatro Español, including Marisa Paredes, Ana Belén, Víctor Manuel, Imanol Arias, Gabino Diego, Eduard Fernández, Manolo Solo, Emilio Gutiérrez Caba, Carmelo Gómez, Mariano Barroso, and María José Goyanes.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes Fantasía... 3 Tomasín Feature film debut 1969 Algo amargo en la boca (Something Bitter in the Mouth) César Emilia... parada y fonda Jaime El buscón Diego Coronel 1977 La criatura Marcos 1984 Los santos inocentes (The Holy Innocents) Señorito Iván 1985 La corte de Faraón (The Court of the Pharaoh) Roberto 1985 Los paraísos perdidos (The Lost Paradise) Minister of Culture Character identified with Javier Solana 1986 El viaje a ninguna parte (Voyage to Nowhere) Sergio Maldonado / Juan Conejo 1986 Dragon Rapide Francisco Franco 1988 Jarrapellejos Saturnino Pasodoble Juan Luis 1989 La noche oscura (The Dark Night) San Juan de la Cruz 1991 Cabeza de Vaca Cabeza de Vaca 1991 La noche más larga (The Longest Night) Fiscal militar Menéndez 1991 El rey pasmado (The Dumbfounded King) Padre Villaescusa 1992 Jamón, jamón Manuel 1992 El beso del sueño Salvatierra 1993 Tirano Banderas (Banderas, the Tyrant) Nacho Veguillas 1998 Yerma Juan 1999 Entre las piernas (Between Your Legs) Jareño 1999 París-Tombuctú Boronat 2000 El invierno de las anjanas (The Winter of the Fairies) Germán 2000 Fugitivas (Fugitives) Raimundo 2000 You're the One Don Matías 2002 Smoking Room Sotomayor 2002 La virgen de la lujuria (The Virgin of Lust) Gimeno-Mikado 2003 Torremolinos 73 Don Carlos La vida que te espera (Your Next Life) Gildo El séptimo día (The 7th Day) Antonio Izquierdo María querida (Dearest Maria) Luis 2006 Vete de mí (Go Away from Me) Santiago 2006 Remake Damián 2008 Casual Day José Antonio 2010 Que se mueran los feos (To Hell with the Ugly) Auxilio 2010 Lope (The Outlaw) Jerónimo Velázquez 2011 23-F: la película (17 Hours) Alfonso Armada 2012 Todo es silencio (All Is Silence) Mariscal 2012 Insensibles (Painless) Adán Martel (old) Young version of the character is portrayed by Félix Gómez 2014 Anochece en la India (Nightfall in India) Ricardo 2017 Incerta glòria (Uncertain Glory) Cagorcio 2017 No sé decir adiós (Can't Say Goodbye) José Luis 2017 Oro (Gold) Manuel Requena 2021 Xtremo (Xtreme) Ricardo 2021 El cover (The Cover) Daniel, El guitarras Venus Padre de Jorge ('Jorge's father') Posthumously released Historias (Stories) Posthumously released

Television

Year Title Role Notes 1986 Segunda enseñanza Jandro 1986 Turno de oficio Padre Rafael 1994 Historias de la puta mili Coronel 2002 Padre coraje Antonio Delgado Miniseries 2005–21 Los hombres de Paco Don Lorenzo Main ( 1–9); recurring ( 10) 2012 Toledo, cruce de destinos Rey Alfonso el Sabio

Accolades

Year Award Category Work Result 1987 Best Actor Dragon Rapide 1990 Best Actor The Dark Night 1992 Best Supporting Actor The Dumbfounded King 2000 Best Supporting Actor París-Tombuctú 2001 Best Supporting Actor You're the One 2002 Silver Biznaga for Best Actor Smoking Room 2003 Best Television Actor in a Leading Role Padre coraje 2004 Best Supporting Actor Torremolinos 73 2005 Best Supporting Actor The 7th Day Best Film Actor in a Secondary Role 2006 Silver Biznaga for Best Actor El triunfo Silver Shell for Best Actor Go Away from Me 2007 Best Actor Best Film Actor in a Leading Role 2011 Best Film Actor in a Minor Role The Outlaw 2012 Best Supporting Actor 17 Hours 2014 Silver Biznaga for Best Actor Nightfall in India 2017 Silver Biznaga for Best Actor Can't Say Goodbye 2018 Best Actor Best Supporting Actor Best Film Actor in a Secondary Role Best Film Actor in a Minor Role Gold

References

External links