Juan Luis Galiardo Comes (2 March 1940 – 22 June 2012) was a Spanish television, theater and film actor.BFI.org

Life The eldest of six children, Juan Luis Galiardo Comes was born in San Roque, Cádiz, but spent most of his childhood and youth in Badajoz, where his father had moved following working opportunities. After finishing his secondary education in Seville, Galiardo studied Agricultural Engineering at the University of Madrid.D’Lugo, Guide to the Cinema of Spain, p. 228 He abandoned his studies in 1961, to enroll the following year at Spain's National Film School (EOC) where he trained as an actor. He began his career working in the theater under the direction of José Luis Alonso de Santos in the theater María Guerrero. With some fellow actors he founded the T.E.I. (Independent Experimental Theatre), directed by Miguel Narros.

Galiardo made his film debut in the leading role in Julio Diamante's film El arte de vivir (The Art of Living) (1965). In the next 16 years, he appeared in more than 50 movies, becoming one of the most popular romantic lead actors of Spanish films thanks in great part to his good looks. Among his film of this period are notable his performances in Carlos Saura's Stress es tres, tres (Stress is three, three) (1968), Vicente Aranda's Clara es el precio (Clara is the Price) (1974), and two films by Jaime Camino: Mañana será otro dia (Tomorrow is another day) (1966) and La campanada (Pealing of the Bells) (1980).

In 1979, Galiardo went to Mexico, where he lived for five years, appearing in secondary roles in Mexican films and in popular television dramas. In 1982 he received the Heraldo award as best actor

In 1986, he returned to Spain continuing his acting career and became involved in film production. With Penélope Films, his own production company, he produced the TV series Turno de oficio and films like El disputado voto del señor Cayo, a film directed by Antonio Giménez-Rico.

With his work in television in Turno de oficio (1986- 1987), Galiardo began to break away from his previous image of leading-man, accepting more dramatic roles and showing a wider range in this, the third phase of his career. He co-starred in some big projects both in film and television as in La regenta (1995), a production for Televisión Española directed by Fernando Mendez-Leite. Among his most notable films are The Little Spanish Soldier (1988); Guarapo (1989); Don Juan, mi querido fantasma (1989); Madregilda (1993); Familia (1996), directed by Fernando León de Aranoa; Pajarico (1997), directed by Carlos Saura; Adiós con el corazón (1999), directed by José Luis García Sánchez for which Galiardo won the Goya Award as best actor in 2000; Lázaro de Tormes (2000); El caballero Don Quijote (2001); and Miguel y William (2007). His roles in this two last films allowed him to be the only actor to play both Miguel de Cervantes and his most famous creation Don Quijote de la Mancha.Fallece el actor Juan Luis Galiardo, un genio de la escena

In 2007, he played Fidel Castro in I Love Miami, a parody of the famous dictator possible flight to Miami as just another rafter. The following year, Galirado played an important role in the gay-themed film Clandestinos, which raised some controversy mainly due to the promotional image of the film. His last film was La chispa de la vida (2010), directed by Alex de la Iglesia. He died, aged 72, in Madrid of lung cancer.

Selected filmography

Canción de juventud (1962) - Chico (uncredited) Le tre spade di Zorro (1963) - Felipe El camino (1963) - Novio de Mica Rueda de sospechosos (1964) - El Moro El arte de vivir (1965) - Juanjo Crimen de doble filo (1965) - Fotógrafo Two Sergeants of General Custer (1965) - Fidanzato di Mary Megatón Ye-Ye (1965) - Fausto (voice, uncredited) Seven Golden Men (1965) El juego de la oca (1965) - Amigo en fiesta de cumpleaños Komm mit zur blauen Adria (1966) En Andalucía nació el amor (1966) - Luis Hoy como ayer (1966) - Boyfriend in Discotheque Vestida de novia (1966) Querido profesor (1966) El padre Manolo (1967) - Ricardo, el novio de la sobrina de Manolo Mañana será otro día (1967) - Paco Acteón (1967) - Joven Novios 68 (1967) - Antonio, novio de Julia No desearás la mujer de tu prójimo (1968) - Carlos La chica de los anuncios (1968) - Leo Giugno '44 - Sbarcheremo in Normandia (1968) - Rob Master Stress Is Three (1968) - Antonio Cristina Guzmán (1968) - Jorge La canción del olvido (1969) - Capitán Leonello Las nenas del mini-mini (1969) - Chalo Pepa Doncel (1969) - Gonzalo Carvajal Sastre Después de los nueve meses (1970) - Pablo Román Coqueluche (1970) - Juan Castro Una señora llamada Andrés (1970) - Andrés Guzmán El apartamento de la tentación (1971) - Alberto Fieras sin jaula (1971) - Pietro Hector the Mighty (1972) - Paride Antony and Cleopatra (1972) - Alexas Bianco rosso e... (1972) - Guido Alta tensión (1972) - José The Call of the Wild (1972) - Seze Autopsia (1973) - Juan El juego del adulterio (1973) - Andrés Death's Newlyweds (1975) - Juan Ramón Soler Clara is the Price (1975) - Jorge El clan de los inmorales (1975) The Good Days Lost (1975) - Lorenzo Naked Therapy (1975) - Ricardo Unmarried Mothers (1975) Imposible para una solterona (1976) - Luis Mayordomo para todo (1976) - Carlos El alijo (1976) - Curro Lucecita (1976) Un día con Sergio (1976) - Sergio Melgar La promesa (1976) El límite del amor (1976) - Juan Hasta que el matrimonio nos separe (1977) - Chus Inquisition (1977) - Jean Duprat Esposa de día, amante de noche (1977) - Federico El ladrido (1977) - Mauro Comando Txikia: Muerte de un presidente (1978) - Julen Una familia decente (1978) - Juan Salcedo Guyana: Cult of the Damned (1979) - Reporter Father Cami's Wedding (1979) - José Lloret And in the Third Year, He Rose Again (1980) - Automovilista La campanada (1980) - Ambros Quiero soñar (1981) - Juan Luis Rastro de muerte (1981) Préstame tu mujer (1981) - Rodolfo Con el cuerpo prestado (1983) - Pedro The Disputed Vote of Mr. Cayo (1986) - Víctor Policía (1987) - Maxi La guerra de los locos (1987) - Don Salvador Guarapo (1987) El señor de los llanos (1987) - Fabián Insausti Pasodoble (1988) - Diputado The Little Spanish Soldier (1988) - Francisco Calleja El vuelo de la paloma (1989) - Luis Doncel Supporting Roles (1989) - Alejandro Don Juan, mi querido fantasma (1990) - Don Juan Tenorio / Don Juan Marquina Yo soy ésa (1990) - Padre Benito Capità Escalaborns (1991) - El Borni Ho sap el ministre? (1991) - Francisco Carmona La taberna fantástica (1991) Catorce estaciones (1991) - Lázaro Los mares del sur (1992) - Pepe Carvalho Madregilda (1993) - Legionario Todos a la cárcel (1993) - Muñagorri ¡Por fin solos! (1994) - Héctor Lafuente Enciende mi pasión (1994) - Lucas Los hombres siempre mienten (1995) - Adolfo Así en el cielo como en la tierra (1995) - Ruíz del Río Suspiros de España (y Portugal) (1995) - Fray Liborio / Juan Nexo (1995) - Abogado Mar de luna (1995) La leyenda de Balthasar el Castrado (1996) - Narrador Familia (1996) - Santiago Tramway to Malvarrosa (1996) - Arsenio Siempre hay un camino a la derecha (1997) - Juan Pajarico (1997) - Tío Emilio Tango (1997) - Angelo Larroca ¡Qué vecinos tan animales! (1998) - Sres. Galápagos (voice) The Girl of Your Dreams (1998) - Embajador Sí, quiero... (1999) - Don Jaime Esa Maldita Costilla (1999) - Génesis (voice) Adiós con el corazón (2000) - Juan Lázaro de Tormes (2001) - Alcalde Torrente 2: Misión en Marbella (2001) - Gentleman Buñuel y la mesa del rey Salomón (2001) - Crítico de Cine Vivancos 3 (2002) - Pajarda Rosa la China (2002) - Dulzura El caballero Don Quijote (2002) - Don Quijote Lisístrata (2002) - Hepatitos El oro de Moscú (2003) - Alberto Tajuña Dripping (2003) - Baron de Cervera Franky Banderas (2004) - Avelino I Love Miami (2006) - Fidel / Alejandro El coronel Macià (2006) - Capitán General Polavieja Pobre juventud (2006) - Marcelo Miguel y William (2007) - Miguel de Cervantes Clandestinos (2007) - Germán El asesino a sueldo (2009) - Inspector La llegenda de l'innombrable (2010) - Innombrable La daga de Rasputín (2011) - Zadkin As Luck Would Have It (2011) - Alcalde

Notes

References D’Lugo, Marvin. Guide to the Cinema of Spain. Greenwood Press, 1997.

External links