Hugo Daniel Medina Medina (Santiago, October 18, 1943) is a Chilean actor and theater director.
Biography Trained at the University of Chile's School of Theatre and the River Side Institute in London, he acknowledges the influence of Pedro Orthous and Agustín Siré, both key figures in shaping the university theatre scene in Chile, and of Nobel laureate Dario Fo. His work on stage, since 1964, has developed along three lines: the universal classical repertoire, primarily with university companies; Chilean classical plays; and, finally, a militant theatre, with an avant-garde aesthetic and strong political content, developed during the Popular Unity government (1970–1973) in Chile and later in exile in England, Sweden, and Germany, among other European countries.
Medina has said that for him, acting "is more than work; it's the pleasure of having this vital expression of creating, inventing characters, and putting them at the service of a whole, with its social, psychological, and aesthetic mechanisms, but above all, essential for the creators involved."
He highlights his participation in the productions: A Midsummer Night's Dream with the University of Chile Theater (1965), Viet Rock (1969), Chile 11.9.73, and The End of the World Called Us, presented for two years (1975–1977) in various European theaters. First in Sweden with the Sandino Company (1982) and later at the Catholic University of Chile, Lomas del Paraíso (1997), El Vestidor (1998), La Viuda de Apablaza (1999), Rompiendo Códigos (2000), Le Bourgeois gentilhomme (2001), and other works such as "Hechos Consumados" (1988), Accidental Death of an Anarchist (1986), and Ariel Dorfman's well-known play Death and the Maiden (1991), with the Teatro Imagen, Luciérnaga, and Chilean National Theater companies.
From 1972 to the present, Medina has maintained a significant and continuous body of work in film. Between 1972 and 1987, he acted in several politically charged films, first in Chile and then in Bulgaria, Sweden, and Germany, during the years he spent in exile following the coup d'état of September 1973. Among his notable works are Metamorphosis of the Chief of the Political Police (1972), The Promised Land (1973), and Disappeared Prisoners (1979). With the restoration of democracy in Chile, Medina participated in several films, including Sussi (1987), Johnny 100 Pesos (1993), and Historias de Fútbol (1997). This period is characterized by his involvement in productions with less overtly political content, more commercially oriented, and extensive work in television (telenovelas, educational programs, and miniseries). Since 1988, he has taught acting and basic emotional processes, both in Chile and Europe. In the last decade he has worked on award-winning films such as Jailbreak Pact (2020), Chile '76 (2022), and Prison in the Andes (2023), continuing the theme related to dictatorship and human rights violations.
In 2007 and 2011, he won the Altazor Award for Best Theater Actor. In 2018, he received a tribute from the Chilean Actors' Union for his career achievements. In 2024 he received the Caleuche Award as best male actor film performance for Prison in the Andes where he characterized Manuel Contreras.
Kidnapping and Exile On November 20, 1973, Medina was kidnapped, detained, and tortured at the Buin Infantry Regiment No. 1 in Recoleta. He was subsequently sent to the Santiago Public Prison. After a military trial and an eight-month civilian trial, insufficient evidence was found to convict him, and he was released on November 22, 1975. Medina was forced into exile in England, with a 10-year ban on returning to Chile. In London, he reunited with Coca Rudolphy and Marcelo Romo, who were in exile after suffering the same fate as Medina. He returned to Chile in 1985.
On December 14, 2022, the Santiago Court of Appeals ordered the Chilean government to pay Medina 120 million pesos in damages for emotional distress due to the torture and coercion he suffered during Augusto Pinochet's civic-military dictatorship. It was established that Medina was a victim of illegal detention, imprisonment, and torture between November 20, 1973, and November 22, 1975, with the resulting serious physical and psychological consequences.
Filmography Films Year Títle Character Director1973 Metamorfosis del jefe de la policía política Helvio Soto1973 La tierra prometida Campesino Miguel Littín1977 Queridos compañeros Pablo de la Barra1978 El paso Orlando Lübbert1979 Prisioneros desaparecidos Sergio M. Castilla1979 De försvunna Sergio M. Castilla1986 Nemesio Cristián Lorca1987 Sussi Gonzalo Justiniano1987 La estación del regreso Camionero Leo Kocking1993 Johnny cien pesos Professor Gustavo Graef Marino1997 Historias de fútbol Don Mario Andrés Wood1999 The Sentimental Teaser Loro Cristián Galaz1999 El desquite Andrés Wood2000 Coronation Locutor de radio Silvio Caiozzi2001 Un ladrón y su mujer Rodrigo Sepúlveda2003 Estación de invierno Pamela Espinoza2004 El tesoro de los caracoles Don Julio Cristián Jiménez2005 Alberto: ¿Quién sabe cuánto cuesta hacer un ojal? Ricardo Larraín2008 The Sky, the Earth and the Rain José Luis Torres2008 The Good Life Pepe Andrés Wood2009 Optical Illusions Don Justo Cristián Jiménez2011 Bonsái Gazmuri Cristián Jiménez2011 03:34: Earthquake in Chile Don Cucho Juan Pablo Ternicier2014 Hijo de Trauco Rafael Alan Fischer2020Jailbreak PactPadre Gerard FôvetDavid Albala20221976Padre SánchezManuela Martelli2023Prison in the AndesManuel ContrerasFelipe Carmona
Television +TelenovelasYearChannelTitleRole1985Matrimonio de papelGabriel RománCanal 13Marta a las ochoAntonio GutiérrezTVNMorir de amorManuel Tapia1991Volver an empezarSalustio Moure1993Doble juegoÁngelCanal 131994RompecorazónIgnacio RiescoTVN1997Oro verdeCasimiro Moraga1998IoranaHotu Pakarati200316Ambrosio Vargas2004Destinos CruzadosRuperto Menchaca17Ambrosio Vargas2015La PoseídaJosé María Leal2019Río OscuroEusebio LlanosCanal 132023Juego de ilusionesNadir NazirMega +Series Year Title Role1972La sal del desierto1987La QuintralaAlonso Solórzano y Velasco1992Los VenegasTorrejón1992Estrictamente sentimentalOnofre Salcedo1997Brigada EscorpiónHoracio Luna1998Las historias de SussiRicardo Santa María1998Los CárcamoTito2000Gracias por la vidaJuan Manríquez2001A la suerte de la ollaGilberto Moraga2004El cuento del tíoEvaristo2004Loco por tiAlberto2005Mea culpa Porfirio Pino2005Tiempo final: en tiempo realComisario2005Heredia y asociadosJulio2007; 2024El día menos pensadoPadre Valentín / Padre Ramiro2007Litoral Carlos Rey2008Huaiquimán y TolosaJuan2008Ana y los sieteNicolás Correa2010Adiós al séptimo de líneaSantiago Amengual2010Volver a míMauricio Toledo2016Bala LocaJulio Osorio2017IrreversibleVíctor Valderrama2018Mary & MikeCarlos Prats2022CelesteHéctor Correa
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