Manolo Zarzo, one of the most iconic actors of Spanish cinema, dies.

BarcelonaActor Manuel Zarzo (Madrid, 1932-2025), popularly known as Manolo Zarzo, died this Tuesday at the age of 93. Zarzo made his film debut at the age of 19 and appeared in more than 170 films and series, most of them in supporting roles. His most notable roles include The gulfs (1959) by Carlos Saura, The hive (1982) by Mario Camus, The Holy Innocents (1984) also by Camus and Between darkness (1983) by Pedro Almodóvar. He also worked on international feature films with stars such as Ettore Scola, Monica Vitti and Marcello Mastroianni, with whom he coincided in The demon of jealousy (1972). The actor filmed in countries such as Vietnam, Italy, Angola, and Cambodia. In the later years of his career, he focused primarily on television projects and appeared in series such as Companions (1998), The Super (1999), Laura's truth (2002), There is no one living here (2003), Tell me how it happened (2001) and Love lasts forever (2015).

Zarzo entered the world of acting in 1948, when he was 16, and joined a youth theatre company with which he performed for several seasons. In 1951, director Antonio del Amo signed him to Day after day, which was his gateway to the audiovisual industry. From then on, Zarzo built a long and prolific career in the audiovisual world. "Although I think I haven't done everything I could have done, I have friends and the respect and affection of the people," said the actor during the tribute paid to him by the Spanish Film Academy in 2023.

His participation in The gulfs, Carlos Saura's first film (produced by Pere Portabella), made him one of the faces of the new Spanish cinema that sought to portray Spanish society in a more raw and realistic way, closer to the reality of the post-war period. Zarzo was the only professional actor in a film that caused a sensation at Cannes and launched the actor's career. From then on, he became a regular name in the casts of commercial directors of the time, such as Mariano Ozores, Vicente Escribà, and, above all, Pedro Lazaga, with whom he shot a dozen films over the years. It was in his maturity as an actor, from the 1980s onwards, when directors such as Mario Camus once again opened the doors to prestigious auteur cinema for him with titles such as The hive either The Holy InnocentsZarzo also works with Gonzalo Suárez in Epilogue (1984) and plays a small role as a priest in the sacrilegious comedy Between darkness (1983), by the still transgressive Pedro Almodóvar. During the 80s he worked in emblematic series such as Fortunata and Jacinta, The footprint of crime, Cats on the roof and, above all, ReedbedAn all-around actor, Zarzo also flirted with horror and worked in a couple of Paul Naschy films.

At a recent event at the Spanish Film Academy, Zarzo recalled an accident he suffered in 1960, when on his way to the headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior to get his passport stamped, he came across a fire on Carretas Street in Madrid. The actor joined the group of people who, using blankets, tried to rescue neighbors who were jumping from the windows of the burning building, with the bad luck that a woman fell on top of him. According to Zarzo, he was clinically dead, but he recovered, and his colleagues dedicated a tribute to him at the Teatro Real in Madrid.