José Luis López Vázquez

José Luis López Vázquez de la Torre (11 March 1922, in Madrid – 2 November 2009, in Madrid) was a Spanish actor.

Career

José Luis López Vázquez was born in Madrid, Spain on 11 March 1922. He originally worked in theater as a costume designer, a scenic designer, and as an assistant director to Pío Ballesteros and Enrique Herreros. In 1946, he switched over to film, with a small role in the movie María Fernanda la Jerezana. Originally starring in comic roles, he made the move to drama films in the 1960s, demonstrating his profound aptitude for acting.

During his life, he starred in more than 200 movies, filming several full-length films in a year. In 1971, he acted in 11 films. Although he usually appeared in Spanish films, he occasionally worked on international projects: in the UK film Travels With My Aunt from 1972, starring opposite Dame Maggie Smith. His best-known role may be in the Emmy-winning film, La Cabina, which was filmed the same year with director Antonio Mercero. López Vázquez worked with Mercero on numerous other occasions, the last being their collaboration on a movie called ¿Y tú quién eres? (2006).

José Luis López Vázquez died of natural causes in Madrid on 2 November 2009, at the age of 87.

Awards

Gold Medal of Arts

• 1985 – Gold Medal of Arts (Medalla de Oro de las Bellas Artes).

International Emmy Awards

• 1973 – Fiction for La Cabina

1972 Chicago Film Festival

• 1972 – Best Actor Award for Mi querida señorita

1971 Chicago Film Festival

• 1971 – Best Actor Award for El bosque del lobo

Honours

• Gold Medal of Merit in Labour (Kingdom of Spain, 19 December 1997).