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Luis Alarcón
Luis Alarcon.jpg
Born
Luis Alfonso Alarcón Mansilla

(1929-10-23)23 October 1929
Died 4 August 2023(2023-08-04) (aged 93)
Santiago, Chile
Nationality Chilean
Other names Lucho Alarcón
Alma mater University of Chile
Occupation Actor, theater director
Years active 1951–2023
Spouse(s)
  • Marion Soto
  • Lucía Eitel (until 2012)
Awards
  • Golden Lion of the Cannes Film Festival (1986)
  • Altazor Award (2000)
  • Pablo Neruda Order of Artistic and Cultural Merit (2007)

Luis Alfonso Alarcón Mansilla (23 October 1929 – 4 August 2023), popularly known as Lucho Alarcón, was a Chilean actor, theater director, and activist with a distinguished film, television, and stage career.

In 1957, Alarcón began working as a stage actor participating in university theaters – University of Chile [es], Catholic [es], Concepción, State Technical [es] – and in independent companies. He later began his career as a cinematic actor, appearing in emblematic films such as Three Sad Tigers, Jackal of Nahueltoro, The Expropriation, Julio comienza en julio, Nadie dijo nada, Little White Dove, Caluga o menta, and The Shipwrecked.

In the 1980s he had roles in several telenovelas, but gained attention in the press only in 1983 when he played the evil Roberto Betancourt in La represa [es]. In 1993, he was instrumental in the creation of ChileActores, of which he would become the founding President. Alarcón was labeled the "Sabatini Star Actor", referring to his many appearances in the spectacular productions of Vicente Sabatini [es] on television, which were very successful due to their social content. In 1999, he co-starred in the telenovela La fiera [es], starring actress Claudia di Girolamo, which became a praised and awarded soap opera. From 1995 to 2008 he was part of the stable cast of Sabatini. Through the producer's success, Alarcón continued to work with important figures in cinema, theater, and television.

He also appeared in television series such as Marta a las ocho [es], Estúpido Cupido, Romané, La noche del cobarde [es], Marrón Glacé [es], Puertas adentro [es], Pampa Ilusión, El circo de las Montini [es], and El Señor de la Querencia.

He was the creator of the Patagonia Film Festival, a gala developed in the Cueva del Milodón. Currently he is officially recognized as the actor with the longest career in Chilean cinema, occasionally collaborating with Raúl Ruiz, Helvio Soto, Miguel Littín, Emilio Gómez Muriel, and Silvio Caiozzi.

Career

The grandson of actor and director Justo Alarcón, Luis loved the art of film from a very young age. In Puerto Natales, where he was born, he became friends with the daughter of the cinema administrator, and there he learned the trade. In addition, his father – who worked in a refrigerator – was an amateur documentary filmmaker.

There is no other performer in Chilean cinema who appeared, like Alarcón, in such a large number of films. His origins as an actor, however, were in the theater, an activity that officially began (he had previously acted in school functions) in 1951, and he subsequently acted in around 90 theatrical pieces. He related that his vocation was defined after attending an exhibition of Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller. He studied Corporal Expression and Pantomime with Alejandro Jodorowsky, and with Enrique Gajardo and Pedro de la Barra at the Dramatic Arts Center of the Pedagogical Institute of the University of Chile, among others.

His first foray onto the big screen was made in the 1957 film Tres miradas a la calle by Naum Kramarenco [es]. Pedro Chaskel, who worked as assistant director on the film, would some years later become the director of Experimental Cinema at the University of Chile.

Alarcón participated in Luis Cornejo [es]'s first film, La Universidad en la Antarctica (1962), which he narrated. Later, along with much of his theater company, he starred in Raúl Ruiz's first feature film El tango del viudo (1967). Rather than ending, the shoot led directly into the making of Three Sad Tigers (1968), considered one of the most important films of Chilean cinema.

That same year he was summoned to join the experimental film team of the University of Chile, which produced his first feature film project called Jackal of Nahueltoro. Jackal of Nahueltoro broke public attendance records, only surpassed by the television hit adapted to the big screen, Germán Becker's Ayúdeme usted compadre.

Later, Luis Alarcón appeared in a large portion of Raúl Ruiz's films such as Nadie dijo nada (1970), The Penal Colony (1970), The Expropriation (1971), and Little White Dove (1973).

On television he has played emblematic characters on TVN's Dramatic Area series, such as Pedro Chamorro on La fiera, who at all costs wants to marry his eldest daughter, due to a promise made to his dying wife. He was also well known for his role as Roberto Betancourt on the television series La represa, a very evil landlord.

He was also known for his Indian character in advertising for the Firestone tire brand. For one such commercial, shot by director Silvio Caiozzi, Alarcón won a Golden Lion Award at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival.

In 2017, he received the Golden Spike Award from the Institute of Higher Communication Studies for his outstanding artistic career in Chilean cinema.

Luis Alarcón died on 4 August 2023.

Filmography

Films
Year Title Role Director
1957 Tres miradas a la calle [es] Offender Naum Kramarenco [es]
1961 La Novia Ernesto Arancibia
1962 La Flor de Irupé Roberto Alberto Du Bois [es]
1967 Erase un niño, un guerrillero, un caballo Helvio Soto
El tango del viudo Raúl Ruiz
1968 Three Sad Tigers Luis Úbeda Raúl Ruiz
1969 Jackal of Nahueltoro Judge Miguel Littín
1970 ¡Qué hacer! Osvaldo Alarcón Raúl Ruiz
The Penal Colony Head of State Raúl Ruiz
La Buscona Emilio Gómez Muriel
Rosas blancas para mi hermana negra [es] Abel Salazar
Flor de durazno Emilio Gómez Muriel
1971 Jesús, el niño Dios [es] Voltigo Miguel Zacarías
Los testigos [es] Charles Elsesser
Nadie dijo nada Braulio "The Poet" Raúl Ruiz
Dos mujeres y un hombre Alfredo B. Crevenna
1972 Hoy he soñado con Dios Octavio Julián Soler
Doña Macabra [es] Roberto Gavaldón
1973 Little White Dove Stepfather of María Raúl Ruiz
1974 A la sombra del Sol [es] Carrillo Silvio Caiozzi
The Expropriation Capataz Lucho Raúl Ruiz
1975 Vías paralelas Cristián Sánchez [es]
1977 Arrecife mortal John Randall
1979 El amor de mi vida Gene Curtis Joselito Rodríguez
Julio comienza en julio Alberto García del Castaño Silvio Caiozzi
1980 El zapato chino [es] Félix Cristián Sánchez [es]
1987 Sussi [es] Mario Gonzalo Justiniano
1990 Caluga o menta Marcial Gonzalo Justiniano
Hay algo allá afuera Pepe Maldonado
1992 Los agentes de la KGB también se enamoran [es] Don Pedro Sebastián Alarcón
1993 Johnny 100 Pesos Juez Gastón Mora Gustavo Graef-Marino
Derecho de asilo [es] Octavio Cortázar
1994 The Shipwrecked Sebastián Mola Miguel Littín
1997 La huella Juan Diego Garreton
1998 Aventureros del fin del mundo Adventurer Miguel Littín
1999 Cinco marineros y un ataúd verde Hans Miguel Littín
El duelo Don Faustino Miguel Littín
2000 Tierra del Fuego Alexis Miguel Littín
Chilean Gothic Ricardo Harrington
2002 Estación de invierno [es] Pamela Espinoza
2003 The Chosen One Head of State Nacho Argiró & Gabriel López
2004 La Isla Alex Leyton
2006 Kiltro Farah Ernesto Díaz
2008 Secretos [es] Valeria Sarmiento
2009 Mandrill Don Mario Ernesto Díaz
2011 Gente mala del norte Abelardo de la Puente Patricio Riquelme
2013 La gravedad del púgil Jorge Mella
2014 Mamá ya crecí Clemente Correa Gonzalo Badilla
Maldito Amor Señor Ossandón Gonzalo Badilla
La invención de la Patria Galut Alarcón

Television

TV series
Year Series Role Channel
1966 Historia de los lunes Chilevisión
1967 Juani en Sociedad [es]
1975 J. J. Juez [es] El Capataz Canal 13
1981 Casagrande [es] Humberto Martínez Canal 13
1982 Anakena [es] Mariano Balcarce Canal 13
La señora [es] Marcial Canal 13
1983 La noche del cobarde Alamiro Villarrobles Canal 13
1984 La Represa Roberto Betancourt TVN
La torre 10 [es] Ramón Oyarce TVN
1985 Marta a las ocho [es] René Barrientos TVN
Morir de amor [es] Emiliano Cardoso TVN
1986 La dama del balcón [es] Domínguez TVN
La villa [es] Rafael López "El Coyote" TVN
1988 Semidiós [es] Albino Vega Canal 13
1989 La Intrusa [es] Adolfo Tropero Canal 13
1990 El milagro de vivir [es] Marcial Ríos TVN
Crónica de un hombre santo [es] Monseñor Sergio Valech Canal 13
1991 Volver a empezar [es] Gastón de la Force TVN
1992 El palo al gato [es] Jaime Canal 13
1993 Marrón Glacé [es] Waldo Canal 13
1994 Champaña [es] Camilo Zamudio Canal 13
Rojo y miel [es] Alcides Mainardi TVN
1995 Estúpido Cupido Octavio Dublé TVN
1996 Sucupira [es] Ambrosio Campos TVN
1997 La buhardilla [es] José María TVN
Brigada Escorpión Anselmo Marín TVN
1998 Borrón y cuenta nueva [es] Reynaldo Paz TVN
Mi abuelo, mi nana y yo [es] Nicanor Barros Jarpa TVN
1998–1999 Sucupira, la comedia [es] Ambrosio Campos TVN
1999 La fiera [es] Pedro Chamorro "El Guata de Sandía" TVN
2000 Romané Baldomero Lillo / Spiro Antich TVN
2001 Pampa Ilusión Emilio Fuenzalida TVN
2002 El circo de las Montini [es] Juan Lorenzo "El Capitán" TVN
2003 Puertas adentro [es] Efraín Gallegos TVN
2004 Los Pincheira Padre Antonio Ortúzar TVN
2005 Los Capo [es] Giorgio Capo "El Nono" TVN
2006 Disparejas [es] Adolfo Duarte TVN
2007 Corazón de María [es] Pedro Lamarca TVN
2008 Viuda Alegre Edgardo Mansilla TVN
El Señor de la Querencia Renato Echeñique TVN
2009 El vuelo del poeta [es] Vicente García-Huidobro TVN
2010 Martin Rivas Pedro San Luis TVN
La familia de al lado Igor Mora TVN
2011 Témpano [es] Francisco Grau TVN
2013 Somos los Carmona Rosendo Carmona TVN
2014 Caleta del sol Nicasio Mardones "Don Lobo" TVN
2015 Los años dorados [es] Manuel UCV Television
El bosque de Karadima [es] Arzobispo Chilevisión
2016 El camionero Emeterio Pérez TVN
2017 Dime quién fue [es] Humberto Rodríguez TVN

Awards and recognitions

  • Golden Lion of the Cannes Film Festival (1986)
  • Recognition of the film industry at the 7th Viña del Mar International Film Festival (1994)
  • Association of Entertainment Journalists [es] (APES) Award (1995) – Best Lead Actor for Estúpido Cupido
  • APES Award (1999) – Best Lead Actor for La Fiera
  • Altazor Award (2000) – Best Actor for La Fiera
  • APES Award (2000) – Best Acting Career
  • Relevant Contribution to National Cinema from the Ministry of Education of Chile (2001)
  • Pablo Neruda Order of Artistic and Cultural Merit (2007)
  • Honorific Medal of the Senate of the Republic of Chile (2008)
  • Tribute for 50-year career by the Corporation of Actors of Chile (ChileActores)
  • Pedro de la Barra Medal for his six decades of acting work, awarded by the University of Chile
  • Honorary Acting Career Award of the Quilpué Film Festival (2010)
  • Named Illustrious Son of Puerto Natales by the authorities of the city
  • Pudú Prize for cinematic career at the Valdivia Film Festival
  • Golden Spike Award from the Institute of Higher Communication Studies (2017)
  • Lifetime Achievement Award at the Caleuche Awards (2018)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Luis Alarcón para niños

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