The Argentine actor Héctor Alterio, one of the most emblematic figures of theater and cinema in the Spanish language, died this Saturday at the age of 96, as confirmed Pentation Showsproducer of her latest stage work, a little story.
According to the statement released by the producer Alterio “he left in peace” after a “long and full life dedicated to his family and art.”
Jesús Cimarro, producer of his last show, defined him as “one of the great performers of the Spanish and Argentine scene.”
In March of this year, in an interview with EFEthe actor confessed that, at 95 years old, he still received the affection of the public “with applause, laughter and silence.”
Born in Buenos Aires in 1929, Alterio debuted on stage in 1948 with the play Suicide prohibited in spring and, after completing his studies in dramatic art, he founded the independent company Nuevo Teatro in 1950, which influenced the renewal of the Argentine theater scene in the 50s and 60s.
According to review the site of the Argentine presidencythe actor worked in nearly 150 films, 50 plays and 10 television series, both in Argentina and Spain.
For his enormous contribution to the theatrical and audiovisual arts, the Argentine Ministry of Culture paid him a special tribute in 2023.
In cinema, his career began in 1965 with All sun is bitter and continued with numerous notable films of classic and progressive Argentine cinema of the 60s and 70s, including The rebellious Patagonia and The seven fools.
After going into exile in Spain in 1975 after receiving death threats during the dictatorship, he participated in important Spanish productions such as To an unknown godfor which he received the Best Actor award at the San Sebastián Festival, The Cuenca crime and The nestthe latter nominated for an Oscar.
With the return of Argentine democracy, Alterio worked on productions on both sides of the Atlantic, adding titles such as The official storywhich won the Oscar for best foreign film, and The bride’s sonalong with work on television and theater that cemented his reputation as one of the most respected Spanish-speaking performers.
In a recent conversation with The CountryAlterio explained that his decision to continue acting at an age when the majority had already retired responded to a vital need for expression.
He said that he could not conceive of any other way to channel what he felt and that theater continued to offer him the pleasure of entertaining and being credible to the public. For him, acting had always been a constant search for the truth, a space where the viewer could trust what was happening on stage.
Furthermore, he recalled that from a young age he discovered that he had a special talent for provoking emotions, especially laughter, an experience that marked his vocation and accompanied him throughout his life.
“When I was a child I dedicated myself to entertaining my friends. I imitated, sang… whatever it took. They called me the skinny one, and they asked me for things. ‘Hey, skinny, be a beggar’. And I covered one eye, I limped, I lay down to beg and stretched out my hand to see if coins would fall. And they did. I realized that I knew how to do things that others didn’t know how to do. I had that power and that made me feel very good. The Laughter from my friends was a gift that fascinated me. Then I spent weeks and weeks living off those memories,” he told the Spanish newspaper.
When taking stock of his life, Alterio was fully aware of the dizzying passage of time. “Above all, I would say that it happens very quickly. Too quickly. It goes away in a flash. I didn’t expect to reach the age I am. And I know that I have little time to continue working and to continue living, so I prefer not to think too much about the past or the future. I live my day-to-day life peacefully.”
