Hispanoargentine actor Héctor Alterio, a key figure in cinema and theater in Argentina and Spain, died on Saturday in Madrid at the age of 96. Active until the end, he leaves behind a career spanning over seven decades marked by forced exile in 1975 due to threats from the Triple A. His family bid him farewell, highlighting his life dedicated to art and family.
Héctor Alterio, born in Buenos Aires in 1929 to Italian immigrants from Molise, debuted in theater at 18 with Alejandro Casona's 'Prohibido suicidarse en primavera'. He founded the Nuevo Teatro company in 1950, which revitalized the Argentine scene until 1968. His film career began in 1967 with 'Cómo seducir a una mujer' and he collaborated with directors like Leopoldo Torre Nilsson on 'La mafia' and 'Los siete locos', and Héctor Olivera on 'La Patagonia rebelde'.
In 1975, while promoting 'La tregua' at the San Sebastián Film Festival, he received death threats from the Triple A, the far-right paramilitary group, forcing him to exile in Spain with his wife Ángela Bacaicoa and children Ernesto (born 1970) and Malena (1974), both actors. In Spain, he starred in classics like Carlos Saura's 'Cría cuervos' (1976), portraying a dead soldier, and Jaime Chávarri's 'A un dios desconocido' (1977), for which he won the Silver Shell. Other works include 'El hijo de la novia' (2001) with Ricardo Darín and 'La historia oficial' (1985), the first Argentine film to win an Oscar.
Alterio balanced cinema, theater, and television, receiving the Honorary Goya in 2004. His final play, 'Una pequeña historia' with autobiographical tones, kept him active until October 2025. In a May 2025 interview, he said: “Life passes very quickly. Too quickly. It goes with a puff”. José Sacristán remembered him as a withdrawn friend who brought truth to Spanish acting in works like 'Asignatura pendiente' (1977) and 'Dos menos'.
His family announced: “With deep sorrow we want to inform you that today, December 13 in the morning, Héctor Alterio has left us. He passed away in peace after a long and full life dedicated to his family and art, remaining professionally active until today. Rest in peace”. Politicians like Pedro Sánchez described him as an “immense and beloved” actor.
