Luis Alarcón facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Luis Alarcón
Born	Luis Alfonso Alarcón Mansilla (1929-10-23)23 October 1929 Puerto Natales, Chile
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 (born October 23, 1929 – died August 4, 2023), also known as Lucho Alarcón, was a famous Chilean actor and theater director. He had a long and successful career in movies, TV shows, and plays. He was also an activist, meaning he worked to bring about change in society.

Luis Alarcón started acting on stage in 1957. He performed in plays at different universities and with independent theater groups. Later, he became a well-known movie actor. He appeared in many important Chilean films. Some of these include Three Sad Tigers, Jackal of Nahueltoro, and Little White Dove.

In the 1980s, he acted in several telenovelas (soap operas). He became very famous in 1983 for playing the villain Roberto Betancourt in La represa [es]. In 1993, he helped create ChileActores, an organization for actors, and became its first president. He was known as the "Sabatini Star Actor" because he appeared in many popular TV shows directed by Vicente Sabatini [es]. These shows were loved for their stories about society. In 1999, he starred in La fiera [es] with actress Claudia di Girolamo. This show won many awards. From 1995 to 2008, he was a regular actor in Sabatini's productions. This helped him work with other important people in movies, theater, and TV.

He also appeared in TV series like Estúpido Cupido, Romané, and El Señor de la Querencia. Luis Alarcón also created the Patagonia Film Festival, which took place in the Cueva del Milodón. He is officially recognized as the actor with the longest career in Chilean cinema. He often worked with famous directors like Raúl Ruiz and Miguel Littín.

Early Life and Acting Journey

Luis Alarcón loved movies from a young age. His grandfather, Justo Alarcón, was also an actor and director. In Puerto Natales, where Luis was born, he became friends with the daughter of the local cinema manager. This helped him learn about the movie business. His father, who worked in a refrigerator plant, also made amateur documentaries.

Luis Alarcón acted in more Chilean films than almost anyone else. But he actually started his acting career in theater in 1951. He performed in about 90 plays! He said he decided to become an actor after seeing a play called Death of a Salesman. He studied acting at the University of Chile.

His first movie role was in 1957 in Tres miradas a la calle. Years later, he worked with Pedro Chaskel, who was an assistant director on that film.

Working with Famous Directors

Luis Alarcón narrated La Universidad en la Antarctica (1962), a film by Luis Cornejo [es]. Later, he starred in Raúl Ruiz's first full-length movie, El tango del viudo (1967). This movie led directly to Three Sad Tigers (1968), which is considered one of the most important Chilean films ever made.

In the same year, he joined the experimental film team at the University of Chile. They made Jackal of Nahueltoro, which broke records for how many people watched it. Only a TV show adapted for the big screen, Ayúdeme usted compadre, had more viewers.

Luis Alarcón also appeared in many other films by Raúl Ruiz. These include Nadie dijo nada (1970), The Penal Colony (1970), The Expropriation (1971), and Little White Dove (1973).

On television, he played many memorable characters. One was Pedro Chamorro in La fiera, who desperately wanted his oldest daughter to marry because of a promise to his dying wife. He was also well known as Roberto Betancourt in La represa, a very mean landlord.

He was also famous for playing an "Indian" character in commercials for Firestone tires. For one of these commercials, directed by Silvio Caiozzi, Alarcón won a Golden Lion Award at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival.

In 2017, he received the Golden Spike Award for his amazing acting career in Chilean cinema. Luis Alarcón passed away on August 4, 2023.

Filmography

Television Appearances

Awards and Special Recognitions

Luis Alarcón received many awards for his long and successful career:

• Golden Lion of the Cannes Film Festival (1986)
• Recognition from the film industry at the 7th Viña del Mar International Film Festival (1994)
• 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
• Award for important contribution to National Cinema from the Ministry of Education of Chile (2001)
• Pablo Neruda Order of Artistic and Cultural Merit (2007)
• Honorific Medal from the Senate of the Republic of Chile (2008)
• Tribute for his 50-year career by ChileActores (Corporation of Actors of Chile)
• Pedro de la Barra Medal for his six decades of acting work, given by the University of Chile
• Honorary Acting Career Award at the Quilpué Film Festival (2010)
• Named "Illustrious Son" of Puerto Natales by the city's leaders
• 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

In Spanish: Luis Alarcón para niños