Manuel de Blas

reference content So, here’s a guy who started out in Extremadura, kicked it in Córdoba for a couple years, then made the classic move to Madrid. Why? Politics, man. Well, political sciences, but it sounds way more dramatic if you just say “politics.” Anyway, while most people would slog through university, he clearly got bored—enrolled in EOC, which, if you know anything about Spanish film, is basically the Hogwarts for actors. Didn’t waste time either; first dip into cinema was a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it part in *Rosa de Lima* back in ‘62. Not exactly a blockbuster debut, but hey, everybody starts somewhere. At first, casting directors must have looked at him and thought, “Villain vibes.” Because for a while, that’s all he played—bit roles, shady characters, the guy you love to hate but forget by the next act. But then the 80s rolled around, and something shifted. He started getting juicier scripts, riskier parts, stuff that actually had people talking. Suddenly, he wasn’t just another background baddie—he was front and center, rubbing elbows with the heavyweights of Spanish cinema. The sort of actor who could steal a scene, or even carry a whole film if you let him. By then, he’d carved out a spot at the top, no question. You look at the Spanish film scene from back then, and his name pops up everywhere—always in the thick of projects that didn’t shy away from big ideas or controversy. That’s how you know you’ve made it: you start out playing nameless thugs, and end up being the reason people buy tickets.