Mexican actor Ignacio López Tarso died today at the age of 98. He had been hospitalized for a week due to pneumonia and intestinal occlusion. He was one of Mexico’s most renowned actor with a prolific career in cinema, theater, and television. He acted in over fifty movies, working with filmmakers such as Luis Buñuel, Roberto Gavaldón, Julio Bracho, John Huston, José Estrada, Carlos Saura, and Jorge Fons.
and perhaps his most famous performance internationally was the title role in the 1960 Mexican supernatural drama Macario by Roberto Gavaldón, which became the first Mexican film to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
Born Ignacio López López in Mexico City on January 15, 1925, he lived his childhood in numerous cities across the country. After failed stints in the seminary, the military, and as a salesman, he decided to study acting at the Academy of Dramatic Art of Mexico’s National Institute of Fine Arts at the age of 24. His professional theater debut followed shortly after.
In 1954, he made his film debut in La desconocida by Chano Urueta, and a few years later, he had a small role in Luis Buñuel’s Nazarín. In 1960 he starred in Macario, which participated in Cannes official Palme d’Or competition, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, a first for Mexico. The film tells the story of impoverished peasant Macario, who is visited by three mysterious deities when his wife prepares for him his favorite meal, a whole turkey. After withholding the succulent bird from both God and the Devil, Macario finally offers half to Death, hoping the gesture will stave off his own demise. As a reward, Death offers Macario healing water that will work only at the discretion of Death himself.
Following the success of Macario, López Tarso starred in several movies including La sombra del Caudillo (1961), The Guns of Juana Gallo (1961), Rosa Blanca (1961), La bandida (1962), The Paper Man (1963), Autumn Days / Días de otoño (1963) and Cri Cri el grillito cantor (1964).
Other film credits include The Golden Cockerel / El gallo de oro (1964), Tarahumara (1965), Pedro Páramo (1967), La vida inútil de Pito Pérez (1970), La generala (1971), El profeta Mimi (1973), Los albañiles (1976), The Children of Sanchez (1978), Antonieta (1982), Under the Volcano (1984), Toña Machetes (1985), and Tirano Banderas (1993).
