Consternation over the death of Francesc Garrido at 56, actor from 'Sé quién eres', 'Gran Reserva' or 'La novia gitana'

The world of acting bids farewell to Francesc Garrido with deep surprise and consternation. The Catalan actor passed away this Monday, August 31, at the age of 56 after suffering a cardiac problem. Garrido leaves behind an extensive career of more than three decades in film, television, and theater, with some of his most recognized works in series such as Sé quién eres, Gran Reserva, and La novia gitana.

Born in Barcelona and linked to theater from his early years, Garrido began his career on stage in 1990. His popularity later grew thanks to Catalan television, especially with Estació d'enllaç, before making the leap to cinema and participating in films such as La ciudad de los prodigios and Smoking Room. Precisely for Smoking Room, Garrido received the award for best actor at the Málaga Festival in 2002. From then on, he built a career marked by a variety of registers and by his presence in both large productions and projects more linked to auteur cinema.

Among his television works are also Isabel, El tiempo entre costuras, Jaguar, Los artistas, Clanes, and Los sin nombre. One of his last great characters was in La novia gitana, an adaptation of Carmen Mola's novels, where he participated in all three seasons. He also had Sira, a continuation of the series starring Adriana Ugarte, pending release.

A career linked to film, theater, and television

Garrido's consecration as an interpreter came hand in hand with a career that never wanted to limit itself to a single format. The actor worked with very different directors and teams and maintained a close relationship with theater for years, a discipline he always championed as one of his great passions.

In an interview with El Periódico, he explained that he found motivation precisely in facing each new character: "It still excites me to play this game, to take the character that has fallen to you and think about how you're going to put it together." For Garrido, each role meant facing the same creative process again, regardless of its size or impact.

He also reflected on several occasions on the changing nature of the profession and how his perception of the industry had evolved over the years. "What has changed is seeing how the seams of the profession are, how the industry is, how culture in general moves," he assured in 2020. His philosophy was to remain linked to projects that allowed him to continue exploring through interpretation. "I have always felt more comfortable close to a creative thing," he affirmed then.

An interpreter away from the spotlight

Throughout his career, Garrido maintained a discreet profile outside of stages and film sets. In an interview with Diez Minutos he did talk about his family life and explained that he had a daughter. He also recalled that his artistic vocation was marked by his father, who died when he was ten years old.

The actor especially evoked the cinema sessions he attended with him on Sundays in Barcelona. Among those films, he highlighted Ryan's Daughter, starring Robert Mitchum, as one of the memories that most marked him during his childhood. In addition to acting, Garrido had other passions away from the spotlight, including cooking. For years he worked some weekends in a restaurant in Barcelona with an uncle of his and also maintained a special bond with Gelida, a Catalan town to which he was very close.

His death thus leaves an extensive and diverse career, built over more than 35 years and in which Francesc Garrido transitioned through theater, cinema and television without ever renouncing the artisanal dimension of his craft.