Luis Alarcón

{{Infobox person

| name = Luis Alarcón

| image = Luis Alarcon.jpg

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_name = Luis Alfonso Alarcón Mansilla

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1929|10|23|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Puerto Natales, Chile

| death_date = {{death date and age|2023|8|4|1929|10|23|df=y}}

| death_place = Santiago, Chile

| other_names = Lucho Alarcón

| occupation = Actor, theater director

| years_active = 1951–2023

| known_for =

| notable_works =

| spouse = {{Plainlist|

Marion Soto
Lucía Eitel (until 2012)

}}

| children =

| awards = {{Plainlist|

Golden Lion of the Cannes Film Festival (1986)
Altazor Award (2000)
Pablo Neruda Order of Artistic and Cultural Merit (2007)

}}

| alma_mater = University of Chile

}}

Luis Alfonso Alarcón Mansilla (23 October 1929 – 4 August 2023), popularly known as Lucho Alarcón, was a Chilean actor, theatre director, and activist with a distinguished film, television, and stage career.{{Cite web |url=http://www.portaldearte.cl/agenda/cine/2007/ciclo_homenaje_luis.html |title=Ciclo en homenaje a Luis Alarcón |trans-title=Cycle in Homage to Luis Alarcón |publisher=Portal de Arte |language=Spanish |year=2007 |access-date=7 February 2018}}

In 1957, Alarcón began working as a stage actor participating in university theaters – {{ill|Chilean National Theater|es|Teatro Nacional Chileno|lt=University of Chile}}, {{ill|Teatro UC|es|lt=Catholic}}, Concepción, {{ill|Universidad Técnica del Estado|es|Universidad Técnica del Estado|lt=State Technical}} – and in independent companies. He later began his career as a cinematic actor, appearing in emblematic films such as Three Sad Tigers, Jackal of Nahueltoro, The Expropriation, Julio comienza en julio, Nadie dijo nada, Little White Dove, Caluga o menta, and The Shipwrecked.

In the 1980s he had roles in several telenovelas, but gained attention in the press only in 1983 when he played the evil Roberto Betancourt in {{ill|La represa|es}}. In 1993, he was instrumental in the creation of ChileActores, of which he would become the founding President. Alarcón was labeled the "Sabatini Star Actor", referring to his many appearances in the spectacular productions of Vicente Sabatini on television, which were very successful due to their social content. In 1999, he co-starred in the telenovela {{ill|La fiera (Chilean telenovela)|es|La fiera (telenovela chilena)|lt=La fiera}}, starring actress Claudia di Girolamo, which became a praised and awarded soap opera. From 1995 to 2008 he was part of the stable cast of Sabatini. Through the producer's success, Alarcón continued to work with important figures in cinema, theater, and television.

Alarcón also appeared in television series such as {{ill|Marta a las ocho|es}}, Estúpido Cupido, Romané, {{ill|La noche del cobarde|es}}, {{ill|Marrón Glacé|es|Marrón glacé (telenovela)}}, {{ill|Puertas adentro|es}}, Pampa Ilusión, {{ill|El circo de las Montini|es}}, and El Señor de la Querencia.

Alarcón was the creator of the Patagonia Film Festival, a gala developed in the Cueva del Milodón.{{Cite web |url=http://www.cooperativa.cl/noticias/entretencion/cine/cine-chileno/luis-alarcon-es-un-orgullo-inaugurar-muestra-de-cine-de-la-patagonia-con-machuca/2005-02-02/182835.html |title=Luis Alarcón: es un orgullo inaugurar Muestra de Cine de la Patagonia con 'Machuca' |trans-title=Luis Alarcón: It is an Honor to Inaugurate the Patagonia Film Festival with 'Machuca' |publisher=Radio Cooperativa |language=Spanish |date=2 February 2005 |access-date=7 February 2018}} Currently he is officially recognized as the actor with the longest career in Chilean cinema, occasionally collaborating with Raúl Ruiz, Helvio Soto, Miguel Littín, Emilio Gómez Muriel, and Silvio Caiozzi.{{Cite news |url=http://www2.latercera.com/noticia/luis-alarcon/ |title=Luis Alarcón |work=La Tercera |language=Spanish |date=9 January 2013 |access-date=7 February 2018}}

Life and career

The grandson of actor and director Justo Alarcón, Luis loved the art of film from a very young age. In Puerto Natales, where he was born, he became friends with the daughter of the cinema administrator, and there he learned the trade. In addition, his father – who worked in a refrigerator – was an amateur documentary filmmaker.

There is no other performer in Chilean cinema who appeared, like Alarcón, in such a large number of films.{{Cite web |url=http://www.cinechile.cl/entrevista.php?entrevistasid=18 |title=Entrevista a Luis Alarcón |trans-title=Interview With Luis Alarcón |first=Gabriela |last=González |work=Cinechile |language=Spanish |date=2 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310033959/http://www.cinechile.cl/entrevista.php?entrevistasid=18 |archive-date=10 March 2016 |access-date=7 February 2018}} His origins as an actor, however, were in the theater, an activity that officially began (he had previously acted in school functions) in 1951, and he subsequently acted in around 90 theatrical pieces. He related that his vocation was defined after attending an exhibition of Death of a Salesman, by Arthur Miller. He studied Corporal Expression and Pantomime with Alejandro Jodorowsky, and with Enrique Gajardo and Pedro de la Barra at the Dramatic Arts Center of the Pedagogical Institute of the University of Chile, among others.

His first foray onto the big screen was made in the 1957 film Tres miradas a la calle by {{ill|Naum Kramarenco|es}}.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r-FRAQAAMAAJ&q=%22su+primer+largometraje+en+1957%3A+Tres+miradas+a+la+calle%22 |title=Cultura, Issues 4-9 |publisher=Secretary of Communication and Culture |language=Spanish |year=1992 |access-date=7 February 2018 |via=Google Books}} Pedro Chaskel, who worked as assistant director on the film, would some years later become the director of Experimental Cinema at the University of Chile.

Alarcón participated in {{ill|Luis Cornejo|es}}'s first film, La Universidad en la Antarctica (1962), which he narrated. Later, along with much of his theater company, he starred in Raúl Ruiz's first feature film El tango del viudo (1967). Rather than ending, the shoot led directly into the making of Three Sad Tigers (1968), considered one of the most important films of Chilean cinema.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z7wuAAAAYAAJ&q=%22Alarc%C3%B3n%22+%22Tres+tristes+tigres%22 |title=Chile v/s Hollywood |first=Daniel |last=Olave |publisher=Grijalbo |isbn=9789562580519 |page=175 |date=1 January 1997 |access-date=7 February 2018 |via=Google Books}}

That same year he was summoned to join the experimental film team of the University of Chile, which produced his first feature film project called Jackal of Nahueltoro, based on real events in the San Carlos region, where an illiterate murders a whole family and later, after being educated in prison, is condemned to death. Alarcón would initially play a journalist, but he then became involved in the production of the film with Luis Cornejo himself. Jackal of Nahueltoro broke public attendance records, only surpassed by the television hit adapted to the big screen, Germán Becker's Ayúdeme usted compadre.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fpUQAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT301 |title=South American Cinema: A Critical Filmography, 1915-1994 |editor1-first=Timothy |editor1-last=Barnard |editor2-first=Peter |editor2-last=Rist |publisher=University of Texas Press |isbn=9780292792104 |date=28 June 2010 |access-date=7 February 2018 |via=Google Books}}

Later, Luis Alarcón appeared in a large portion of Raúl Ruiz's films such as Nadie dijo nada (1970), The Penal Colony (1970), The Expropriation (1971), and Little White Dove (1973).

On television he has played emblematic characters on TVN's Dramatic Area series, such as Pedro Chamorro on La fiera, who at all costs wants to marry his eldest daughter, due to a promise made to his dying wife. He was also well known for his role as Roberto Betancourt on the television series La represa, a very evil and abusive landlord.

Alarcón was also known for his Indian character in advertising for the Firestone tire brand. For one such commercial, shot by director Silvio Caiozzi, Alarcón won a Golden Lion Award at the 1986 Cannes Film Festival.{{Cite news |url=https://laprensaaustral.cl/archivo/actor-luis-alarcn-es-elegido-personaje-magallnico-del-ao/ |title=Actor Luis Alarcón es elegido Personaje Magallánico del Año |trans-title=Actor Luis Alarcón is Chosen Magallánico Personage of the Year |work=La Prensa Austral |language=Spanish |date=30 November 2014 |access-date=7 February 2018}}

In 2017, he received the Golden Spike Award from the Institute of Higher Communication Studies for his outstanding artistic career in Chilean cinema.{{Cite web |url=http://www.chileactores.cl/noticias/instituto-de-altos-estudios-comunicacionales-entrego-premio-espiga-de-oro-a-luis-alarcon/ |title=Instituto de Altos Estudios Comunicacionales entregó 'Premio Espiga de Oro' a Luis Alarcón |work=ChileActores |trans-title=Institute of Higher Communication Studies Grants 'Golden Spike Award' to Luis Alarcón |language=Spanish |access-date=7 February 2018}}

Luis Alarcón died on 4 August 2023, at the age of 93.{{Cite web |url=https://www.cooperativa.cl/noticias/entretencion/television/un-gran-companero-el-mundo-de-la-cultura-despide-al-iconico-luis/2023-08-04/191416.html |title='Un gran compañero': El mundo de la cultura despide al icónico Luis Alarcón |trans-title="A great companion": The World of Culture Says Goodbye to the Iconic Luis Alarcón |publisher=Radio Cooperativa |language=es |date=2023-08-04 |access-date=2023-08-05}}

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Director
class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" ! colspan="4" style="background: LightSteelBlue;"\|Films
1957	{{ill\|Tres miradas a la calle\|es}}	Offender	{{ill\|Naum Kramarenco\|es}}
1961	La Novia		Ernesto Arancibia
1962	La Flor de Irupé	Roberto	{{ill\|Alberto Du Bois\|es}}
rowspan="2"\|1967	Erase un niño, un guerrillero, un caballo		Helvio Soto
El tango del viudo		Raúl Ruiz
1968	Three Sad Tigers	Luis Úbeda	Raúl Ruiz
1969	Jackal of Nahueltoro	Judge	Miguel Littín
rowspan="5"\|1970	¡Qué hacer!	Osvaldo Alarcón	Raúl Ruiz
The Penal Colony	Head of State	Raúl Ruiz
La Buscona		Emilio Gómez Muriel
{{ill\|Rosas blancas para mi hermana negra\|es}}		Abel Salazar
Flor de durazno		Emilio Gómez Muriel
rowspan="4"\|1971	{{ill\|Jesús, el niño Dios\|es}}	Voltigo	Miguel Zacarías
{{ill\|Los testigos (1971 film)\|es\|Los testigos (película de 1971)\|lt=Los testigos}}		Charles Elsesser
Nadie dijo nada	Braulio "The Poet"	Raúl Ruiz
Dos mujeres y un hombre		Alfredo B. Crevenna
rowspan="2"\|1972	Hoy he soñado con Dios	Octavio	Julián Soler
{{ill\|Doña Macabra (film)\|es\|Doña Macabra\|lt=Doña Macabra}}		Roberto Gavaldón
1973	Little White Dove	Stepfather of María	Raúl Ruiz
rowspan="2"\|1974	{{ill\|A la sombra del Sol\|es}}	Carrillo	Silvio Caiozzi
The Expropriation	Capataz Lucho	Raúl Ruiz
1975	Vías paralelas		Cristián Sánchez
1977	Arrecife mortal		John Randall
rowspan="2"\|1979	El amor de mi vida	Gene Curtis	Joselito Rodríguez
Julio comienza en julio	Alberto García del Castaño	Silvio Caiozzi
1980	{{ill\|El zapato chino\|es}}	Félix	Cristián Sánchez
1987	{{ill\|Sussi (film)\|es\|Sussi\|lt=Sussi}}	Mario	Gonzalo Justiniano
rowspan="2"\|1990	Caluga o menta	Marcial	Gonzalo Justiniano
Hay algo allá afuera		Pepe Maldonado
1992	{{ill\|Los agentes de la KGB también se enamoran\|es}}	Don Pedro	Sebastián Alarcón
rowspan="2"\|1993	Johnny 100 Pesos	Juez Gastón Mora	Gustavo Graef-Marino
{{ill\|Derecho de asilo\|es\|Derecho de asilo (película)}}		Octavio Cortázar
1994	The Shipwrecked	Sebastián Mola	Miguel Littín
1997	La huella		Juan Diego Garreton
1998	Aventureros del fin del mundo	Adventurer	Miguel Littín
rowspan="2"\|1999 \|Cinco marineros y un ataúd verde \|Hans \|Miguel Littín
El duelo \|Don Faustino \|Miguel Littín
rowspan="2"\|2000	Tierra del Fuego	Alexis	Miguel Littín
Chilean Gothic		Ricardo Harrington
2002	{{ill\|Estación de invierno\|es}}		Pamela Espinoza
2003	The Chosen One	Head of State	Nacho Argiró & Gabriel López
2004	La Isla		Alex Leyton
2006	Kiltro	Farah	Ernesto Díaz
2008	{{ill\|Secretos (film)\|es\|Secretos (película)\|lt=Secretos}}		Valeria Sarmiento
2009	Mandrill	Don Mario	Ernesto Díaz
2011	Gente mala del norte	Abelardo de la Puente	Patricio Riquelme
2013	La gravedad del púgil		Jorge Mella
rowspan="3"\|2014	Mamá ya crecí	Clemente Correa	Gonzalo Badilla
Maldito Amor	Señor Ossandón	Gonzalo Badilla
La invención de la Patria		Galut Alarcón

Television

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;" ! colspan="4" style="background: LightSteelBlue;"\|TV series
Year ! Series ! Role ! Channel
1966 \|Historia de los lunes \| \|Chilevisión
1967 \|{{ill\|Juani en Sociedad\|es}}
1975 \|{{ill\|J. J. Juez\|es}} \|El Capataz \|Canal 13
1981 \|{{ill\|Casagrande (telenovela)\|es\|lt=Casagrande}} \|Humberto Martínez \|Canal 13
rowspan="2"\|1982 \|{{ill\|Anakena (TV series)\|es\|Anakena (serie de televisión)\|lt=Anakena}} \|Mariano Balcarce \|Canal 13
{{ill\|La señora (1982 telenovela)\|es\|La señora (telenovela de 1982)\|lt=La señora}} \|Marcial \|Canal 13
1983 \|La noche del cobarde \|Alamiro Villarrobles \|Canal 13
rowspan="2"\|1984 \|La Represa \|Roberto Betancourt \|TVN
{{ill\|La torre 10\|es}} \|Ramón Oyarce \|TVN
rowspan="2"\|1985 \|{{ill\|Marta a las ocho\|es}} \|René Barrientos \|TVN
{{ill\|Morir de amor (telenovela)\|es\|lt=Morir de amor}} \|Emiliano Cardoso \|TVN
rowspan="2"\|1986 \|{{ill\|La dama del balcón\|es}} \|Domínguez \|TVN
{{ill\|La villa (telenovela)\|es\|lt=La villa}} \|Rafael López "El Coyote" \|TVN
1988 \|{{ill\|Semidiós (telenovela)\|es\|lt=Semidiós}} \|Albino Vega \|Canal 13
1989 \|{{ill\|La intrusa (1989 telenovela)\|es\|La intrusa (telenovela de 1989)\|lt=La Intrusa}} \|Adolfo Tropero \|Canal 13
rowspan="2"\|1990 \|{{ill\|El milagro de vivir (Chilean telenovela)\|es\|El milagro de vivir (telenovela chilena)\|lt=El milagro de vivir}} \|Marcial Ríos \|TVN
{{ill\|Crónica de un hombre santo\|es}} \|Monseñor Sergio Valech \|Canal 13
1991 \|{{ill\|Volver a empezar (Chilean telenovela)\|es\|Volver a empezar (telenovela chilena)\|lt=Volver a empezar}} \|Gastón de la Force \|TVN
1992 \|{{ill\|El palo al gato\|es}} \|Jaime \|Canal 13
1993 \|{{ill\|Marrón Glacé\|es\|Marrón glacé (telenovela)}} \|Waldo \|Canal 13
rowspan="2"\|1994 \|{{ill\|Champaña (telenovela)\|es\|lt=Champaña}} \|Camilo Zamudio \|Canal 13
{{ill\|Rojo y miel\|es}} \|Alcides Mainardi \|TVN
1995 \|Estúpido Cupido \|Octavio Dublé \|TVN
1996 \|Sucupira \|Ambrosio Campos \|TVN
rowspan="2"\|1997 \|{{ill\|La buhardilla\|es}} \|José María \|TVN
Brigada Escorpión \|Anselmo Marín \|TVN
rowspan="2"\|1998 \|{{ill\|Borrón y cuenta nueva (telenovela)\|es\|Borrón y cuenta nueva\|lt=Borrón y cuenta nueva}} \|Reynaldo Paz \|TVN
{{ill\|Mi abuelo, mi nana y yo\|es}} \|Nicanor Barros Jarpa \|TVN
1998–1999 \|{{ill\|Sucupira, la comedia\|es}} \|Ambrosio Campos \|TVN
1999 \|{{ill\|La fiera (Chilean telenovela)\|es\|La fiera (telenovela chilena)\|lt=La fiera}} \|Pedro Chamorro "El Guata de Sandía" \|TVN
2000 \|Romané \|Baldomero Lillo / Spiro Antich \|TVN
2001 \|Pampa Ilusión \|Emilio Fuenzalida \|TVN
2002 \|{{ill\|El circo de las Montini\|es}} \|Juan Lorenzo "El Capitán" \|TVN
2003 \|{{ill\|Puertas adentro\|es}} \|Efraín Gallegos \|TVN
2004 \|Los Pincheira \|Padre Antonio Ortúzar \|TVN
2005 \|{{ill\|Los Capo\|es}} \|Giorgio Capo "El Nono" \|TVN
2006 \|{{ill\|Disparejas\|es\|Disparejas (telenovela)}} \|Adolfo Duarte \|TVN
2007 \|{{ill\|Corazón de María (telenovela)\|es\|lt=Corazón de María}} \|Pedro Lamarca \|TVN
rowspan="2"\|2008 \|Viuda Alegre \|Edgardo Mansilla \|TVN
El Señor de la Querencia \|Renato Echeñique \|TVN
2009 \|{{ill\|El vuelo del poeta\|es\|El vuelo del poeta (película)}} \|Vicente García-Huidobro \|TVN
rowspan="2"\|2010 \|Martin Rivas \|Pedro San Luis \|TVN
La familia de al lado \|Igor Mora \|TVN
2011 \|{{ill\|Témpano (telenovela)\|es\|lt=Témpano}} \|Francisco Grau \|TVN
2013 \|Somos los Carmona \|Rosendo Carmona \|TVN
2014 \|Caleta del sol \|Nicasio Mardones "Don Lobo" \|TVN
rowspan="2"\|2015 \|{{ill\|Los años dorados (Chile)\|es\|lt=Los años dorados}} \|Manuel \|UCV Television
{{ill\|El bosque de Karadima\|es}} \|Arzobispo \|Chilevisión
2016 \|El camionero \|Emeterio Pérez \|TVN
2017 \|{{ill\|Dime quién fue\|es}} \|Humberto Rodríguez \|TVN

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;"

! colspan="4" style="background: LightSteelBlue;"|TV series

Year

! Series

! Role

! Channel

1966

|Historia de los lunes

|Chilevisión

1967

|{{ill|Juani en Sociedad|es}}

1975