Nelson Villagra
| Nelson Villagra | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
9 August 1937 Chillán, Chile |
| Occupation | Actor, director, author |
| Years active | 1967-present |
Nelson Villagra (born 9 August 1937) is a Chilean actor, author and director. He is considered to be one of the most masterful actors in Chilean cinema. He is widely known for his exceptional portrayal of the assassin in El Chacal de Nahueltoro by the director Miguel Littin. He has also collaborated with fellow Chilean director Raúl Ruiz in Tres Tristes Tigres (1968) and La Colonia Penal (1971).
In 1973 he was exiled from Chile because of the military coup leading to the Pinochet dictatorship. After a period in Europe he went on to Cuba to work with some of the most important South American directors of his time, such as Humberto Solás (La Cantata de Chile) and Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, winning the Best Actor award for his role as 'El Conde' in Gutiérrez Alea's The Last Supper at the 1978 Festival Internacional de Cine de Biarritz. In 1979 he played the role of military torturer in the film Prisioneros Desaparecidos by Sergio Castilla, a role for which he was awarded the Best Actor award at the Festival de Cine de San Sebastián.
He is the recipient of numerous awards and commendations, including Best Actor for his role as El Conde in Guitiérrez Alea's The Last Supper at the 1978 Festival Internacional de Cine de Biarritz, and the 1979 San Sebastián best actor award for his portrayal of 'El Jefe' in Sergio Castilla's Prisioneros Desaparecidos.
Nelson Garrido Villagra, was born in Chillán, Chile, on 9 August 1937. His artistic activities began in 1950, at the age of 13, when he was enrolled at the School of Artistic Culture of Chillán (Escuela de Cultura Artística de Chillán) under the tuition of Professor Carlos Cortés with whom he worked on Radiodifusión Cultural de Chillán. Later in 1950, Villagra joined Chillán Cultural Broadcasting, a cultural group, who later founded the Teatro Experimental de Chillán, Chillán Choir, and the Institute of Cultural Extension of the city. This group was led by Ciro Vargas Mellado, with help from the capital - Santiago de Chile - Enrique Gajardo Velasquez. Both Mellado and Velasquez had a large influence on Villagra's theatrical and cultural training.
In 1955 he was admitted to the School of Theatre at the University of Chile. By this time Villagra already had a solid theatrical background that allowed him to stand out among the students of the School. As a freshman at the University, by chance, he was asked to replace a professional actor in a production of the University's Experimental Theatre (ITUCH), a few days before it opened. It was only a small part, but critics at the premier regarded him as "a hope for the Chilean theater."
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