Gonzalo de Castro

Gonzalo de Castro was born on 2 February 1963 in Madrid, Spain, where he later became one of the most recognisable faces of Spanish television. After completing a law degree at the age of twenty‑three, he made the bold decision to abandon a conventional legal career in favour of the stage. His acting debut came in 1992 with the theatre production Por los pelos, a modest start that quickly led to a series of small roles in both film and stage. Though his early screen appearances were largely peripheral, he showed a relentless work ethic and a knack for bringing authenticity to every character, traits that would soon catch the eye of industry professionals. By the late 1990s, de Castro had begun to build a reputation not only as a performer but also as a reliable assistant director, a dual skill set that would prove pivotal for his breakthrough.** In 1999, he joined the cast of the popular Telecinco series Siete Vidas initially as a helper and assistant director. The producer, impressed by his versatility, offered him a recurring episodic role as the bar owner Gonzalo, a part that organically evolved into one of the show’s main characters for seven seasons. **His television prominence skyrocketed when he headlined Doctor Mateo (2009‑2011), the Spanish adaptation of Doc Martin. The series earned him multiple awards for best television actor in 2009 and 2010, cementing his status as a leading comedic talent. Beyond the small screen, de Castro has contributed voice work, notably dubbing David Schwimmer’s character in the 2005 Spanish version of Madagascar, and appeared in a diverse filmography ranging from Lisboa, faca no coração (1998) to La ternura (2023) and the upcoming Políticamente incorrectos (2024). Recent projects include the Netflix thriller The Innocent (2021) and the Movistar+ series Matar al padre (2018). While his personal life has been kept relatively private, he was publicly linked to actresses Nathalie Poza and Natalia Verbeke. His sustained presence across theatre, film, and television continues to influence a new generation of Spanish actors.