José Calvo

José Calvo, born José Selgado on March 3, 1916 in Madrid, Spain, was a prolific Spanish film actor whose career spanned nearly three decades, from 1952 until his untimely death in 1980. Over the course of his life he appeared in roughly 150 films, establishing himself as one of the most recognizable supporting actors in Spanish cinema and the international Spaghetti Western boom of the 1960s. Calvo began his screen work in the early 1950s, quickly becoming a reliable character actor in a variety of genres, from historical dramas such as The Castilian (1963) to gritty crime stories set against post‑war backdrops. His breakthrough on the world stage arrived with the iconic role of Silvanito, the innkeeper in Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars (1964), where he portrayed one of Clint Eastwood’s few allies in the town of San Miguel, an appearance that cemented his place in the pantheon of Western side‑kicks. Following the success of that film, Calvo continued to populate the rugged landscapes of Italy and Spain with memorable performances in titles like Day of Anger (1967) opposite Lee Van Cleef, Dust in the Sun (1972), and Anda muchacho, spara! (1971). In the late 1970s, as the Spaghetti Western genre faded, he shifted his focus back to Spanish productions, embracing the comedic turn of the era with slap‑stick roles that showcased his versatile timing and affable screen presence. Throughout his career Calvo worked under eminent directors such as Luis Buñuel in Viridiana (1961) and Sergio Corbucci, leaving an indelible imprint on both serious art cinema and popular genre fare. He passed away on May 16, 1980 in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, at the age of 64, leaving behind a rich legacy of over a hundred unforgettable performances that continue to influence actors in the Spanish-speaking world.