Rubén Ochandiano

Rubén Ochandiano (born Rubén Ochandiano de Higes on 3 October 1980) is a Spanish actor whose career has spanned television, cinema and international productions. Born in Madrid, he grew up in a family with theatrical roots, being the nephew of actress and stage director Amelia Ochandiano, which gave him early exposure to the performing arts. He honed his craft under the guidance of renowned acting coaches Juan Carlos Corazza and Manuel Morón, a training that equipped him with a versatile technique valued by directors across genres. Ochandiano first appeared in minor television roles such as in the popular series Médico de familia and Periodistas, but his breakthrough arrived when he was cast as Marcos, the shy nephew of the school principal, in the teen soap Al salir de clase (1999‑2000), a role that introduced him to a broad youthful audience. His film debut came the same year with Flowers from Another World (1999), and he quickly earned critical attention for his performance as a sheep herder in the maquis‑drama Broken Silence (2001), a portrayal that garnered a Goya Award nomination for Best New Actor. The actor continued to diversify his portfolio, playing an anarchist in the miniseries Vientos de agua (2006) and a morally complex archbishop Oliva in the historical drama Toledo, cruce de destinos, where reviewers highlighted his ability to convey perverse and twisted nuances. In 2018 he was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), an acknowledgement of his growing international stature. More recently, Ochandiano expanded into the European market by appearing as an intermediate trader in the Belgian‑Dutch narco‑series Undercover (2019) and returning for its second season, demonstrating his adaptability to multilingual and cross‑cultural productions. Throughout his career, Rubén Ochandiano has combined strong theatrical foundations with a willingness to explore challenging characters, cementing his reputation as one of Spain’s most compelling contemporary actors.