Txema Blasco

Txema Blasco, born José María Blasco Echeguren on 13 July 1941 in Vitoria‑Gasteiz, emerged from the austere backdrop of early Francoist Spain to become one of the most prolific Spanish actors of his generation. From a young age he balanced work and education, first as a bellboy at the Aranzabal hotel while studying for a secondary diploma, psychology and business, later serving as the hotel's accountant. His first public performances were in the clown duo Hermanos Chetti, alongside Tito Aldama, where the pair amassed a staggering 4,316 shows, honing a comic timing that would later inform his screen presence. After completing his studies, Blasco joined local theatrical groups such as La Farándula, Gasteiz and Arlequín, laying the groundwork for a transition to film and television in the mid‑1960s through the Álava Amateur Cinema Division. During the next six decades Blasco built an astonishing résumé that includes 103 television series, 82 feature‑length films, and 167 short films, a record that still stands in Spanish cinema. He broke through with roles in Jesús del Val’s El sacamantecas and José Ramón Aguirrezabal’s En el cura alavés during the 1970s, and gained wider recognition in the 1980s with Imanol Uribe’s La fuga de Segovia and Montxo Armendáriz’s Tasio. The 1990s saw him abandon his accounting job to pursue acting full‑time, delivering memorable performances in Alas de mariposa, La ardilla roja and the long‑running series Cuéntame cómo pasó, where he spent three years. In the 2000s and 2010s he remained a familiar face on both the small and big screens, appearing in Maestros, Aunque tú no lo sepas, Vidas pequeñas and popular series such as Águila Roja and Gran Hotel. His contributions were honoured in 2020 with the Celedón de Oro, and he also directed 28 works and two zarzuelas before retiring in 2021. Txema Blasco passed away on 28 June 2024 in Condado de Treviño, leaving behind four children and a lasting legacy of artistic versatility.