The Spanish performing world mourns the death of José Lifante. The Catalan actor died this Tuesday at the age of 80, in Madrid, after suffering a thrombosis, according to close sources. The Actors and Dancers Management Entity, AISGE, has communicated the news through its social networks: “Today he leaves us at 80 years old
Lifante’s departure puts an end to a long and successful career in the world of film and television. Graduated in Philosophy and Letters, with a specialty in Art History, he took his first steps in 1960, being part of the theater company of Enrique Diosdado and Amelia de la Torre in Barcelona. Just a year later, he would debut in the films The Robbers and Youth in the Open, before being absent for nine years.
A time of impasse in which he established himself as an outstanding actor in the theatrical environment. One of his most notable performances came in El adefesio, by Rafael Alberti, in 1966. It would not be until 1974 that he would return to filming, starting an extensive career that would lead him to participate in more than one hundred titles. Lifante would end up becoming a specialist in supporting roles, especially in comedy.
Two of his most notable roles on the big screen were as a butler in National Heritage (1981), by Luis García Berlanga; and as a zombie in the horror film No desecrate the dream of the dead (1974), by Jordi Grau. In the television field, he was in charge of embodying hundreds of characters in a multitude of comedies, such as El pícaro (1974), Lecciones de toilette (1983), Teresa de Jesús (1984), Half an orange (1986) or Villarriba y Villabajo (1994).
However, most viewers of the current generation will remember him for two very notable television roles: as the exorcist of Desengaño 21 in Here There Is No One Who Lives and in the role of Father Don Benito in Cuéntame How Happened. Another notable facet was that of a dubbing actor, carving out a niche among the voices of the animated series Los Caballeros del Zodiaco. He was tasked with playing the ruthless Golden Knight, Cancer’s Death Mask.
His loss has also been noted on social networks, with many users lamenting the actor’s death. “Farewell to one of the most outstanding supporting actors in our cinema and theater. And José Lifante, even though the role was small, always shone. In my work within the world of the physical format, he was a generous person always willing to share his stories,” said Xavier Sánchez, member of the Sitges festival programming team.
