# Txema Blasco

José María Blasco Echeguren (13 July 1941 – 28 June 2024), better known as Txema Blasco, was a Spanish actor known mainly for his work in film and television.

## Early life

Born in the early days of General Francisco Franco's dictatorship, Blasco went to primary school at the Samaniego and Jesús Obrero de Vitoria colleges. While studying at college, and for several years, he formed part of the clown duo of Hermanos Chetti ("Brothers Chetti") together with Tito Aldama, making a total of 4,316 appearances.
After his mother's death when Blasco was thirteen years old, he went out to work at the age of 14 at Aranzabal as a bellboy, combining it with his studies for a secondary-level diploma, and in psychology and business, years later becoming the company's accountant. At the same time he formed part of the theatrical groups La Farándula, Gasteiz or Arlequín.

## Career

In 1966, Blasco took part in the Álava provincial government's Amateur Cinema Division, filming a great many short films, participating in the 1970s in El sacamantecas ("The Bogeyman"), directed by Jesús del Val, and in José Ramón Aguirrezabal's En el cura alavés ("In the Álava Clergyman").
In the 1980s, he took part in the film La fuga de Segovia ("The Segovia Prison Break" — based on an actual event in 1976), directed by Imanol Uribe, and in Montxo Armendáriz's film Tasio. After acting in Tasio, Blasco worked in three short films by the same director, Pello Varela, foremost among which was Coja usted el siguiente ("Take the Next One"), selected in the 1986 San Sebastián International Film Festival, until in 1991 he once again appeared in a feature-length film by Enrique Urbizu: Todo por la pasta (released in English under the title "Anything for Bread"). From this time forth, Blasco's career was heavily bound to the cinema, and he repeatedly worked with more than one director, Julio Medem, Pello Varela or Montxo Armendáriz.
In 1992, he gave up his accountant's job at Aranzabal to give himself over wholly to his acting career, taking part in this decade in Alas de mariposa ("Butterfly Wings"), Vacas ("Cows"), Los años oscuros ("The Dark Years"), La ardilla roja ("The Red Squirrel"), Cómo ser infeliz y disfrutarlo ("How to Be Unhappy and Enjoy It"), Sálvate si puedes ("Save Yourself If You Can"), Salto al vacío ("Jump into the Void") or Cuernos de mujer ("Woman's Horns").
Blasco alternated his cinematic appearances with television projects such as Del Miño al Bidasoa ("From the Minho to the Bidasoa"), El joven Picasso ("The Young Picasso"), Pepa y Pepe, Colegio Mayor ("Residential College"), Más que amigos ("More Than Friends"), Blasco Ibáñez, la novela de su vida ("Blasco Ibáñez, the Novel of His Life"), La virtud del asesino ("The Murderer's Virtue") and Médico de familia ("Family Doctor").
In the 2000s, Blasco appeared in the films Maestros, Leo, Aunque tú no lo sepas (literally "Although You Never Knew It", but entitled "What You Never Knew" in English) and Para que no me olvides (literally "So That You Don't Forget Me", but entitled "Something to Remember Me By" in English), and in various series such as Paraíso, Robles, investigador, Policías, en el corazón de la calle, Un lugar en el mundo, Hospital Central and TVE's Cuéntame cómo pasó, in which he spent three years.
In the 2010s, Blasco appeared in many television series, among which were Águila Roja, Los misterios de Laura, Gran Hotel, Aída, Con el culo al aire and Rabia. He also appeared on the big screen in films such as Vidas pequeñas ("Little Lives"), Que baje Dios y lo vea ("Let God Come Down and See It") and Lo nunca visto ("That Which is Never Seen").

## Later years

In the 2020s, Blasco participated in fewer projects, retiring in 2021. In 2020, he received the Celedón de Oro, awarded by Vitoria-Gasteiz city council in recognition of the actor's extensive professional career. (Celedón is a modern legendary figure in Vitoria-Gasteiz). Throughout all his years as an actor, Blasco took part in 103 television series, 82 feature-length films and 167 short films, making him the Spanish actor who has appeared in the most short films. He also directed 28 works and two zarzuelas.
After having health problems in his later years, he went to live at the Sagrada Familia nursing home in Cucho, in the Province of Burgos.

## Death

Blasco died in Condado de Treviño, Burgos on 28 June 2024, at the age of 82. He was divorced. Blasco had four children, Marta, Óscar, Yoset and Gaizka, and five grandchildren, Javier, Íñigo, Aimar, Uxue and Aiala.

## Works
### Filmography (incomplete list)

| Year | Title | Character | Director | Notes |
| 1979 | El sacamantecas | – | Jesús del Val and Juan Carlos Ruiz de Gordoa | Feature-length |
| 1981 | La fuga de Segovia | Judge | Imanol Uribe | Feature-length |
| 1986 | Coja usted al siguiente | Juana Gorri | Pello Varela | Short |
| 1987 | A los cuatro vientos | Manolo | José A. Zorrilla | Feature-length |
| 1987 | Azpiko Gizona | Sergeant | Pello Varela | Short |
| 1987 | Aquel mundo de Jon | – | Aitor Mantxola | Short |
| 1988 | Bi, marra berean | – | Pello Varela | Short |
| 1989 | Eskorpion | Orbea | Ernesto Tellería | Feature-length |
| 1989 | Akixo | – | Juanma Bajo Ulloa | Short |
| 1991 | Todo por la pasta | Carajaula | Enrique Urbizu | Feature-length |
| 1991 | Alas de mariposa | Grandfather | Juanma Bajo Ulloa | Feature-length |
| 1992 | Vacas | Manuel | Julio Medem | Feature-length |
| 1992 | Los años oscuros | – | Arantxa Lazkano | Feature-length |
| 1993 | La ardilla roja | Chief of Neurology | Julio Medem | Feature-length |
| 1993 | Mirage | Víctor | Michael Aguiló | Short |
| 1993 | Y creó en el nombre del padre | – | Óscar del Caz | Short |
| 1994 | Cómo ser infeliz y disfrutarlo | Maldonado | Enrique Urbizu | Feature-length |
| 1994 | La canción de Valhia | – | Óscar del Caz | Short |
| 1995 | Sálvate si puedes | Maître | Joaquín Trincado | Feature-length |
| 1995 | Salto al vacío | Judge 1 | Daniel Calparsoro | Feature-length |
| 1995 | Cuernos de mujer | Lawyer | Enrique Urbizu | Feature-length |
| 1995 | Morirás en Chafarinas | Colonel | Pedro Olea | Feature-length |
| 1995 | Belmonte | Luis Rozalem | Juan Sebastián Bollaín | Feature-length |
| 1995 | Adiós Toby, adiós | Grandfather | Ramón Barea | Short |
| 1995 | Sirenas | Grandfather | Fernando León de Aranoa | Short |
| 1995 | El disco | King | Juan Luis Jiménez de No and Miguel Marichalar Aranzadi | Short |
| 1995 | Hotel y domicilio | Court policeman | Ernesto del Río | Feature-length |
| 1995 | ...Que ciento volando | – | José García Hernández | Short |
| 1996 | Cachito | Don Cayetano | Enrique Urbizu | Feature-length |
| 1996 | Canela que tú me dieras | – | Gustavo Ferrada | Short |
| 1996 | Tierra | Tomás | Julio Medem | Feature-length |
| 1996 | Agurra | Grandfather | Iñaki Elizalde | Short |
| 1996 | El buscador | Clergyman | Damián Rubio | Short |
| 1996 | Menos que cero | Goyo | Ernesto Tellería | Feature-length |
| 1996 | Ya no me acuerdo | Grandfather | Morrosko Vila San Juan | Short |
| 1996 | Sabor latino | Marcial | Pedro Carvajal | Feature-length |
| 1996 | Tabarka | Brother Casanovas | Domingo Rodes | Feature-length |
| 1996 | Adiós prisión | Cerebro | Michael Aguiló | Short |
| 1996 | Urgencia | Gentleman 1 | José Luis Serrano | Short |
| 1997 | Hazlo por mí | Antonio Robles | Ángel Fernández Santos | Feature-length |
| 1997 | Suerte | Father | Ernesto Tellería | Feature-length |
| 1997 | La fabulosa historia de Diego Marín | Grandfather | Fidel Cordero | Feature-length |
| 1997 | Planeta extraño | Don José | Pedro Pérez Jiménez | Short |
| 1997 | Cien maneras de hacer el pollo al txilindrón | Setero | Kepa Sojo | Short |
| 1997 | Todos a tus pies | Don Eulogio | Gustavo Ferrada | Short |
| 1997 | La gentileza de los desconocidos | Walberg | Luis M. Alonso | Short |
| 1998 | Manos de seda | Antique dealer | César Martínez Herrada | Feature-length |
| 1998 | La vuelta de El Coyote | Official | Mario Camus | Feature-length |
| 1998 | Atilano, presidente | Esteve | Santiago Aguilar and Luis Guridi | Feature-length |
| 1998 | La hora de los valientes | Teacher's brother-in-law | Antonio Mercero | Feature-length |
| 1998 | Feliz Navidad | Wise Man | Óscar del Caz | Short |
| 1998 | María | Grandfather | Jesús Solera | Short |
| 1999 | Rincones del paraíso | Client 2 | Carlos Pérez Merinero | Feature-length |
| 1999 | Las huellas borradas | Eutimio | Enrique Gabriel | Feature-length |
| 1999 | Patesnak, un cuento de Navidad | Old man | Iñaki Elizalde | Short |
| 1999 | Lorca | Grandfather | Iñaki Elizalde | Short |
| 1999 | Cuando vuelvas a mi lado | Emilio | Gracia Querejeta | Feature-length |
| 1999 | Pídele cuentas al rey | Man with beret | José Antonio Quirós | Feature-length |
| 1999 | El beso de la tierra | José | Lucinda Torre | Short |
| 1999 | Ángel | – | Pablo Cantos | Short |
| 1999 | Mi Rosita | Manolo | Ángeles Diemant-Hartz | Short |
| 1999 | Elena | – | Jesús García-Soler | Short |
| 2000 | Maestros | – | Óscar del Caz | Feature-length |
| 2000 | Leo | Don Miguel | José Luis Borau | Feature-length |
| 2000 | Aunque tú no lo sepas | Benito | Juan Vicente Córdoba | Feature-length |
| 2000 | El viaje de Arián | Arián's father | Eduardo Bosch | Feature-length |
| 2000 | La gran vida | – | Antonio Cuadri | Feature-length |
| 2000 | La escapada | Pepe | David Gallart | Short |
| 2000 | Anoche soñé que habías muerto | Vagabond | Javier Marmolejo | Short |
| 2000 | Nada | – | David Abajo, David Fernández and Luis Santamaría Morales | Short |
| 2000 | Viaje de ida y vuelta | – | Nuria Cabestany | Feature-length |
| 2000 | Roso | – | César Fernández Jiménez | Short |
| 2001 | Carne de gallina | Luisón | Javier Maqua | Feature-length |
| 2002 | El refugio del mal | Mr. Santos | Félix Cábez | Feature-length |
| 2003 | Pacto de brujas | Liceo | Javier Elorrieta | Feature-length |
| 2003 | Se buscan abrazos | Inocencio | Manuel García Serrano | Short |
| 2003 | El misterio Galíndez | Ricardo's uncle | Gerardo Herrero y Leigh Romero | Feature-length |
| 2003 | Niebla | Juan | Mónica Alonso | Short |
| 2003 | Crédito cero | – | Rubén Salazar | Feature-length |
| 2003 | Historia de un puñal | Priest | Joan Ayllón | Short |
| 2004 | Muertos comunes | Huete's neighbour | Norberto Ramos del Val | Feature-length |
| 2004 | Matar al ángel | Rabbi | Daniel Múgica | Feature-length |
| 2004 | Un héroe de acción | – | Gorka Losada | Short |
| 2005 | Para que no me olvides | Julián | Patricia Ferreira | Feature-length |
| 2005 | Obaba | Tomás | Montxo Armendáriz | Feature-length |
| 2005 | Somne | Marquina | Isidro Ortiz | Feature-length |
| 2005 | Mala sombra | Trainer Robles | Miguel Ángel Escudero | Short |
| 2005 | La doctora sonrisas | Inocencio, King | Manuel García Serrano | Short |
| 2005 | Se vende | – | Carlos López Martínez | Short |
| 2006 | El síndrome de Svensson | Little old man | Kepa Sojo | Feature-length |
| 2006 | Las locuras de Don Quijote | Don Quijote | Rafael Alcázar | Feature-length |
| 2006 | No me gustan los peces de colores | – | – | Short |
| 2007 | La mosquita muerta | Narrator | Imanol Rayo | Short |
| 2007 | Shevernatze: Una epopeya marcha atrás | Penderling | Pablo Palazón | Feature-length |
| 2007 | 2 rivales casi iguales | Don Jaime | Miguel Ángel Calvo Buttini | Feature-length |
| 2007 | Salomón | Eusebio | Ignacio Lasierra | Short |
| 2007 | Le protecteur | Paranoiac 3 | Patxi Basabe | Short |
| 2008 | Road Spain | – | Jordi Vidal | – |
| 2008 | Verde de otoño | Bruno | Eduardo H. Garza | Short |
| 2008 | Todos estamos invitados | Azcoaga | Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón | Feature-length |
| 2008 | Imaginario | Client | Pablo Cantos | Short |
| 2008 | Cenizas del cielo | Manolo | José Antonio Quirós | Feature-length |
| 2008 | El embaucador | Elderly man | Daniel Romero | Short |
| 2009 | Lo que dura la eternidad | Father | Toño Martín | Short |
| 2009 | La culona | Román | Polo Menárguez | Short |
| 2009 | Siempre hay tiempo | Héctor | Ana Rosa Diego | Feature-length |
| 2010 | Llueve sobremojado | Luis | Joan Álvarez | Short |
| 2010 | La vida fluye | Indigent | Toñi Martín | Short |
| 2010 | Morir cada día | – | Aitor Echeverría | Short |
| 2010 | Vidas pequeñas | Gumersindo | Enrique Gabriel | Feature-length |
| 2010 | Jaque | Miguel | Íker Franco | Vídeo |
| 2010 | Sólo palabras | Father | Yolanda Mulero | Short |
| 2010 | Bisarmes | Güelo | Francisco Martínez and Pablo A. Quiroga | Short |
| 2011 | 8 | Grandfather | Raúl Cerezo | Short |
| 2011 | Posturas | Casimiro | Álvaro Oliva | Short |
| 2011 | Lección debida | Alejandro | Iván Ruiz Flores | Feature-length |
| 2011 | Jugando con la muerte | Grandfather Eusebio | Paul Urkijo Alijo | Short |
| 2011 | Área de descanso | Grandfather | Michael Aguiló | Feature-length |
| 2011 | Un cuento de pocas palabras | Emilio | Daniel Cortázar | Short |
| 2012 | Baztán | Don Gregorio | Iñaki Elizalde | Feature-length |
| 2012 | Chan Chan | Ramón | Pilar Palomero | Short |
| 2013 | Caminante | Santiago | Joaquín Calderón | Short |
| 2014 | Objetos perdidos | Don Manuel | Álvaro Oliva | Short |
| 2014 | Estado de bienestar | – | Jorge Calvo | Short |
| 2014 | Agur | Grandfather | David Pérez Sañudo | Short |
| 2015 | Broken Basket | – | Roberto Ruiz Céspedes | Short |
| 2015 | El audífono | Fernando | Samuel Quiles Palop | Short |
| 2015 | El bosque negro | – | Paul Urkijo Alijo | Short |
| 2016 | Agustín | Manolo | Javier Celay | Short |
| 2016 | Las mujeres de Cervantes | Cervantes | Rafael Alcázar | – |
| 2016 | El andar del borracho | Fidel | Pol Armengol | Short |
| 2016 | Cefalea | Marcelino | María Sánchez Testón | Short |
| 2016 | 249. La noche en que una becaria encontró a Emiliano Revilla | Emiliano Revilla | Luis María Ferrández | Feature-length |
| 2017 | Que baje Dios y lo vea | Father Huerto | Curro Velázquez | Feature-length |
| 2018 | Tournees | Radio manager | Israel González | Short |
| 2018 | Ola de crímenes | Andoni's father | Gracia Querejeta | Feature-length |
| 2019 | Lo nunca visto | Paco | Marina Seresesky | Feature-length |
| 2019 | Stalingrado | Iñaki | Amaia San Sebastián | Short |
| 2019 | El silencio de la ciudad blanca | Don Tiburcio | Daniel Calparsoro | Feature-length |
| 2020 | El frontón más largo del mundo | Maestro | Luis Alberto Cabezón | Short |
| 2021 | Polvo somos | – | Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren | Short |

### Television (incomplete list)

| Year | Title | Character | Channel | Notes |
| 1990 | Del Miño al Bidasoa | – | La 1 | Miniseries. 1×04 |
| 1993 | El joven Picasso | – | Canal Sur, ETB2, Canal Nou, TVG and TV3 | Miniseries. 1×01 and 1×04 |
| 1994 | Terranova | Castro | ETB2, TVG and TV3 | Series |
| 1995 | Pepa y Pepe | Luis | La 1 | Series. 2×05 |
| 1996 | Colegio Mayor | Millán | ETB2, Canal Nou and La 1 | Series. 2×03 |
| 1997 | Más que amigos | Bea's father | Telecinco | Series. 1×07 |
| 1998, 2000–2001 | Periodistas | Mario (1×08), Isidoro (5×08) and Florentino Iglesias (7×01) | Telecinco | Series |
| 1998 | Blasco Ibáñez, la novela de su vida | Campus judge | La 1 | Miniseries. 1×01, parte 1 |
| 1998 | La virtud del asesino | – | La 2 | Series. 1×09 |
| 1998 | Entre naranjos | Dr. Moreno | La 1 | Miniseries. 1×01-1×02 |
| 1998 | A las once en casa | – | La 1 | Series. 1×21 |
| 1998 | La vida en el aire | Luis | La 2 | Series. 1×03 |
| 1998 | Ni contigo ni sin ti | Dr. Garañón | La 1 | Series. 1×10-1×11 |
| 1998 | Entre dos fuegos | Marcial | ETB2 | Series. 1×07 |
| 1998 | Hermanas | – | Telecinco | Series. 2×07 |
| 1999 | La casa de los líos | Braulio | Antena 3 | Series. 4×11 |
| 1999, 2002 and 2008 | El comisario | Kidnap victim (1×04), 4×10, Mr. Silva (5×09) and 12×11 | Telecinco | Series |
| 1999 | Puerta con puerta | – | La 1 | Series. 1×10 |
| 1999 | Médico de familia | – | Telecinco | Series. 9×08 |
| 2000 | Junts | Carlos | – | Made-for-TV film |
| 2000–2001 | Policías, en el corazón de la calle | Clergyman (1×08-1×09) and El Pelusa (4×01) | Antena 3 | Series |
| 2000 | La habitación blanca | Doorman | RTVE | Made-for-TV film |
| 2000 | Paraíso | Don Anselmo | La 1 | Series. 1×03 |
| 2001 | Robles, investigador | – | La 1 | Series. 1×12 |
| 2002, 2005 and 2011 | Hospital Central | Manuel (3×05), Abraham (10×06) and Joaquín (19×18-19×19) | Telecinco | Series |
| 2002 | San Antonio de Padua | – | – | Made-for-TV film |
| 2002 | Clara | – | Canal Sur, ETB2, Telemadrid, Canal 9 and TVG | Made-for-TV film |
| 2003–2004 | Un lugar en el mundo | Antón | Antena 3 | Series. 1×01-1×13 |
| 2004–2005 | Capital | Miguel | Telemadrid | Series |
| 2005 | Motivos personales | Guillermo del Valle | Telecinco | Series. 2×05-2×06 |
| 2005–2008, 2015 | Cuéntame cómo pasó | Alfredo Jiménez Arroyo | La 1 | Series. 7×07-7×09, 7×16; 8×01-8×02, 8×04, 8×07-8×11, 8×13-8×15; 9×02, 9×05, 9×08-9×10, 9×12-9×14, 9×20, 9×22; 10×03, 10×12, 10×16; 16×11 |
| 2008 | Los Serrano | Uncle Eusebio | Telecinco | Series. 7×09 |
| 2011 | La duquesa II | Majordomo | Telecinco | Miniseries. 1×01-1×02 |
| 2011 | Los misterios de Laura | Eduardo del Bosque Nájera | La 1 | Series. 2×01 |
| 2011 | Gran Hotel | Anselmo | Antena 3 | Series. 1×02 |
| 2011 | Águila Roja | – | La 1 | Series. 4×01 |
| 2012 | Con el culo al aire | Clergyman | Antena 3 | Series. 1×13 |
| 2012 | Aída | Mr. Bouza | Telecinco | Series. 9×40 |
| 2012 | La conspiración | Count Rodezno | ETB2 and La 1 | Made-for-TV film |
| 2015 | Rabia | Adolfo Villanueva | Cuatro | Series. 1×01 |
| 2016 | Bajo sospecha | Don Pedro | Antena 3 | Series. 2×03-2×04 |
| 2016 | Euskolegas | – | ETB2 | Series. 2×02 |
| 2017 | El Ministerio del Tiempo | Juan Ureña | La 1 | Series. 3×13 |
| 2020 | La línea invisible | – | Movistar Plus+ | Series. 1×02 |
| 2020 | Mira lo que has hecho | Señor Bodas de oro | Movistar Plus+ | Series. 3×06 |
| 2020 | Patria | Bishop | HBO España | Miniseries. 1×04 |