# Eric del Castillo

J. Eduardo Eric del Castillo-Negrete Galván (born 22 July 1934) is a Mexican actor of theater, film and television who has dabbled as a screenwriter, director and arguer film, beginning his career in the Golden Age of Mexican cinema.

## Early years and studies

Del Castillo was born in the Juárez Hotel of the city of Celaya, Guanajuato. Eldest son of rural teacher Aurora Galván Valenzuela (1901-1992) and Eduardo Del Castillo-Negrete Rivera (1907–1948), firefighter who lost his life in the fire of the hardware store called "La Sirena" in Mexico City.
His brothers are Federico (actor, 1936-1980) and Leopoldo. When he was young, his parents divorced and in 1945 his mother remarried. He studied in schools of the Government in San Luis Potosí, and after the death of his father in 1948, the Government offered scholarships to the children of deceased firefighters so that they could study in the school of their choice. Del Castillo was a rebellious youth, and on the instructions of his mother, in 1952 he joined the Mexican seminary for foreign missions in Mexico City and was a member of the Congregation of the missionaries of Guadalupe, priestly studies that he abandoned in 1953. Not knowing what to do with his life, Del Castillo thought about studying medicine. However, his mother encouraged him to study acting and in 1954 he joined the Film Institute, theater and broadcasting of the National Association of actors (ANDA) directed by Andrés Soler.

## Career
### Theatre

He began his career in the early 1950s as an actor in experimental theater in separate assemblies. He has participated in more than 40 plays: Réquiem para una monja (1957), La Llorona (1959) of Fernando Wagner, Señoritas a disgusto (1962), Cada quien su vida (1968), Tócame la negra (1980), among others.

### Television and film

Throughout his years in acting, Del Castillo personified frequently rough, energetic and vigorous characters. In 1959 he participated in La marca del Gavilán, film belonging to the films of the series of Aventuras del Látigo Negro. After several years of minor interventions, in 1962 he was the protagonist in Rostro infernal. From those years, his career began to consolidate and continues to the present day. He has participated in about 300 films: Tiburoneros (1962), La Generala (1970), Perro callejero (1978), Vagabunda (1993), among others.
In 1976, he made the argument of the film Víbora caliente, under the direction of Fernando Durán Rojas, as well as be part of the cast. Later, he starred in the film El extraño hijo del sheriff (1982), where he also collaborated as a writer. That same year, he directed and starred in the film Las Sobrinas del Diablo. He has acted in more than 45 soap operas since his debut in 1962 with La herencia. Its holdings include Duelo de pasiones, Alondra (1995), La Mentira (1998), Un gancho al corazón (2009). In 2010 had an award-winning participation in the melodrama of Nicandro Díaz González Soy tu dueña. He also appeared on the small screen in Abismo de pasión (2012), Lo que la vida me robó (2013–14), Que te perdone Dios (2015), and Tres veces Ana (2016).

## Filmography
### Films

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1960 | Verano violento | Carlos | |
| 1961 | Azahares rojos | | |
| 1961 | Suicídate mi amor | Emilio | |
| 1961 | La maldición de Nostradamus | | |
| 1961 | Viva chihuahua | | |
| 1961 | Juan sin miedo | Capitán | |
| 1962 | La sangre de Nostradamus | González | |
| 1962 | Cuanto vale tu hijo | | |
| 1962 | La marca del gavilán | René | |
| 1962 | El ángel exterminador | | |
| 1962 | Los amigos Maravilla | | |
| 1962 | El extra | Actor, Armando Duval | |
| 1962 | Los valientes no mueren | | |
| 1962 | Lástima de ropa | Ingeniero Kratzer | |
| 1962 | Pecado | | |
| 1962 | Tlayucan | Doroteo | |
| 1963 | Los amigos Maravilla en el mundo de la aventura | | |
| 1963 | La cabeza viviente | Detective killed by Xiu | |
| 1963 | Tiburoneros | El Costeño | |
| 1963 | El señor Tormenta | | |
| 1963 | Rostro infernal | Conde Brankovan | |
| 1963 | Tormenta en el ring | | |
| 1963 | La huella macabra | Conde Brankovan | Uncredited |
| 1963 | Las vengadoras enmascaradas | | |
| 1976 | Viento salvaje | Padre Sierra | |

### Television roles

| Year | Title | Roles | Notes |
| 1962 | La herencia | | |
| 1963 | Lo imperdonable | | |
| 1963 | La sombra del otro | | |
| 1963 | Grandes ilusiones | | |
| 1964 | El dolor de vivir | | |
| 1965 | Tú eres un extraño | | |
| 1967 | Felipa Sánchez, la soldadera | López | |
| 1968 | Pueblo sin esperanza | | |
| 1968 | Duelo de pasiones | | |
| 1970 | La constitución | | |
| 1971 | Lucía Sombra | Santiago Rangel | |
| 1971 | La maldición de la blonda | | |
| 1973 | Mi rival | | |
| 1974 | Mundo de juguete | | |
| 1974 | La tierra | Estrada | |
| 1977 | Yo no pedi vivir | Pedro | |
| 1979 | Yara | | |
| 1979 | No tienes derecho a juzgarme | | |
| 1981 | Nosotras las mujeres | Manuel | |
| 1985–2006 | Mujer, casos de la vida real | Fermín | 8 episodes |
| 1987 | Senda de gloria | | |
| 1987 | El precio de la fama | Alfonso | |
| 1989 | Luz y sombra | | |
| 1990 | Cuando llega el amor | Rafael Contreras | |
| 1992 | De frente al sol | Daniel | |
| 1993 | Más allá del puente | Daniel | |
| 1995 | María la del Barrio | Juez | |
| 1995 | Lazos de amor | Sacerdote | |
| 1995 | Lazos de amor | Sacerdote | |
| 1995 | Alondra | Baldomero | |
| 1996 | La culpa | Yllades | |
| 1997–1998 | Huracán | Fernán Vargaslugo | |
| 1998 | La mentira | Teodoro "Teo" Fernández-Negrete | |
| 1999 | Nunca te olvidaré | Licenciado Méndez | |
| 1999–2000 | Cuento de Navidad | Melquíades | |
| 1999–2000 | Mujeres engañadas | Jorge Martínez | |
| 2001 | Amigas y rivales | Don Roberto de la O | |
| 2003 | Niña amada mía | Clemente Soriano | |
| 2004–2005 | Apuesta por un amor | Chepe Estrada | |
| 2006 | La verdad oculta | Gregorio Pineda | |
| 2006–2007 | Mundo de fieras | Germán | |
| 2007–2008 | Pasión | Gaspar de Valdez | |
| 2008–2009 | Un gancho al corazón | Marcos Lerdo | Series regular; 219 episodes |
| 2010 | Soy tu dueña | Federico Montesinos | Series regular; 55 episodes |
| 2011 | Como dice el dicho | Rufino Sáenz | Episode: "Dile que es hermosa" |
| 2012 | Abismo de pasión | Lucio | Series regular; 132 episodes |
| 2013–2014 | Lo que la vida me robó | Father Anselmo | Series regular; 76 episodes |
| 2015 | Que te perdone Dios | Bruno | 4 episodes |
| 2016 | Corazón que miente | Manuel | 3 episodes |
| 2016 | Tres veces Ana | Evaristo | Main role; 76 episodes |
| 2017 | Mi marido tiene familia | Hugo Sr. | Series regular (season 1); 11 episodes |
| 2017 | The Day I Met El Chapo | Himself | Episode: "Destined to Meet" |
| 2020 | La Doña | Jefe Vidal | Series regular (season 2); 75 episodes |
| 2022 | Esta historia me suena | Jorge's father | Episode: "Nada fue un error" |
| 2022 | Mi secreto | Father David | Series regular |
| 2024 | Vivir de amor | Emilio Rivero Cuéllar | Series regular |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Association | Category | Nominated | Result |
| 1980 | Ariel Awards, Mexico | Best Supporting Actor | Perro callejero | Nominated |
| 1981 | Ariel Awards, Mexico | Best Actor | Las grandes aguas | Nominated |

## Daughters

* Veronica del Castillo
* Kate del Castillo