Nelson Villagra

Nelson Villagra (born 9 August 1937) is a Chilean actor, writer and director of stage and screen. He is recognised as one of the most masterful actors in Chilean cinema and is widely known in Chile for his exceptional portrayal of a mentally retarded murderer in Miguel Littín's ''El Chacal de Nahueltoro'' (1969). He also collaborated with Raúl Ruiz on '' Tres tristes tigres'' (1968), '' La colonia penal'' (1970) and '' Nadie dijo nada'' (1971).

In 1973, Villagra was exiled from Chile as a result of the military coup which led to the Pinochet dictatorship. After a time in Europe, he went on to Cuba and worked with some of the key Latin American directors of the period, such as Humberto Solás ('' Cantata de Chile'') and Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, winning the Best Actor award for his role as 'El Conde' in Gutiérrez Alea's ''The Last Supper'' at the 1978 Biarritz Film Festival. In 1979, he played a military torturer in Sergio Castilla's film ''Prisioneros desaparecidos'', a role for which he won the Best Actor award at the San Sebastián Film Festival.

Early life and film career

Nelson Garrido Villagra was born in Chillán in southern Chile on 9 August 1937. His artistic activities began in 1950, at the age of 13, when he was enrolled at the School of Artistic Culture of Chillán (Escuela de Cultura Artística de Chillán) under the tuition of Professor Carlos Cortés with whom he worked on Radiodifusión Cultural de Chillán. Later in 1950, Villagra joined Chillán Cultural Broadcasting, a cultural group, who later founded the Teatro Experimental de Chillán, Chillán Choir, and the Institute of Cultural Extension of the city. This group was led by Ciro Vargas Mellado, with help from the capital - Santiago de Chile - Enrique Gajardo Velasquez. Both Mellado and Velasquez had a large influence on Villagra's theatrical and cultural training.

In 1955 he was admitted to the School of Theatre at the University of Chile. By this time, Villagra already had a solid theatrical background that made him stand out among the students of the School. As a freshman at the University, by chance, he was asked to replace a professional actor in a production of the University's Experimental Theatre (ITUCH) a few days before it opened. It was only a small part, but critics at the premiere regarded him as "a hope for the Chilean theatre."

Upon graduation from the School of Theatre in 1958, he was hired by the Teatro de la Universidad de Concepción (TUC), which had just begun the process of professionalization, having produced many excellent amateur works. The TUC was first led by Gabriel Martinez-Sotomayor, a renowned teacher with profound knowledge of the work of Russian theatre teacher Stanislavsky. The TUC was able to establish a collective attitude to their stage work, without compromising the individual development of its actors. "We created a working group which enabled all we learned," said Villagra.

Towards the end of 1959, the TUC reported that Pedro de la Barra - considered by many the father of university theatres in Chile - had left the post of artistic and administrative director at the Institute of Theatre (formerly ITUCH) and was invited to work with their group. It was through these two masters, and Gabriel Martinez-Sotomayor, that consolidated Villagra's place in the TUC for a duration of 7 years. It was during this period that his distinct talent was recognized, a recognition that would later lead him to film acting.

In early 1965, Villagra was hired by the Theatre ICTUS of Santiago, and moved to the capital with his family. Among several works that cast Villagra as an actor, the most memorable was undoubtedly his brilliant interpretation of the African-American Randall in the play ''Slow Dance Towards the Gallows'' by William Hanley (''Slow Dance on the Killing Ground'').

Villagra subsequently worked in various theatre groups in Santiago - including The council (formed by himself and four companions of the TUC) as well as on television and in seven Chilean films, most famously '' Three Sad Tigers'' (1968) and ''El Chacal de Nahueltoro'' (1969).

On 11 September 1973, his artistic career was interrupted when he was forced into exile in Paris, owing to his social and political activities in Chile. He also spent periods in Rome and later in Havana from 1975 to 1986, where he actively participated in Cuban cinema.

He worked in seven films in Cuba, the most prominent of these being ''The Last Supper'' by Gutiérrez Alea, and '' Black River'' by Manuel Perez - in addition to several co-productions filmed in Cuba, Mexico, France and Venezuela. In 1986, he settled in Montreal, Quebec, Canada - where he met and married Begoña Zabala, a Basque actress. He worked in four films for Quebec cinema.

Later life and film career

In 1987, Villagra won the stage contest 'Néo-Québécois Author', sponsored by Théâtre d'Aujourd'hui de Montréal. The written work is called "Rara Avis", and was staged by Bernard Martineau at the workshop stage of the Théâtre d'Aujourd'hui. In 1988 the ban placed upon entering Chile was lifted for 100 past exiles, a list which included Villagra's name. 1989 he returned to Chile temporarily to participate in a film that failed to materialize in cinemas, but was received by the cinema and acting communities - as well as intellectuals and political personalities - in a bustling social activity at the Café-Restaurant "The Biographer ".

Back in Montreal in 1989, Villagra was invited to shoot his first French-language film, taking a leading role in ''Corbeau'', directed by Carlos Ferrand. That same year he was called for another Québécois film, ''Cargo'', directed by François Girard. In 1990, he was cast in ''Artikos'' directed by Renny Bartlett and produced for the BBC
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