Emilio Echevarría, star of Amores perros and James Bond film, dies aged 80
The actor played El Chivo in Alejandro González Iñárritu's 2000 debut feature Amores perros.
Emilio Echevarría, the actor best known for his roles in Amores perros, The Alamo and the James Bond franchise, has died at the age of 80.
The news of his passing was confirmed by the Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences (AMACC) in a post on Twitter, which was recently rebranded as X.
A cause of death is yet to be confirmed.
"The AMACC regrets the sensitive death of actor Emilio Echevarría, who forged an enormous career in film and theater. He received three Ariel nominations for his participation as a side actor," the AMACC wrote.
Echevarría began his acting career in 1978 as a member of the Constitution of Art and Society, before joining the theatre group Circo, Maroma y Teatro.
He made his film debut in Dana Rotberg’s Intimidad in 1989, before going on to star as Emilio in Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Babel, Miguel Iturbide in Alfonso Cuarón’s Y tu mama tambien and Enrique Sandoval Núñez in A Monster with a Thousand Heads.
Echevarría also had a small part as Cuban intelligence operative Raoul in the James Bond movie Die Another Day.
However, he remains best known for his iconic portrayal of El Chivo in Iñárritu’s 2000 debut feature Amores perros.
The actor received three Ariel Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor for Morir en el golfo, A Monster with a Thousand Heads and The Chosen.
Tributes have been flooding in for the late star following the news of his passing.
Screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga wrote on X: "Sad news for those of us who loved and admired him. Emilio Echevarría has died."
He continued: "A tremendous actor and an even better human being. A dear friend. I had the privilege of collaborating with him on several productions. A great man."
Really, 007! podcast also paid tribute to the actor on Instagram, writing: "Very sad news to hear about the passing of Emilio Echevarría. He brought life to the enigmatic Raoul in #DieAnotherDay - a highlight of the film."
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Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
