Antonio Grimau, Argentine star of stage and television, dies at 82
Antonio Grimau, an Argentine actor known for leading roles on stage, film and television for more than 60 years, has died at 82. He had been in a Buenos Aires hospital that treats lung diseases. Argentina's actors' union announced his death on Tuesday.
Antonio Grimau, an Argentine actor who played romantic leads and villains across six decades of theater, film and television, has died at 82, Clarín and Ámbito reported. The Argentine Actors Association announced his death on Tuesday.
Grimau died Monday, October 19, at 11 p.m., according to Ámbito (translated from Spanish). He had been in María Ferrer Hospital in Buenos Aires, which specializes in respiratory illness, since Thursday. He had a lung condition called diffuse interstitial lung disease, which makes breathing harder, Ámbito reported. No official medical statement on the immediate cause of death had been released.
In 2021, Grimau spent almost two months in the hospital with COVID-19 complications and needed breathing support, according to Ámbito. He lost 22 kilograms, about 48 pounds, before returning to work.
"Through his work on stage and screen, he built a solid career that is part of the history of Argentine entertainment," the actors' association said, according to Clarín (translated from Spanish).
Grimau was born Antonio Rebolini. He began acting at 16 after answering a newspaper ad seeking actors for a Bertolt Brecht play at a theater in Buenos Aires, Clarín reported. He took his stage name from a song about Julián Grimau, a Spanish Communist who was executed.
He became one of Argentina's best-known leading men on television, with roles in shows such as "Rolando Rivas, taxista," "Dulce Anastasia" and "Padre Coraje," according to Clarín. In 2018, he played the singer Sandro as an adult in the miniseries "Sandro de América" and won a Martín Fierro award for best lead actor in a series. He was still working this year, appearing in the stage show "Vamo' los pibes" in 2026.
Grimau also had to cope with the death of his son in 2010. He said acting and the affection of the public helped him through it.
What we know: Grimau died Monday night in a Buenos Aires hospital at 82 after treatment for a lung disease.
What we don't: The immediate cause of death and plans for a funeral.
Where outlets agree Clarín and Ámbito both report that Grimau died at 82 and that the Argentine Actors Association announced his death.
Where they differ Ámbito says Grimau died on Monday at 11 p.m., while Clarín says only that he died in the last few hours before Tuesday's announcement.