Sergi López | |
|---|---|
 López in 2024 | |
| Born | Sergi López i Ayats (1965-12-22)22 December 1965 (age 59) Vilanova i la Geltrú, Catalonia, Spain |
| Education | École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
Sergi López i Ayats (born 22 December 1965) is a Spanish actor mostly known for his work onDirty Pretty Things,Mine Alone, andPan's Labyrinth. He has developed a substantial career in bothSpanish films andFrench films and is the recipient of multiple accolades, including aCésar Award for Best Actor.
Sergi López was initiated in theater in representations of typicalnativity plays calledEls Pastorets, in his native city. He started to study theater inBarcelona. During his time as a stage actor, Sergi López participated in several theatrical productions. For example, he shared the stage withToni Albà in plays such asBRAMS orLa Kumèdia dels Herrors (1986), both written and directed by the duo.[1] Other notable plays from this period includeFins al fons and, later,Lysistrata (1996).[2]
He later continued his acting training at the prestigiousÉcole Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq inParis, where he studied physical theatre and mime. This training helped shape his expressive performance style, which has become a hallmark of his acting. His fluency inCatalan, French, and Spanish gave him access to diverse theatrical and cinematic productions across Europe.[3]
In 1991, he auditioned for French directorManuel Poirier. López made his film debut that year in Poirier'sLa Petite amie d'Antonio (1992). López did eight more films with Poirier, including his first international success,Western (1997).The film was entered into the1997 Cannes Film Festival where it won theJury Prize,[4] and was nominated for anOscar; López himself was nominated for theCésar Award. In 2000, he won the Cesar for Best Actor for his role in theFrench filmHarry, un ami qui vous veut du bien.
In 1997, he starred inCaresses, directed by fellow CatalanVentura Pons. His resume includes films such asDirty Pretty Things,Solo mía, andPan's Labyrinth.
In 2005, he returned to the stage to perform a monologue inNon solum, which he wrote and directed with Jorge Picó.
After 2005, Sergi López expanded his film career with a variety of roles across European cinema. In 2006, he gained international recognition playing Captain Vidal in Guillermo del Toro’s critically acclaimedPan's Labyrinth.[5] He continued collaborating with prominent directors such as François Ozon inRicky (2009)[6] andPotiche (2010).[7]Between 2009 and 2012, López appeared in several notable films includingLeaving (2009), Isabel Coixet’sMap of the Sounds of Tokyo (2009),[8] and Dominik Moll’sThe Monk (2011).[9] He also took roles in the French cinema landscape, such asTango libre (2012)[10] andMichael Kohlhaas (2013).[11]
In 2014 and 2015, López starred in films likeHigh Society,Geronimo, andA Perfect Day, demonstrating his versatility across genres.[12] His recent collaborations include appearances in Alice Rohrwacher’sHappy as Lazzaro (2018)[13] and Terry Gilliam’sThe Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2018).[14]
In 2020, he featured in Woody Allen’sRifkin's Festival.[15] Looking forward, López has filmed roles in upcoming projects such as Fabrice Du Welz’sMaldoror (2024) and two 2025 films:La terra negra, portraying Miquel,[16] andSirāt, playing Luis.[17]
Throughout his career, López’s multilingual skills and strong background in physical theatre have enabled him to navigate seamlessly between Spanish and French film industries, earning him critical acclaim and numerous awards.[18]
He was awarded the ‘Itinérances’ prize in 2025 by the Alès Film Festival – Itinérances.
He has also acted in classical plays such as:
López has collaborated with prestigious theatre companies likeThéâtre de la Ville in Paris andComédie-Française.[27]
In 2010, he won thePremio Max for Best Actor for his theatre work.[28]
He has also directed minimalist stage productions focusing on expressive movement.[29]
López continues to alternate regularly between stage and screen performances.[30]
Sergi López has consistently shown a strong commitment to social and political causes, especially advocating for theCatalan language andindependence.
He participated in anti-fascist and anti-racist movements and supported solidarity for refugees.[31] In 2006, he also publicly supported theSahrawi cause, reading a manifesto in Vilafranca del Penedès.[32]
Since the early 2000s, López has been an outspoken defender of Catalan independence from a left-wing perspective.[33] In November 2009 he publicly supported independence referendums in Catalan municipalities.[34][35] He later appeared as a symbolic candidate on theCUP list for his hometown’s municipal elections.[36]
On 6 November 2012, López published a political essay titled *Esquerra? La CUP*, endorsing the CUP-Alternativa d'Esquerres in the Catalan parliamentary elections.[37][38][39]
He was again listed symbolically on the CUP–Crida Constituent ticket in the 2015 Catalan parliamentary election.[40] In 2017, he supported the1 October referendum and voted in his hometown.[41][42][43]
He is also a vocal supporter of theCatalan language. In September 2023, he joined prominent figures such asPep Guardiola andJosep Carreras in signing a manifesto calling for Catalan to be an official language of the European Union.[44][45][46]
