---
name: "Francisco Rabal"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/francisco-rabal"
fi1m_id: "francisco-rabal"
imdb_id: "nm0704719"
tmdb_id: 9768
wikidata_id: "Q343299"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "8 March 1926"
died: "29 August 2001"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-25T01:56:29.696260+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Francisco Rabal

## Identity

Francisco Rabal

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/francisco-rabal
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** francisco-rabal
- **IMDb ID:** nm0704719
- **TMDB ID:** 9768
- **Wikidata ID:** Q343299
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Rabal, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q343299, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0704719/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/9768

Actor. Born 8 March 1926 in Águilas, Murcia, Región de Murcia, Spain. Died 29 August 2001.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 8 March 1926, Águilas, Murcia, Región de Murcia, Spain
- **Died:** 29 August 2001
- **Also known as:** Paco Rabal, F. Rabal
- **Cannes Film Festival:** 1 Cannes prize (1 won)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Rabal, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q343299, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0704719/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/9768

## Biography

Francisco Rabal, also known as Paco Rabal, was a Spanish actor. He was born on 8 March 1926 in Águilas, Murcia, and died on 29 August 2001 in Bordeaux, France. He appeared in more than 200 film and television roles between 1942 and 2001.

Rabal began working as an electrician at Chamartín Film Studios, where he was discovered and given small parts. He later trained in theatre and gained prominence through collaborations with Luis Buñuel in *Nazarín* (1959), *Viridiana* (1961) and *Belle de Jour* (1967). He also worked with directors including Carlos Saura, Pedro Almodóvar, Michelangelo Antonioni and William Friedkin.

Among his best-known performances are those in *The Holy Innocents* (1984), for which he shared the Cannes Film Festival Best Actor award, and *Goya in Bordeaux* (1999), for which he received a Goya Award for Best Actor. He was married to actress Asunción Balaguer.

*Sources: imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org, theguardian.com, themoviedb.org.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Land Without Bread* (1933), Fi1m 66, as Narrator (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/land-without-bread.md)

## Complete filmography (201)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Revolution on Two Horses* (2002), as Zio Henrique
- *Zero/infinito* (2002), as (voice)
- *Dagon* (2001), as Ezequiel
- *Just Run!* (2001), as Don Vicente
- *Lázaro de Tormes* (2001), as El Ciego
- *Nights of Constantinople* (2001), Actor
- *Divertimento* (2000), Actor
- *Moonfish* (2000), as Tio Nini
- *Goya in Bordeaux* (1999), as Goya
- *Talk of Angels* (1998), as Don Jorge
- *Divine* (1998), as Papá Basilio
- *Water Easy Reach* (1998), Actor
- *La novia de medianoche* (1997), as Wenceslao Corredoira
- *Little Miracles* (1997), as Don Francisco
- *Little Bird* (1997), as El Abuelo
- *Airbag* (1997), as Villambrosa
- *Day and Night* (1997), as Cristobal
- *Oedipus Mayor* (1996), as Tiresias
- *On Earth as It Is in Heaven* (1995), as San Pedro
- *The Lame Pigeon* (1995), as Tío Ricardo
- *One Hundred and One Nights* (1995), as Luis Buñuel (voice)
- *Felicidades, Tovarich* (1995), as Abuelo
- *La mujer cualquiera* (1994), Actor
- *Truhanes* (1993), series, as Ginés Giménez
- *La Lola se va a los puertos* (1993), as Don Diego
- *Paco, mi padre* (1992), Actor
- *The Man Who Lost His Shadow* (1992), as Antonio
- *Ni contigo ni sin ti* (1992), Actor
- *The Other* (1991), Actor
- *La taberna fantástica* (1991), as Rogelio
- *Manuel, le fils emprunté* (1990), as Juan Alvarez
- *Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!* (1990), as Máximo Espejo
- *The White Dove* (1989), as Domingo
- *Baroque* (1989), as El Hispano
- *Torquemada* (1989), as Torquemada
- *Juncal* (1989), series, as José Álvarez "Juncal"
- *Scent of a Crime* (1988), as Coronel Olvera
- *A Time of Destiny* (1988), as Jorge Larraneta
- *Il mistero del panino assassino* (1987), as Arno dei conti Vincini
- *Divine Words* (1987), as Pedro Gailo
- *History* (1986), series, as Remo
- *El disputado voto del señor Cayo* (1986), as Señor Cayo
- *El hermano bastardo de Dios* (1986), Actor
- *Tiempo de silencio* (1986), as Muecas
- *Camorra (A Story of Streets, Women and Crime)* (1986), as Guaglione
- *Scapegoat* (1985), as Comisario Cárdenas
- *The Witching Hour* (1985), as Cesar
- *Marbella* (1985), as Juan
- *La vieja música* (1985), as Domingo Ferreiro
- *Bohemian Nights* (1985), as Max Estrella
- *Our Father* (1985), as Abel
- *The Lost Paradise* (1985), as El político anciano
- *The Stilts* (1984), as Manuel
- *Un delitto* (1984), as Abbot
- *The Holy Innocents* (1984), as Azarías
- *Teresa de Jesús* (1984), series, as Alonso
- *Coarse Salt* (1984), as Gabino
- *Victòria! 3: El seny i la rauxa* (1984), as Coronel Márquez
- *Epilogue* (1984), as Rocabruno
- *Victòria! 2: La disbauxa del 17* (1983), as Coronel Márquez
- *Crooks* (1983), as Ginés Jiménez Valera
- *Victòria! La gran aventura d'un poble* (1983), as Coronel Márquez
- *Los desastres de la guerra* (1983), series, as Goya
- *Treasure of the Four Crowns* (1983), as Sócrates
- *Salzillo* (1983), as Salzillo
- *The Beehive* (1982), as Ricardo Sorbedo
- *Reborn* (1981), as Giacomo
- *Cervantes* (1981), series, as Mateo Alemán
- *Vultures Over the City* (1981), as Bender
- *Nightmare City* (1980), as Major Warren Holmes
- *Speed Driver* (1980), as Esposito
- *El gran secreto* (1980), as Domingo
- *Under Siege* (1980), as William Lombard
- *Fortunata and Jacinta* (1980), series, as José Izquierdo
- *The Rebel* (1980), as Tony
- *El buscón* (1979), as Mata
- *Ciao Cialtroni!* (1979), as Fra' Giovanni
- *Hunted City* (1979), as Don Alfonso
- *Corleone* (1978), as Don Giusto Provenzano
- *Stay as You Are* (1978), as Lorenzo
- *Hotel Fear* (1978), as Marta's lover
- *Io sono mia* (1977), as Padre di Orio
- *I Am the Law* (1977), as Albanese the Outlaw
- *Sorcerer* (1977), as Nilo
- *Kolossal - The Magnificent Macisti* (1977), Actor
- *The Desert of the Tartars* (1976), as M.llo Tronk
- *The Long Vacations of '36* (1976), as Teacher
- *Emilia... parada y fonda* (1976), Actor
- *Blanca's Weddings* (1975), as Antonio
- *Eye of the Cat* (1975), as Eminenza
- *The City of World* (1975), as Matteo
- *C.I.A. Secret Story* (1975), as Mehdi Ben Barka
- *The Dead Man* (1975), as Azevedo Bandeira
- *La peccatrice* (1975), as Turco
- *Fight to the Death* (1975), as Comisario Emilio Mendoza
- *The Tempter* (1974), as Bishop Marquez
- *Tormento* (1974), as Agustín Caballero
- *It's Nothing Mama, Just a Game* (1974), as Tío
- *Il giovane Garibaldi* (1974), series, as Bento Gonçalvez
- *Death Will Have Your Eyes* (1974), as The Blackmailer
- *The Counsellor* (1973), as Vincent Garofalo
- *La otra imagen* (1973), Actor
- *La colonna infame* (1973), as Giacomo Mora - il barbiere
- *La leyenda del alcalde de Zalamea* (1973), as Pedro Crespo, Alcalde de Zalamea
- *The Guerrilla* (1973), as El Cabrero (The Shepherd)
- *Planet Venus* (1972), as Party chauffer
- *N.P. - The Secret* (1972), as Ingegnere N.P.
- *Le Soldat Laforêt* (1972), as Paco
- *It Can Be Done Amigo* (1972), as Sheriff Franciscus
- *Nada menos que todo un hombre* (1972), as Alejandro Gómez
- *Goya: A Story of Solitude* (1971), as Goya
- *El apartamento de la tentación* (1971), as Hombre que se cruza con Julieta (uncredited)
- *The Big Black Sow* (1971), as Il Medico
- *Exorcism's Daughter* (1971), as Fuso
- *Cutting Heads* (1970), as Díaz II
- *Ann and Eve* (1970), as Francesco
- *Laia* (1970), Actor
- *Diario Spagnolo* (1970), as Él mismo
- *The Challenges* (1969), as Carlos
- *Simón Bolívar* (1969), as José Antonio Del Llano
- *Un adulterio decente* (1969), as Conserje (uncredited)
- *Spain Again* (1969), as Reportero
- *Eagles Over London* (1969), as Martin
- *Blood in the Bullring* (1969), as Juan Carmona
- *After the Deluge* (1968), as Pedro
- *Les Anges exterminés* (1968), Actor
- *Bloody Che Contra* (1968), as Che Guevara
- *Christopher Colombus* (1968), series, as Christopher Colombus
- *Le avventure e gli amori di Miguel Cervantes* (1967), as Rodrigo Cervantes
- *The Nun* (1967), as Dom Morel
- *Oscuros sueños de agosto* (1967), as Julio
- *Belle de Jour* (1967), as Hyppolite
- *Long Days of Vengeance* (1967), as Sheriff Douglas
- *The Witches* (1967), as Paolo (segment "La strega bruciata viva")
- *Camino del Rocío* (1966), as José Antonio
- *Don Juan Tenorio* (1966), as Don Juan Tenorio
- *Hoy como ayer* (1966), as Ramón
- *María Rosa* (1965), Actor
- *Legacy of the Incas* (1965), as Gambusino
- *The Blue Panther* (1965), as Paco Castillo
- *Currito de la Cruz* (1965), as Manuel Carmona
- *España insólita* (1965), as (voice)
- *The Devil Also Cries* (1965), as Tomás
- *Intimidad de los parques* (1965), as Héctor
- *The Other Woman* (1964), as Zaylor
- *Weeping for a Bandit* (1964), as José María 'El Tempranillo'
- *The Big Hit* (1964), as Michel Arland
- *The Reunion* (1963), as Alberto
- *Autopsia de un criminal* (1963), as Carlos
- *Summer Night* (1963), as Bernardo
- *Mathias Sandorf* (1963), as Frédéric de Rotenbourg
- *I tromboni di Fra' Diavolo* (1962), as Fra Diavolo
- *The Female: Seventy Times Seven* (1962), as Pascual
- *L'Eclisse* (1962), as Riccardo
- *Viridiana* (1962), as Jorge
- *Azahares rojos* (1961), as Arturo Gómez Mancera
- *Pigeon Shoot* (1961), as Elia
- *At Five in the Afternoon* (1961), as Juan Reyes
- *The Hand in the Trap* (1961), as Cristóbal Archaval
- *Hijo de hombre* (1961), Actor
- *El hombre de la isla* (1960), as Lorenzo 'El Moro'
- *Trío de damas* (1960), as Alberto Sáinz Robledo
- *Cavalcata selvaggia* (1960), Actor
- *Sonatas* (1959), as Marqués Javier de Bradomín
- *Two Men in Town* (1959), as Superintendente
- *Diez fusiles esperan* (1959), as José Iribarren
- *Nazarín* (1959), as Father Nazario
- *Los clarines del miedo* (1958), as Aceituno
- *La noche y el alba* (1958), as Pedro
- *Cuenca* (1958), as Narrator (voice)
- *L'uomo dai calzoni corti* (1958), as Mario
- *Revenge* (1958), as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
- *The Mighty Crusaders* (1957), as Tancredi d'Altavilla
- *The Wide Blue Road* (1957), as Salvatore
- *Whom God Forgives* (1957), as Juan Cuenca
- *Saranno uomini* (1957), as Giacomo
- *Marisa* (1957), as Antonio
- *La gran mentira* (1956), as César Neira
- *Revelation* (1955), as Sergio Gresky
- *The Miller's Saucy Wife* (1955), as Cristóbal Paterna
- *El canto del gallo* (1955), as Padre Miller
- *Death of a Cyclist* (1955), as (uncredited)
- *Radio Stories* (1955), as Gabriel
- *Murió hace quince años* (1954), as Diego
- *All Is Possible in Granada* (1954), as Fernando Ortega
- *Judas' Kiss* (1954), as Quinto Licinio
- *Hay un camino a la derecha* (1953), as Miguel
- *I Was a Parish Priest* (1953), as Martín
- *María Morena* (1952), as El Sevillano
- *Luna de sangre* (1952), as Pedro Alvareda
- *Path to the Kingdom* (1952), as Tomás
- *Doubt* (1951), as Rafael Figueroa
- *Perseguidos* (1951), Actor
- *María Antonia "La Caramba"* (1951), Actor
- *La honradez de la cerradura* (1950), as Ernesto
- *Alhucemas* (1948), as Tostado (uncredited)
- *Don Quixote* (1947), as (uncredited)
- *El crimen de Pepe Conde* (1946), Actor
- *La rueda de la vida* (1942), as Bronquista de pelea en salón (uncredited)
- *Land Without Bread* (1933), as Narrator (voice) — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/land-without-bread.md)
- *Morte di un bandito*, as Vito Ribera

## Gallery

- ![Francisco Rabal in un scena del film italiano Prigionieri del male (1955)](https://film.one/media/person/3855826/gallery-6ace3cfbabe4.png) Francisco Rabal in un scena del film italiano Prigionieri del male (1955) — Mario Costa (director), Carlo Carlini (cinematographer), Athena Cinematografica, Hesperia Films (production), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/85/Prigionieri_del_male_%281955%29_Francisco_Rabal.png/1280px-Prigionieri_del_male_%281955%29_Francisco_Rabal.png?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Spanish actor Francisco Rabal and Italian actor Andrea Checchi talking around a table in the TV series Cristoforo Colombo. 1968 (Photo by Mondadori via Getty Im](https://film.one/media/person/3855826/gallery-3e058642c9d8.jpg) Spanish actor Francisco Rabal and Italian actor Andrea Checchi talking around a table in the TV series Cristoforo Colombo. 1968 (Photo by Mondadori via Getty Im — Mondadori Portfolio / Colaborador, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Spanish_actor_Francisco_Rabal_in_the_TV_series_Cristoforo_Colombo.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Francisco Rabal](https://film.one/media/person/3855826/gallery-43e0ab5699f1.jpg) Francisco Rabal — Unknown, none visible and no marks, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4e/Francisco_Rabal_in_El_hombre_de_la_isla_%281960%29.jpg/1280px-Francisco_Rabal_in_El_hombre_de_la_isla_%281960%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Argentine-born Mexican actress Marga López and Spanish actor Francisco Rabal in what it appears to be a publicity photo for the 1960 Spanish film El hombre de l](https://film.one/media/person/3855826/gallery-397fd0b023ab.jpg) Argentine-born Mexican actress Marga López and Spanish actor Francisco Rabal in what it appears to be a publicity photo for the 1960 Spanish film El hombre de l — Unknown, none visible and no marks, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Marga_L%C3%B3pez_and_Francisco_Rabal_publicity_for_El_hombre_de_la_isla_%281960%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Francisco Rabal](https://film.one/media/person/3855826/gallery-40d0a59165f6.jpg) Francisco Rabal — Image via TMDB
- ![Francisco Rabal](https://film.one/media/person/3855826/gallery-82c99d04803f.jpg) Francisco Rabal — Image via TMDB
- ![Francisco Rabal](https://film.one/media/person/3855826/gallery-cef27ae7a7ef.jpg) Francisco Rabal — Image via TMDB
- ![Rafael Gil and Francisco Rabal receiving the David O'Selznich award for 'La Guerra de Dios' at Berlin's Festival (1954)](https://film.one/media/person/3855826/gallery-26acaac3f6c3.png) Rafael Gil and Francisco Rabal receiving the David O'Selznich award for 'La Guerra de Dios' at Berlin's Festival (1954) — Emulajavi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/1954_-_Festival_de_Berl%C3%ADn.png?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Spanish actor Francisco Rabal in what it appears to be a publicity photo for the 1960 Spanish film El hombre de la isla.](https://film.one/media/person/3855826/gallery-1eb378baddad.jpg) Spanish actor Francisco Rabal in what it appears to be a publicity photo for the 1960 Spanish film El hombre de la isla. — Unknown, none visible and no marks, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Francisco_Rabal_publicity_for_El_hombre_de_la_isla_%281960%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)

## Awards

### Cannes Film Festival — 1 won

- 1984: Best Actor (won), for *The Holy Innocents*

### Other awards — 12 won

- Donostia Award 2001: Donostia Award (won)
- Goya Award for Best Actor 2000: Goya Award for Best Actor (won), for *Goya in Bordeaux*
- Medal of the Circle of Cinematographic Writers for the best actor 2000: Medal of the Circle of Cinematographic Writers for the best actor (won), for *Goya in Bordeaux*
- Gold Medal of Work Merit 1998: Gold Medal of Work Merit (won)
- honorary doctorate of the University of Murcia 1995: honorary doctorate of the University of Murcia (won)
- Medalla de Oro 1993: Medalla de Oro (won)
- Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts 1992: Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts (won)
- Medal of the Circle of Cinematographic Writers for the best actor 1991: Medal of the Circle of Cinematographic Writers for the best actor (won), for *The Man Who Lost His Shadow*
- Medal of the Circle of Cinematographic Writers for the best actor 1962: Medal of the Circle of Cinematographic Writers for the best actor (won), for *El hombre de la isla*
- Medal of the Circle of Cinematographic Writers for the best actor 1958: Medal of the Circle of Cinematographic Writers for the best actor (won), for *Whom God Forgives*
- Medal of the Circle of Cinematographic Writers for the best actor 1954: Medal of the Circle of Cinematographic Writers for the best actor (won), for *I Was a Parish Priest*
- Silver Shell for Best Actor 1953: Silver Shell for Best Actor (won), for *There's a Road on the Right*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/francisco-rabal