Biography
Miguel Palenzuela was a Spanish actor who appeared in film, theatre and television. Born Saturnino Palenzuela Miguel in Ávila in 1933, he trained at the Institut del Teatre in Barcelona and made his film debut in 1956 in La justicia del Coyote, directed by Joaquín Luis Romero Marchent. He worked with directors including Alejandro Amenábar, Julio Medem, Mario Camus and Vicente Aranda.
His film roles include the butler in Wheels on Meals (1984, credited as Luis Palenzuela), appearances in Tierra (1996), Abre los ojos (1997) as the comisario, and Lisboa (1999). On television he played Don Joaquín in Cuéntame cómo pasó and Don Juan de Borbón in the 2009 miniseries 23-F: El día más difícil del Rey. He also maintained a long stage career from the 1950s, performing in works by Shakespeare, Brecht, Miller and others, and occasionally directed.
Palenzuela died in Madrid on 3 June 2017. He was also credited under the names Billy Hayden and Luis Palenzuela.
