Alberto San Juan

Alberto San Juan Guijarro (born 1 November 1968) is a Spanish film, stage and television actor. He garnered visibility as a comedy actor in Airbag, becoming a household name in Spain for his roles in the comedy films The Other Side of the Bed (2002), Football Days (2003), and The Two Sides of the Bed (2005). He also starred in Under the Stars (2007), The People Upstairs (2020), Four's a Crowd (2022), A House on Fire (2024), and The Dinner (2025). He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including two Goya awards.

He has also worked as a stage director and playwright, and served as the first artistic director of the Teatro del Barrio in Lavapiés.

Early life and education Alberto San Juan was born on 1 November 1968 in Madrid, the son of cartoonist and radio announcer Pilar Guijarro Ortiz de Zárate. He was raised in the well-off neighborhood of El Viso. He attended the Colegio Estilo and joined its theatrical group, where he acquainted with his long-term friend Guillermo Toledo. He also spent many of his childhood's summers in Cañamares, province of Cuenca. He studied journalism and worked for two years at Diario 16 before pursuing an acting career. While studying journalism, he acquainted with Antonio de la Torre. At age 24, he joined the Cristina Rota's atelier to train his acting chops.

Career

San Juan landed his big screen debut with a bit part in You Shall Die in Chafarinas (1995). Jointly with Guillermo Toledo, Nathalie Poza and Ernesto Alterio, San Juan founded the theatre group 'Ración de oreja', which merged with Andrés Limas 'Riesgo' into the theatre company , upon the premiere of San Juan's debut as a playwright, Animalario. Bonitas historias de entretenimiento sobre la humillación cotidiana de existir. His first film success and main film role was Juanma Bajo Ulloa's Airbag (1997). For his character of Paco, a scoundrel, actors Javier Bardem and Viggo Mortensen were previously considered. In the late 1990s, together with his friends Ernesto Alterio and Guillermo Toledo, he went on to land film credits in Sleepless in Madrid, Washington Wolves, and The Ugliest Woman in the World.

For his role as an unsuccessful jazz musician returning to his hometown in Under the Stars (2007), he won the Goya Award for Best Leading Actor.

He was a main promoter of the , a project of political theatre launched in the former premises of the Sala Triángulo in Lavapiés on 4 December 2013, serving as its first artistic director.

He starred alongside Mario Casas as a Conservative and homosexual monarchist maître d'hôtel in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War in the comedy film The Dinner (2025), clinching another nomination for the Goya Award for Best Leading Actor.

He starred as a repentant Catholic priest accused of sexual abuse in The Light (2026). He publicly lent support to the United Left ahead of the 2011 Spanish general election. He also endorsed the manifesto that led to the creation of Podemos, presented at the Teatro del Barrio in January 2014. In February 2015, he became a member of the citizens' council of Podemos in Madrid. He later distanced himself from the party, lamenting its breakup due to an "authoritarian concept of internal organisation".

In 2025, San Juan co-signed the manifesto promoted by FiSahara decrying the filming of The Odyssey in Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara.

In 2026, he co-signed alongside other Spanish artists a text urging the United Nations and the governments of the world to actively work towards the release from prison of Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti. Also in 2026, he co-signed a manifesto in defence of philanthropist and human rights activist Fergie Chambers, demanding the Spanish State to prevent his extradition to the United States "and grant Fergie international protection through the recognition of his right to political asylum".

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1995 Morirás en Chafarinas (You Shall Die in Chafarinas) 1997 Airbag Pako Insomnio (Sleepless in Madrid) Entre las piernas (Between Your Legs) La ciudad de los prodigios (The City of Marvels) Zapping Alberto La sombra de Caín Santana Los lobos de Washington (Washington Wolves) Antonio La mujer más fea del mundo (The Ugliest Woman in the World) Luis Casanova Sobreviviré (I Will Survive) Km. 0 Sergio San Bernardo (Saint Bernard) Miguel No dejaré que no me quieras (I Won't Let You Not Love Me) Enrique El otro lado de la cama (The Other Side of the Bed) Rafa Cosa de brujas (The Witch Affair) Ángel Días de fútbol (Football Days) Jorge Haz conmigo lo que quieras (Kill Me Tender) Manolo Agujeros en el cielo Horas de luz (Hours of Light) 2005 Los 2 lados de la cama (The 2 Sides of the Bed) Rafa Reprise of role in The Other Side of the Bed Días de cine (Cinema Days) Federico Solá Also collaborating writer Bajo las estrellas (Under the Stars) Benito Lacunza Casual Day Psicólogo ('psychologist') 2009 La vergüenza (The Shame) Pepe La isla interior (The Island Inside) Martín 2011 Mientras duermes (Sleep Tight) Marcos 2012 La montaña rusa Luis Una pistola en cada mano (A Gun in Each Hand) A. 2014 La ignorancia de la sangre (The Ignorance of Blood) Yacub 2015 Las ovejas no pierden el tren (Sidetracked) Juan Barcelona, nit d'hivern (Barcelona Christmas Night) Miguel 2016 Las furias (The Furies) Aki El rey Franco Also co-director; based on his own play 2020 Sentimental (The People Upstairs) Salva 2022 El cuarto pasajero (Four's a Crowd) Julián Matusalén (Mathusalem) Casa en flames (A House on Fire) Carlos Parenostre (Our Father, Our President) Juan Carlos I La cena (The Dinner) Genaro Todos los lados de la cama (Every Side of the Bed) Rafa La luz (The Light) Manuel Monsalve (The Director) Cardenal

Television Year Title Role Notes Víctor Águila Roja (Red Eagle) Víctor Cheers Nicolás Arnedo Gran Reserva: El origen Jesús Reverte Carlos, rey emperador Carlos de Borbón Cardo Santiago Todos mienten (You Shall Not Lie) Beto Season 2 Cristobal Balenciaga Cristóbal Balenciaga Furia (Rage) Roberto

Accolades Year Award Category Work Result