Santiago Segura

Santiago Segura Silva (born 17 July 1965) is a Spanish filmmaker and actor. He has also worked to a lesser extent as a television presenter, voice actor, and comic book writer, as well as a collector of original comic books.

At the age of 12 he began making films with a Super-8 camera and, after a recommendation from Fernando Trueba, began to make films in 35 mm, funded by his appearances in TV game shows.

He received early recognition for his performance as a metalhead in the 1995 film The Day of the Beast (billed as a "satanic comedy"), which won him the Goya Award for Best New Actor.

Great success would come with his directorial feature debut, 1998's dark action-comedy and box-office hit Torrente, the Dumb Arm of the Law, in which he stars as José Luis Torrente, a racist, homophobic, xenophobic, and fascist former police officer. The film won Segura the Goya Award for Best New Director, it was followed by a film series of five sequels: Torrente 2: Mission in Marbella (2001), Torrente 3: el protector (2005), Torrente 4: Lethal Crisis (2011), Torrente 5: Operación Eurovegas (2014), and Torrente for President (2026), making it the highest-grossing Spanish film series.

He then went on to direct films with a lighter tone, likewise churning out domestic hits with children's comedies such as Father There Is Only One (plus four sequels) and The Kids Are Alright (and its sequel).

Life and career Santiago Segura Silva was born in Madrid on 17 July 1965. He was raised in the city's district of Carabanchel. After studying Arts at the Complutense University of Madrid, he decided to pursue a career as a filmmaker, and in 1989 he directed the short, Relatos de medianoche, with a budget of 7,000 pesetas (around US$50). In 1992 he went on to direct his first professional short Evilio, followed with Perturbado in 1993.

Segura is a recurring actor in the works of directors Alex de la Iglesia and Guillermo del Toro.

In 1993 he had a small role in Alex de la Iglesia's film Acción mutante. Two years later he starred in El día de la Bestia by the same director and made a name for himself in Spain. In 1998 he directed the film that brought him stardom, Torrente, the Dumb Arm of the Law (1998), in which he also played the lead character José Luis Torrente, a sleazy crime-fighter. Its popularity led to a film series of five sequels and two computer games (Torrente and Torrente 3: The Protector).

Torrente 2: Mission in Marbella made €22,838,500 at the Spanish box office, becoming the highest-grossing Spanish film of all time. Torrente 3: el protector was released in September 2005. Its advertising campaign parodied Batman Begins, using the phrase "Torrente Acabado" ("Torrente Finished"). Although he declared Torrente 3: el protector would be the last of the Torrente series, Torrente 4: Lethal Crisis was released in 2011. In 2010 he played the title role in El gran Vázquez, based on the life of the legendary cartoonist/wastrel Manuel Vázquez Gallego. In 2014 he released Torrente 5: Operación Eurovegas with Alec Baldwin as guest star, , and it became the top release of 2014 in Spain.

He has since made his way into American culture by making appearances in movies such as Pacific Rim, Hellboy, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, and Blade II (all of them directed by Guillermo Del Toro); Perdita Durango (by De la Iglesia); Jack and Jill; and Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London.

He has also dubbed video games into Spanish, like voicing Jack Black's role in Brütal Legend.

Because of his success Santiago Segura has become a producer. He owns the production company Amiguetes Entertainment, is associated with the theater in Estación del Norte in Madrid, and has produced Promedio rojo (2004) (featuring Nicolás López) and Aquí mando yo... y punto com.

In 2018 he appeared in the third season of MasterChef Celebrity. He was the tenth contestant to be eliminated.

Filmography

Film Year Work Director Writer Producer Notes 1998 Torrente, the Dumb Arm of the Law 2001 Torrente 2: Mission in Marbella Also uncredited executive producer 2005 Torrente 3: el protector Also uncredited executive producer 2011 Torrente 4: Lethal Crisis 2014 Torrente 5: Operación Eurovegas 2018 Empowered 2019 Father There Is Only One 2020 Father There Is Only One 2 2021 The Kids Are Alright 2022 Father There Is Only One 3 The Kids Are Alright 2 2023Summer Vacation Father There Is Only One 4 Father There Is Only One 5 Torrente for President

Producer only

Year Work Role 2001 I Murder Seriously Co-producer 2002 Promedio rojo Producer 2003 Una de zombies 2004 The Amazing World of Borjamari and Pocholo 2006 Dance Machine 2010 Unresolved Sexual Tension 2013 Three-60

Short film

Year Work Director Writer Producer Notes 1989 Relatos de la medianoche Also cinematographer and editor 1992 Evilio 1993 Perturbado 1995 Evilio vuelve (el purificador) 2015 Consumo Responsable (Nivel 7) Advertising short Associate producer Wild Flower (2012)

As actor

Relatos de medianoche (1989, short) Eduardo (1990, short) Evilio (1992, short) El cobrador del gas sólo llama una vez (1992, short) Acción mutante (1993) .... Ezequiel Everyone Off to Jail (1993) .... Ecologista Perturbado (1993, short) Todo es mentira (1994) .... Vendedor Evilio vuelve (1994, short) .... Evilio Cuernos de mujer (1995) .... Ciego El día de la Bestia (1995) .... José María Two Much (1996) .... Paparazzi Matías, juez de línea (1996) .... Antidisturbios 1 Killer Barbys (1996) .... Baltasar Tengo una casa (1996) .... Guardia 1 La buena vida (1996) Sólo se muere dos veces (1997) .... Amilibia Airbag (1997) .... Candidato Paiño Perdita Durango (1997) .... Shorty Dee Torrente: El brazo tonto de la ley (1998, actor, writer and director) .... Torrente La niña de tus ojos (1998) .... Castillo Muertos de risa (1999) .... Nino París-Tombuctú (1999) .... El Cura Pídele cuentas al rey (1999) .... Vagabundo La mujer más fea del mundo (1999) .... El presidente de la República (uncredited) El corazón del guerrero (1999) .... Netheril / Carlos José Sabotage! (2000) .... Cyrille Léotard Obra maestra (2000) .... Benito Cañaveras Torrente 2: Mission in Marbella (2001, actor, writer, director and producer) .... Torrente Girl from Rio (2001) .... Paulo Manolito Gafotas en ¡Mola ser jefe! (2001) .... Himself (uncredited) Blade II (2002) .... Rush Asesino en serio (2002, co-producer) .... Padre Gorkisolo Zero/infinito (2002) .... (voice) El oro de Moscú (2003) .... Íñigo Fuentes Beyond Re-Animator (2003) .... Speedball Tiptoes (2003) .... Motel Manager Una de zombis (2003, actor and producer) .... Padre Pelayo / Entrecot / Himself Noin (2003) .... Himself Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London (2004) .... Santiago Hellboy (2004) .... Train Driver Isi Disi (2004) .... Isi Promedio rojo (2004, producer) .... Doctor Di que sí (2004) .... Oscar Vázquez El asombroso mundo de Borjamari y Pocholo (2004, actor and producer) .... Borjamari Torrente 3: el protector (2005, actor, writer, director and producer) .... Torrente Bienvenido a casa (2006) La máquina de bailar (2006) .... Johnny Isi & Disi, alto voltaje (2006) .... Isi Ekipo Ja (2007) .... Santiago Segura Asterix at the Olympic Games (2008) .... Docteurmabus Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) .... Distinguished Buyer Manolete (2008) .... Guillermo King Shot (2009) Tensión sexual no resuelta (2010) .... Hacker (uncredited) The Last Circus (2010) .... Padre-Payaso tonto El gran Vázquez (2010) .... Vázquez Torrente 4: Lethal Crisis (2011) .... Torrente Koma (2011) .... Vendedor Jack and Jill (2011) .... Eduardo (uncredited) As Luck Would Have It (2011) .... David Solar Pa' Habbo (2011) El Chef (2012) .... Juan Pacific Rim (2013) .... Wizened Man Gente en sitios (2013) Witching & Bitching (2013) .... Miren Torrente V: Operación Eurovegas (2014) .... Torrente Pos eso (2014) .... Damián / Obispo / Satán (voice) Rey Gitano (2015) .... Conde de Segura The Strain (2015, TV Series) .... Evil Boxing Coach My Big Night (2015) .... Benítez Wild Oats (2016) .... Carlos The Queen of Spain (2016) .... Castillo Herederos de la bestia (2016) Casi leyendas (2017) .... Axel You Only Live Once (2017) .... Tobías López Los resucitados (2017) .... Don Lorenzo, Conde de Evilio Las grietas de Jara (2018) ... Mario Borla Sin rodeos (2018) Padre no hay más que uno (2019) .... Javier Little Red Riding Wolf (2023) .... Pharmacist The Night My Dad Saved Christmas 2 (2025)

Accolades Year Award Category Work Result 1996 10th Goya Awards Best New Actor The Day of the Beast 1999 13th Goya Awards Best New Director Torrente, the Dumb Arm of the Law