Spanish actress Verónica Echegui dies at 42 after cancer battle

Hollywood and the Spanish film industry have been thrown into mourning following the death of actress Verónica Echegui.

According to E! News, the 42-year-old star passed away on August 24 at Madrid’s 12 de Octubre University Hospital where she was being treated for cancer.

Echegui first rose to fame in 2006 when she starred in My Name is Juani, a performance that earned her a Spanish Academy nomination. Over the years, she picked up more nominations for her roles in My Prison Yard (2009), Katmandu (2012), and My Heart Goes Boom (2022). In 2022, she also won Best Fiction Short Film for her directorial debut, Tótem Loba.

Tributes have since poured in from colleagues and public figures.

Spanish actor Antonio Banderas wrote on Instagram:

“Today Spanish cinema is mourning the death of Veronica Echegui. My condolences.”

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also expressed his grief on X, saying:

“I was deeply shocked by the news of Veró