Verónica Echegui, an award-winning actress known for her work across Spanish, British, and American cinema, died on 24 August 2025 after a private battle with cancer. She was 42.
Echegui passed away at a hospital in Madrid, just months after the release of her final television role in Love You To Death. She also leaves behind unreleased work in the posthumous series Ciudad de sombras.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Born Verónica Fernández Echegaray on 16 June 1983 in Madrid, she was the daughter of a lawyer and a civil servant. She trained in acting at the Real Escuela Superior de Arte Dramático before moving to London to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. While there, she supported herself working as a waitress.
Echegui's first television work came through small roles in Una nueva vida and Paco y Veva, and performed on stage in the 2005 play Infierno at the Teatro María Guerrero. Her breakout moment came in 2006 when she landed the lead in My Name Is Juani by director Bigas Luna.
To secure the role, Echegui pretended she wasn't an actress. Believing the director was looking for someone 'ordinary', she attended the casting in plain clothes and presented herself as inexperienced. The move worked, and the film earned her a Goya nomination for Best New Actress.
Career Highlights and Awards
After My Name Is Juani, she took on a range of complex characters across genres. Her role as a convict seeking redemption in My Prison Yard (2008) earned her a Goya nomination for Best Actress. She later received further nominations for My Heart Goes Boom! and won a Gaudí Award for her performance in The Offering.
Echegui's international work included the British comedy Bunny and the Bull (2009), and The Cold Light of Day (2012), where she starred alongside Sigourney Weaver and Bruce Willis. In 2022, she played a factory worker in the series Intimacy, and in 2024 took on the role of a judge in the AI-themed thriller Artificial Justice.
In 2020, she made her directorial debut with the short film Tótem Loba, which won the Goya Award for Best Fictional Short Film in 2022. Across her career, she received four Goya nominations and won two Gaudí Awards.
Final Projects and Personal Life
Her final on-screen appearances included Yo no soy esa in 2024 and Love You To Death in 2025. At the time of her death, she had completed filming on Ciudad de sombras, which is set to be released posthumously.
Echegui was fluent in Spanish, English and Italian. She was in a long-term relationship with actor Álex García, whom she met during the filming of Six Points About Emma.
She is mourned by colleagues and fans, with tributes pouring in from across the Spanish film and television industry. A private ceremony was held at the La Paz funeral home in Alcobendas.
Legacy and Impact
Verónica Echegui's career spanned nearly two decades, beginning with a bold casting decision and ending with critical acclaim in both acting and directing. Her ability to move between mainstream and independent productions, and across multiple languages and countries, made her one of Spain's most versatile performers.
She kept her illness out of the public eye and continued to work throughout her final year. Her death at 42 brought an end to a career still unfolding, but her performances remain a record of her talent and range.
