Renowned theater, film, and television actor Fernando Hechavarría Gibert, one of the most popular and beloved figures on the Cuban stage, was awarded the 2026 National Theater Award, as announced on Monday afternoon.
The jury, composed of Verónica Lynn, 2003 National Theater Award winner, who served as chair; Carlos Díaz Alfonso, 2015 National Theater Award winner; Aramís Delgado, 2023 National Theater Award winner; Juan Piñera, 2025 National Award for Artistic Education winner; and Omar Valiño, professor, theater critic, and director of the José Martí National Library, unanimously decided to honor the artist, who has accumulated 50 years of artistic career and 22 years of experience in theater teaching.
According to information shared by the National Council for the Performing Arts, Maribel López, Graciela González, Juan González Fiffe, and Osvaldo Doimeadiós were also nominated. The jury highlighted their exemplary careers, "because they are artists who have left their mark on national culture."
Hechavarría was born in the province of Holguín in 1955. There he studied at the provincial school of plastic arts. He graduated in 1976 from the National School of Performing Arts in Havana and was a member of the Teatro Escambray group in Villa Clara until 1995. Since then, he has been part of the Teatro El Público company.
He has participated in several international co-production projects and taken part in more than 27 national and international festivals. He has worked in more than 36 plays, 31 films, and 44 television programs, soap operas, series, and adventure shows, and his performances have been praised by numerous specialized critics.
He teaches acting at the University of the Arts and the Corina Mestre National Theater School. Among the distinctions he has received are the Máximo Gómez's Machete and the National Culture Distinction. He is an artist of merit of Cuban Television and has received the Maestro de Juventudes Award from the Hermanos Saíz Association.
His acting awards include the Florencio Escudero and Omar Valdés awards from UNEAC; the Caricato Award for the stage production Las Amargas lágrimas de Petra Von Kant, and the Best Performance Award at the National Television Festival.
Films such as Plácido, Pon tu pensamiento en mí, Amor vertical, La noche de los inocentes, El viajero inmóvil, Ciudad en rojo, and Inocencia are among his filmography.
Likewise, Nacho Capitán's role in the soap opera Tierra Brava stands out as one of the most emblematic of his career. Among his most recent performances, his role in the series LCB: La otra guerra, as El Gallo de Cumanayagua, was once again endearing to the island's audience.
"I like to choose intense, complex characters that are different from each other, no matter how small or large they may be. Sometimes we play leading roles that are insubstantial, bland, and sometimes we play small characters that leave a lasting impression on the viewer and, on a personal level, a particular affection for the work done," the actor confessed.
On another occasion, he added: "What kills me is theater. It's the matrix, there's nothing like it... It gives you direct contact with the audience, the possibility of searching for all the expressive resources you have to defend a character from beginning to end, because once you go on stage there's no way to correct a mistake. Every night, every day is a new experience."
For this year's National Theater Award, proposals were received from 39 institutions, which selected 18 artists.
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