Rafael "Fele" Martínez (born 22 February 1975) is a Spanish actor. He gained notoriety for his performance as Chema in ''

Thesis A thesis (: theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: D ...

'' (1996), his feature film debut and for which he won the

Goya Award for Best New Actor The Goya Award for Best New Actor () is one of the Goya Awards, Spain's principal national film awards. The category was first presented at the 9th Goya Awards, ninth edition of the Goya Awards, with Saturnino García being the first winner for h ...

Early years

Rafael Martínez was born in

Alicante Alicante (, , ; ; ; officially: ''/'' ) is a city and municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is the capital of the province of Alicante and a historic Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean port. The population ...

on 22 February 1975. He moved to Madrid to study at the RESAD, where he set up a theater and storytelling group, the 'Sex-Peare', along with other school alumni.

Career

His chance at stardom came at the hand of

Alejandro Amenábar Alejandro Fernando Amenábar Cantos (born 31 March 1972) is a Chilean-Spanish film director, screenwriter and composer. He has won nine Goya Awards—including Best Director for his 2001 film '' The Others''—and two European Film Awards amon ...

, who offered him a role in his opera prima ''

''. It was for this work that Fele received the

Goya Award The Goya Awards () are Spain's main national annual film awards. They are presented by the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Spain. The first ceremony was held in 1987, a year after the founding of the Academy of Cinematographic Ar ...

for Best New Actor in 1996. It was followed by performances in films such as '' Open Your Eyes'' (1997), '' Lovers of the Arctic Circle'' (1998), '' The Art of Dying'' (1999), ''

April Captains ''April Captains'' () is a 2000 film telling the story of the Carnation Revolution, the military coup that overthrew the corporatist dictatorship (known as the ''Estado Novo'') in Portugal on 25 April 1974. Although dramatised, the plot is clos ...

'' (2000), '' Black Serenade'' (2001), and '' Bad Education'' (2004). He has also participated in several independent film projects including the short films ''Pasaia'' (1996), for which he won Best Actor at the

Elche Elche (, ; , , , ; officially: ''/'' ) is a city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality of Spain, belonging to the province of Alicante, in the Valencian Community. According to 2024's data, Elche has a population of 234,800 inhabitants,

Film Festival, ''Amigos'' (1997), ''La cartera'' (2000), and ''El castigo del ángel'' (2002) which he also directed.

Filmography

Theatre

* ''Sueños de un Seductor'' (2004) * '' Bajo terapia'' (2017)

Accolades

References

External links

* ''This page draws heavily on the corresponding article in the Spanish-language Wikipedia which was accessed in the version of 30 November 2005.'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Martinez, Fele 1975 births Living people Spanish male film actors Spanish male stage actors Actors from Alicante 20th-century Spanish male actors 21st-century Spanish male actors