Bartolomé Adolfo Llauradó Salmerón

Born in Santiago de Cuba. In his native city he took his first steps in his artistic career as part of the dramatic cast of the CMKC radio station, but it was in La Habana where, first in theater and later in cinema, he would achieve notoriety for his fabulous histrionic qualities.

His artistic career began in 1954, performing on radio stations in his province. In 1956 he moved to La Habana and also became involved in radio and television.

He made his theatrical debut in 1957, with the play Pájaros de la luna by Marcel Aymée. Throughout his career he was always linked to the theatrical medium. Initially he performed in private venues, until in 1959, he joined the Teatro Nacional de Cuba.

He was part of the Conjunto Dramático Nacional and later, of the Teatro Estudio company, to which he belonged for several years.

In 1966 he co-starred with Adela Legrá in the short film Manuela, by Humberto Solás. Thus began a successful career as a film actor in which he worked under the direction of the most prestigious filmmakers of the ICAIC.

On the big screen he achieved anthology performances in Manuela and the third story of Lucía —critics have considered him a kind of fetish actor for Humberto Solás—, as well as in El hombre de Maisinicú, by Manolo Pérez, and Retrato de Teresa and Las profecías de Amanda, by Pastor Vega.

His work in Lucía, filmed in 1968, generated much discussion. At that time some even claimed that the jealous and violent temperament of his character conformed to the historical "macho" Cuban character. The matter became controversial. Years later the actor himself explained:

"I had to understand the character. Perhaps at that time I understood it because I was extremely jealous. Over time, over the years, I have become softer, but I have been a very jealous man. Not only of my wife's love, but jealous of my friends, of the simplest things. It was a moment in which I could discharge in my work everything I carried inside. I was very young, I was 24 years old, and at that age one is just beginning to live..."

Llauradó alternated his work as an actor in film and theater, with television. He starred in important classics of the national stage and universal theater. He is especially remembered for his character in Santa Camila de la Habana Vieja and his performance in En el parque, by André Guelman, a production that lasted almost a year.

In parallel, he developed an extensive teaching career. He always insisted on the training and stimulation of young performers. Between 1989 and 1996, he supported students at the Escuela Internacional de Cine y Televisión de Cuba in directing actors. In 1996, he taught an acting workshop for adult enthusiasts. In 1998 he created the Acting Workshop "La Terraza" in his home with the aim of preparing children and teenagers to take entrance exams at art schools (ENA - ISA – Instructores de Arte). In 2001, beginning its 5th year, the Workshop continued its work, now under the name "La Terraza - Adolfo Llauradó".

In recent times, Llauradó became interested in documentary filmmaking and collaborated with emerging filmmakers at the Escuela Internacional de Cine y TV de San Antonio de los Baños.

He participated in international film festivals in Spain, Moscow, France, Brazil and theater festivals in La Habana, Camagüey, Spain and Yugoslavia, among others. His presence in cinema, radio and television in an assiduous manner and with unsurpassable quality established this actor as one of the most outstanding in our cultural media.

He directed three documentaries: Carilda, desaparece el polvo; Divas, and Esmeralda. He participated in international film festivals in Spain, Moscow, France, Brazil and theater festivals in La Habana, Camagüey, Spain and Yugoslavia, among others. He died on November 3, 2001, in La Habana; his body was transferred and buried in his native city Santiago de Cuba. His death surprised him in a full stage of creative fertility. He was preparing to be the protagonist of a film by Pastor Vega, "Resurrección". In March 2003, the Sala Teatro Adolfo Llauradó was inaugurated in La Habana, in recognition of his work and his indisputable presence in Cuban culture.

Awards

1978: Acting award for Rancheador at the Panama International Film Festival.
1983: Tinajón Camagüeyano for Santa Camila de la Habana Vieja.
1984: UNEAC Award for Santa Camila de la Habana Vieja.
1984: Acting award at the La Habana International Theater Festival for Santa Camila de la Habana Vieja, and for Morir del cuento.
1986: Best Acting Award for En el Parque, at the Camagüey Theater Festival.
1987: UNEAC Award for Best Acting for En el Parque.
2001: UNEAC Caricato Award for Best Acting for the teleplay La Espera.

Medals and honors

Raúl Gomez García Medal (1982)
Alejo Carpentier Medal (2001)
José María Heredia Medal (2001)
Distinction for National Culture (1988)

Theater performances

Most important works

1958: Los Pájaros de luna, by Marcel Aymé – Dir: Adolfo de Luis.
1960: Santa Juana, by Bernard Shaw – Dir: Berta Martínez.
1961: Recuerdo de dos lunes, by Arthur Miller – Dir: Sergio Corrieri.
1961: El Círculo de Tiza Caucasiano, by Bertold Brecht – Dir: Ugo Ulive.
1962: Vassa Yeliznova by Maximo Gorki - Dir: Néstor Raimondi.
1963: De película, by Carlos Felipe – Dir: Pierre Chaussat.
1966: La noche de los asesinos, by José Triana – Dir: Vicente Revuelta.
1966: El farsante más grande del mundo, by John Synge – Dir: Rodolfo Valencia.
1966: El No, by Virgilio Piñera – Dir: Luis Brunet.
1967: El sueño americano, by Edward Albee – Dir: Luis Brunet.
1967: El becerro de oro, by Joaquín Lorenzo Luaces – Dir: A. Suárez del Villar.
1967: La ronda, by Arthur Schnitzler – Dir: Raquel Revuelta
1968: Las cuatro estaciones, by Arnold Wesker – Dir: A. Wesker
1969: El alma buena, by Bertold Brecht – Dir: Vicente Revuelta.
1970: El pequeño prodigio, by Ciro Alegría – Dir: Luis Felipe Roca.
1972: Las tres hermanas, by Anton Chejov – Dir: Vicente Revuelta.
1975: El pagador de promesas, by Alfredo Díaz Gómez – Dir: Nelson Dorr.
1975: La madre, by Bertold Brecht – Dir: Ulf Keyn
1976: La chacota, by Nicolas Dorr – Dir: Nelson Dorr
1979: Bodas de sangre, by Federico García Lorca – Dir: Berta Martínez.
1980: El travieso Jimmy, by Carlos Felipe – Dir: Vicente Revuelta.
1982: Deseo bajo los Holmos. by Eugene O'Neill – Dir: Nelson Dorr.
1982: La duodécima noche, by William Shakespeare – Dir: Vicente Revuelta
1982: Santa Camila de la Habana Vieja, by José Brene – Dir: A. Suarez del Villar.
1983: Morir del cuento, by Abelardo Estorino – Dir: Abelardo Estorino.
1983: De tal Pedro tal astilla, by Felipe Bernaza – Dir: Nelson Dorr.
1986: En el parque by Alexander Guelman – Dir: Vicente Revuelta
1988: La carta, by Nastasia Tanska – Dir: Silvano Suarez.
1988: Requien por Yarini, by Carlos Felipe – Dir: Huberto Llamas.
1988: Altazor – ballet/theater by Lázaro Gomez (with Jorge Esquivel).
1989: Pulvis Eris - solo performance – music by Juan Marcos Blanco.
1991: El animador, by Rodolfo Santana – Dir: Raul Villareal.
1996: Dos viejos pánicos, by Virgilio Piñera – Dir: Roberto Blanco.

Television performances

Most important works

1957: Así comenzó la historia - Dir: Antonio Vázquez Gallo
1983: Las Moscas, by Jean-Paul Sartre - Dir: Carlos Piñeiro
1984: Teresa Raquin, by Honoré de Balzac – Dir: Antonio Vázquez Gallo
1985: La Alondra, by Jean Anouilh - Dir: Tito Borbolla
1986: Santa juana, by Bernard Shaw – Dir: Berta Martínez
1987: Ondine, by Jean Giraudoux – Dir: Carlos Piñeiro
1988: Papá Goriot, by Honoré de Balzac – Dir: Antonio Vázquez Gallo
1988: La Carta, by Nastasia TANSKA – Dir: Silvano Suarez
1989: Viaje de un largo día hacia la noche, by Eugene O'Neill - Dir: Carlos Piñeiro
1990: Emmma, the woman marked by and through Camilo Hernández.
1991: Prefiero las rosas– Dir: Raúl Pérez Sánchez.
2001: La espera, by Gloria Parrado – Dir: Vicente González Castro.
Serials "Aventuras" and "Día y Noche".

Film performances

Most important films

1962: Cuba 58 – Dir: Jorge Fraga
1966: Manuela - Dir: Humberto Solás
1968: Lucía - Dir: Humberto Solás
1969: La primera carga al machete: Dir: Manuel Octavio Gómez
1971: Los días del agua Dir: Manuel Octavio Gómez
1973: El hombre de Maisinicú - Dir: Manuel Pérez
1974: El otro Francisco: Dir: Sergio Giral
1976: Rancheador - Dir: Sergio Giral
1979: Maluala - Dir: Sergio Giral
Retrato de Teresa - Dir: Pastor Vega
1981: Polvo rojo - Dir: Jesús Díaz
1984: La segunda hora de Esteban Zayas - Dir: Manuel Pérez
Habanera - Dir: Pastor Vega
Jíbaro - Dir: Daniel Díaz Torrés
1986: Baraguá - Dir: José Massip
Capablanca - Dir: Manuel Herrera
El socio de dios - Dir: Federico García
1987: Amor en campo minado - Dir: Pastor Vega
1988: Un señor muy viejo con unas alas enormes - Dir: Fernando Birri
Cartas del parque - Dir: Tomás Gutiérrez Alea
1992: El elefante y la bicicleta - Dir: Juan Carlos Tabío
El plano - Dir: Julio García Espinosa
1996: Blue moon - Dir: Fernando Timosi
1999: Las profecias de Amanda - Dir: Pastor Vega
2001: Rosa - Dir: Valeria Sarmiento
1989/1996: Numerous shorts at the Escuela Internacional de Cine y TV de San Antonio de los Baños.

Cinematographic work as director

1994: Carilda, desaparece el polvo (about Carilda Oliver Labra)
1995: Divas (11 great ladies of Cuban cinema)
2000: Esmeralda (a woman of 78 years who was a prostitute)

Source: Ecured