Frank González López

Renowned Cuban actor in Cuban television, radio, and film. Additionally, due to his facility in interpreting various characters, he lent his voice to various series and dramatized programs. Likewise, he is known for bringing to life for many years the children's character Elpidio Valdés, among other characters.

While Frank served his Military Service, he acted as an amateur in theater groups and musical groups.

Starting in 1967, he began working at ICRT as a costume designer and decorator, specialties for which he trained for a year. Concurrently, he studied acting with excellent professionals from radio and television such as Roberto Garriga, Marta Jiménez Oropesa, Odilia Romero, and Oscar Luis López.

In 1969, he began acting in dramatic programming on radio and TV, media where he has had an extensive career. He also worked in various Cuban films.

In theater, he participated in productions such as The Ten Days That Shook the World with the Teatro Estudio group, The Squaring of the Circle, and Romance to Federico at the National Theater.

He conducted two national tours with the works They Want to Marry Maltina and Noah's Ark. He is an excellent character actor and, furthermore, possibly the best dubbing actor in our country: he has given life to multiple characters in animated cartoons and, among them, to the emblematic Elpidio Valdés.

In 1984, he acted in the Hungarian television year-end program; in 2001 in the Mexican television series Operation Courage; and in 2002, he participated in the Caribbean Film Festival of St. Barthélemy.

With his voice, he has performed various animation productions that were made at the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry. Among his characters, the character of Elpidio Valdés stands out. Likewise, he also lent his voice to the dubbing of Japanese anime films and series.

During his prolific career, he was awarded in several dubbing contests, received accolades for his performances in dramatic radio, and obtained the Caricato Award for acting for the novel La Habana in 1999. He also received the ACTUAR Award for lifetime achievement in 2016 and the National Television Prize three years later.

For some years, Frank had suffered serious health problems. According to Cuban television reports, his death was due to a cerebrovascular accident.

Filmography

1974 The Other Francisco. Dir. Sergio Giral.

1978 Elpidio Valdés Forces the Path (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Juan Padrón.

Elpidio Valdés Against the Shredders (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Juan Padrón.

1979 Elpidio Valdés (Dubbing. LM. Animated Cartoons). Dir. Juan Padrón.

Elpidio Valdés and the Rifle (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Juan Padrón.

1980 Elpidio Valdés Against the Gunboat (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Juan Padrón.

The White Butterfly (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Mario Rivas. The Question (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Juan Padrón.

1981 Matojo Doesn't Swim, Doesn't Swim (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Manuel Lamar (Lillo).

N'vula (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Juan Padrón.

1983 Elpidio Valdés Against Dollar and Cannon (Dubbing. LM. Animated Cartoons). Dir. Juan Padrón.

Celedonio (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Juan Padrón.

1984 Yeyín and the Hidden City (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Ernesto Padrón.

Jíbaro. Dir. Daniel Díaz. Tupac Amaru (Cuba-Peru). Dir. Federico García.
Young Frank González.

1985 In Three and Two. Dir. Rolando Díaz.

Baraguá. Dir. José Massip. The Heart Above the Earth (Dubbing. LM. Fiction). Dir. Constante (Rapi) Diego. Vampires in Havana (Dubbing. LM. Animated Cartoons). Dir. Juan Padrón.

1986 God's Partner (Peru. Dubbing. LM. Fiction). Dir. Federico García.

Dolly Back (Short. Fiction). Dir. Juan Carlos Tabío.

1987 The Interview (Short. Fiction). Dir. Enrique Colina.

Old Havana Square (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Mario Rivas. Kolia (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Juan Padrón. Cuban Fauna (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Mario García Montes. Gallego (Dubbing. LM. Fiction). Dir. Manuel Octavio Gómez. Laser (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Mario Rivas. The Crossing of Yayeberí (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Tulio Raggi. The Vessels (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Tulio Raggi.

1988 Plaff or Too Much Fear of Life (Dubbing. LM. Fiction). Dir. Juan Carlos Tabío.

A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings (Dubbing. LM. Fiction). Dir. Fernando Birri. Filminute 18 (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Juan Padrón, Mario Rivas, and Tulio Raggi. Elpidio Valdés Attacks Jutía Dulce (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Juan Padrón. Elpidio Valdés Against the 5th Hunters (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Juan Padrón. Elpidio Valdés Captured! (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Juan Padrón.

1989 Elpidio Valdés and Weyler's Grandmother (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Juan Padrón, Mario Rivas, and Tulio Raggi.

Elpidio Valdés and Palmiche Against the Lancers (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Juan Padrón, Mario Rivas, and Tulio Raggi. The Alphabet (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Tulio Raggi.

1990 Man and His Home (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Tulio Raggi.

The Grateful Man (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Tulio Raggi. Filminutes 19, 20, 21, and 22 (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Juan Padrón, Mario Rivas, and Tulio Raggi.

1991 Elpidio Valdés Gets Married (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Juan Padrón, Mario Rivas, and Tulio Raggi.

The Güije (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Mario Rivas. Filminutes 24 and 25 (Dubbing. Animated Cartoons). Dir. Mario Rivas. Mascaró, the American Hunter (Dubbing. LM. Fiction). Dir. Constante (Rapi) Diego. Let Them Restore the Traviata (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Modesto García.

1992 The Lilac Planet (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Mario García Montes.

The Century of Enlightenment (Dubbing. LM. Fiction). Dir. Humberto Solás. Elpidio Valdés and the Inventors (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Juan Padrón. Elpidio Valdés Meets Fito (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Juan Padrón. Bobocracy (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Elisa Rivas. Filminutes 27 and 28 (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Mario Rivas.

1993 Filminute 29 (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Mario García Montes.

The Floor. Dir. Julio García Espinosa.

1994 Mafalda (Dubbing. Animated Series). Dir. Juan Padrón.

Filminutes 30, 31, 32, and 33 (Dubbing. Animated Cartoons). Dir. Tulio Raggi, Jorge Valdés, Mario Rivas.

1995 More Was Lost in Cuba (Dubbing. Animated Series). Dir. Juan Padrón.

1996 Against the Eagle and the Lion (Dubbing. LM. Animated Cartoons). Dir. Juan Padrón.

1999 S.O.S. Mercury (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Ernesto Padrón.

Filminutes 45, 46, and 47 (Dubbing. Animated Cartoons). Dir. Mario Rivas.

2000 Filminutes 48 and 49 (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Elisa Rivas and Tulio Raggi.

Elpidio Valdés Against the Iron Fortress (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Tulio Raggi. Elpidio Valdés Faces Resoples (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Tulio Raggi.

2002 Robinson Crusoe (Dubbing. LM. Fiction). Dir. Thierry Chabert.

Filminute 55 (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Mario Rivas. Pepe Discovers the Wheel (Dubbing. Animated Cartoon). Dir. Juan Ruiz.

2003 More Vampires in Havana (Dubbing. LM. Animated Cartoons). Dir. Juan Padrón.

Awards and Recognition

Microphone of Cuban Radio.
Distinction for National Culture, awarded by the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba.
Four First Prizes for acting in UNEAC Radio Contests.
That's How We Speak
Second Place for Voice in Radio Festival.
The Castle of Ra Tim Bum
First Prize in the Third National Dubbing Contest.
The Century of Enlightenment
First Prize in the Second National Dubbing Contest.
The Yellow Submarine
Special Mention in Radio. Havana, 1996.
Elpidio Valdés
Special Mention. Contest of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba.
Between Four Walls
Narration Award at Radio Festival.
The Naked Maja
Acting Award at Radio Festival.
Glass Walls
Acting Award at Radio Festival.
If You Could Love Me
First Prize for Acting on Television, Caricato Contest, for the television novel. Havana, 1999.
ACTUAR Award for Lifetime Achievement, awarded by ACTUAR Performing Arts Agency 2016
National Television Prize 2019