Héctor Benito Echemendía Ruiz de Villa

Cuban actor of theater, film, radio and Cuban television. He became known for his character of Iznaga in the television series Dos hermanos.

Graduated as a Commercial Plants Operator in 1956, he began working at the CMJA radio station, Camagüey as a commercial plant radio operator. In 1960 he works as an actor in the amateur group directed by Miguel Ponce, which in 1961 became professional with the name of Conjunto Dramático de Camagüey.

In 1968 he joins the Conjunto Dramático de Oriente, Santiago de Cuba. In 1971 he marries actress Elsa Blanco and in 1975 returns to the Conjunto Dramático de Camagüey.

In 1984 he joins the Dramatic Group of Radio Cadena Agramonte, Camagüey, where he works on the entire extensive radio programming. In 1992 he moves to the City of La Habana where he continues his participation in theater and radio, but mainly in television.

In 1994 he receives the greatest distinction granted by the City of Camagüey "Distinguished Son of the City of Camagüey". In 2004 he receives the unique recognition "Radio the meaning of a Life", for the 80th anniversary of Radio Cadena Agramonte, Camagüey.

He worked for cabaret during the years 84 to 90 with the character of the Galician, the bufo of the Galician the mulatta and the Black man.

He has worked and continues to do so in the graduation theses of students from ISA and the International School of Film and Television of San Antonio de los Baños.

He established himself as a character actor on television, acting in multiple telenovelas, series, short stories and plays, some of them as successful as Cuando el agua regresa a la tierra, Pasión y prejuicio, Entre mamparas and Tierra brava.

He also made films, successfully interpreting multiple characters. Especially notable is his work in the film Kleines Tropicana by Daniel Díaz Torres.

He has served as a jury member in:

Provincial Children's Theater Meeting of Camagüey, 1975
Radio Festival, 1986
Camagüey Theater Festival 2000
Small format theater, Holguín 2004
Caricato Award, UNEAC
Theater Performance 2006
Third TV festival, 2006
UNEAC Caricato for TV performance, 2007
Jury member in the CARICATO radio award, 2010

Filmography
1977: El brigadista. Director Octavio Cortázar.
1978: Una mujer, un hombre, una ciudad. Director: Manuel Octavio Gómez.
1989: La Bella de la Alhambra. Director: Enrique Pineda.
1994: Un tiburón en La Habana. Director: Alain Naltum (France).
1996: Ilona regresa con la lluvia. Director: Sergio Cabrera (Colombia).
1997: Kleines Tropikana. Director: Daniel Díaz.
1997: La rumbera. Director: Piero Vivarelli (Italy).
1997: Amor Vertical. Director: Arturo Sotto.
1997: Mambí. Director: Santiago and Teodoro Ríos (Kingdom of Spain).
1999: Cuba (Kingdom of Spain). Director: Pedro Carvajal (Kingdom of Spain).
2002: El misterio de Galíndez (Kingdom of Spain). Director: Gerardo Herrero (Kingdom of Spain).
2003: 90 millas (medium-length film, Kingdom of Spain-United States). Director: Paco Rodríguez (Kingdom of Spain-United States).
2003: El diablo marino (Russia). Director: Alexander Atanesyan (Russia).

Awards and Recognition
Diploma from the newspaper Adelante for his theatrical work and for the most outstanding figure of the year. Camagüey, 1961.
Acting Award at the Camagüey Theater Festival, 1983.
Acting Mention at the Radio Festival of the National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba. La Habana, 1989.
Distinction for National Culture, granted by the State Council of the Republic of Cuba. La Habana, 1993.
ACTUAR Award for Lifetime Work granted by the Artistic Agency of Performing Arts ACTUAR in 2019.
National Television Award 2020