Julián Ortega, actor in the international Spanish-language Netflix drama series “Elite,” died Sunday at 41 years old. The star collapsed after experiencing cardiac arrest while visiting a beach.
“From the Unión de Actores y Actrices, we send our most sincere condolences to the actor’s family and friends,” the Spanish Union of Actors and Actresses wrote in its obituary for Ortega, confirming the news of his death.
Earlier reports seemingly alluded to Ortega dying from drowning, but it was later reported that he collapsed on the shore of Zahora beach in Barbate. Paramedics spent about 30 minutes trying to resuscitate Ortega.
Ortega was born in Madrid, Spain in 1983. He was best known for playing the manager of the “La Cabana” restaurant in six episodes of Netflix’s successful Spanish-language drama, “Elite,” which premiered in 2018. The series was centered on a group of working-class teens who enroll in a private school and end up butting heads with wealthy students — and their beef leads to a murder.
In addition to “Elite,” Ortega’s resume is stacked with other Spanish-language series, including “The Countryside,” “Caronte,” “4 Estrellas,” “Velvet” and more. He’s also starred in “Sicario,” “Bless Me,” “Ultima” and “Frontera.”
