Jack Taylor, the "American from Chamberí" who found his Far West in Madrid

Europe Press

June 13, 2026

Jack Taylor, the "American from Chamberí" who found his Far West in Madrid

Jack Taylor was born in Oregon, passed through Marilyn Monroe's Hollywood and ended up finding his Wild West in Madrid. The American actor, who died last May at the age of 99, arrived in Spain in the 60s and ended up putting down roots in the capital, to the point of earning the nickname "the American of Chamberí".

Behind that decision to stay was the western. This is how film director Víctor Matellano, a friend of the interpreter for 30 years who vindicates a lesser-known facet of Taylor, usually associated with fantasy cinema, remembers it. "What really makes him stay here is the western," he explained in an interview with Europa Press.

Taylor landed in Spain in 1961 with a Broadway musical comedy in a Mexican version. He was living in Mexico at the time, but ended up settling in Madrid, although from the capital he worked with directors such as John Milius or Roman Polanski, and shared a cast with performers such as Johnny Depp in 'The Ninth Door'.

Before becoming one of the recognizable faces of genre cinema in Spain, Matellano recalls that Taylor had started in Hollywood at the time of the unrepeatable Marilyn Monroe. The filmmaker also points out that the actor lived closely the world of great stars and shootings such as 'A Star Is Born', with Judy Garland.

FROM OREGON TO MADRID

Born in Oregon in 1926, Jack Taylor came into the world on his grandparents' ranch, with a biography already linked to the imaginary of the West. His great-grandfather was one of the founders of Oregon City, a friend of the real Wyatt Earp, and he met Billy the Kid. In addition, Taylor was an honorary member of the Sioux tribe, renamed Wamblí Glishká, "Spotted Eagle".

His real name was George Brown Randall, but the cinema first baptized him as Greg Martin (Mexico) and ended up turning him into Jack Taylor when he settled in Spain. "George Brown in the United States is like Juan Pérez here," joked the filmmaker.

The new name was used to boost his career in westerns. Even, according to Matellano, he played with the idea that he was Robert Taylor's nephew, "which was absolutely a lie."

The actor participated in titles linked to westerns such as 'The Last Rebel', 'Outlaw', 'Tomb of the Gunslinger', 'Uncas, the End of a Race', 'General Custer's Last Adventure', 'Joe Christmas', 'Trinidad and Bambino, Like Which', 'The Valley of Concavenator' and 'Print the Legend'.

A 30-YEAR FRIENDSHIP

Matellano remembers the beginning of his friendship with Taylor, whom he met when he was very young, in the 90s, after locating his phone in the old white pages. “Back then it was very easy: you looked for whoever you wanted, you called and that’s it,” he recalled.

She went to visit him at his home, in the district of Chamberí, and found “a super friendly man”. From that first meeting a friendship was born that lasted for 30 years. “There was a kind of friendly crush right away,” he said.

Taylor agreed to participate shortly after in one of his first short films and, according to Matellano, he did not want a small role, but the protagonist. He was already about 70 years old and ended up running around the Plaza de Ópera in a low-budget shoot.

Taylor also worked with him in theater and film. His last major starring role was in ‘WAX’, alongside Geraldine Chaplin and Jimmy Shaw. In addition, he participated in ‘The Valley of Concavenator’, one of his last appearances linked to the imaginary of the West.

“I’m still grieving because we were very, very friends,” he confessed in his conversation with Europa Press. As he has related, in recent years it was usual to have breakfast or snack together once a week and call each other every two days.

Matellano assures that Taylor was a decisive figure in his career. “I owe him everything because he was super young and he is one of those who helped me,” he said, before describing the world of show business as “a jungle” in which the American actor reached out to him.

TRIBUTE THIS SATURDAY IN HOYO DE MANZANARES

Hoyo de Manzanares will pay tribute this Saturday to actor Jack Taylor with the screening of 'The Tomb of the Gunslinger' (1964), by Amando de Ossorio, shot in the Golden City sets of Hoyo de Manzanares, together with the short film 'Print the Legend' (2023), directed by Víctor Matellano, co-scripted and narrated by Taylor himself and filmed in the Sad Hill cemetery, in Burgos.

'The Tomb of the Gunman' occupies a special place in Matellano's memory. According to the filmmaker, it was "a very strange western" because it was born as a thriller about bullfighters, but finally the producers proposed to move it to the West taking advantage of the fever of the genre.

After the screenings, there will also be a colloquium and the presentation of 'My 100 years of cinema', the memoirs of the performer edited by Sial-Pygmalion.

Víctor Matellano explained that the "most important" thing about this tribute is that "he was prepared" before his death. "Nothing of what had been agreed with him is going to vary, except that he is not going to be there," he said during his conversation with Europa Press.

The event will be presented by Manolo Fernández, from Radio Nacional, and will be attended by actress Claudia Gravi, a friend of Taylor and also linked to the filming of the West.