Leo Anchoriz, the premier actor from Almería—with nearly 40 films to his name—has no star on the Walk of Fame.

La Voz de Almeria

By Jose Angel Perez

June 9, 2026

Leo Anchoriz—the stage name of film and theater actor Mariano Leopardo de Anchoriz Fustel—was born in Almería on September 22, 1929, in the city's Plaza del Marqués de Heredia (popularly known as the Plaza de los Burros). He passed away in Madrid on February 17, 1987—where he had resided for many years—at the relatively young age of 58 due to a heart condition, leaving behind his widow, María Callejón; the couple had no children.

This multifaceted native of Almería was a film actor, painter, writer, musician, muralist, and theatrical set designer; within the film industry, he distinguished himself as a screenwriter and art director. Endowed with an extraordinary physique—possessing a strong, athletic build—he was an excellent swimmer. On television, he worked as a presenter for TVE in 1975, hosting the game show ‘A Simple Vista*, and appeared in various series such as ‘Confidencias’, ‘Tiempo y hora’, ‘Novelas’, ‘Cuentos y Leyendas’, ‘Ficciones’, ‘Teatro de Siempre’, and ‘Hora Once’. In artistic and cultural circles, he was known as a highly cultured individual—versatile across all manner of cultural activities—and a man deeply devoted to his homeland; it was there, at the Ciudad Jardín church in 1965, that he married María Callejón, a young woman from Dalías.

According to Antonio Sevillano, his parents—Román de Anchoriz Andrés, of the Aragonese origin, and Josefina Fustel—arrived in Almería around the second decade of the 20th century. His father, a mariner by profession, worked as a harbor pilot. They arrived with two other children, Carola and Román.

As a child, Leopardo Anchoriz was a restless, hyperactive, and highly intelligent boy. In 1936, he began his education at a popular school on Calle de la Reina, where he prepared for admission to the secondary school—now the School of Arts and Crafts—to complete his high school studies. He was a student of the extraordinary poet and teacher Celia Viñas, sharing classes with other notable figures from Almería such as Gabriel Espinar, Mary Molto, López Cuadra, and the painter Dionisio Godoy. An exceptional draftsman who seemed destined to become a painter, he handled the set design for the “pasos” (religious floats), plays, and other productions Celia organized for her students. Interestingly, he illustrated some of his teacher's publications, including Trigo del corazón and Canción tonta del Sur.

After finishing high school, he moved to Madrid to study Fine Arts at the San Fernando Academy. He entered the film industry under the guidance of director Pedro Lazaga, thanks to his friendship with actress ConchPerezita Montes. He was close friends with José María Forqué, Jaime de Armiñán, and the Italian filmmaker Enzo G. Castellari; he worked on several films with Castellari and, years later, even moved to Rome to live with him and his family. It is worth noting that Leo Anchoriz never abandoned painting—a field in which he had shown great promise—creating various stage sets for Madrid theaters and, notably, a collection of posters for the Almería Fair; he won first prize in the 1948 municipal competition for these designs—collaborating with Miguel Salmerón Pellón (winning again in 1949, 1951, and 1972)—and became the most acclaimed poster artist after Pérez Siquier, Salmerón, and Robles Cabrera. Leo Anchoriz also created the mural announcing Madrid's San Isidro Festival in 1973.

Wedding in Ciudad Jardín

At the age of 36, with his film career firmly established, he married María Callejón on the afternoon of Sunday, January 12, 1965, at the Church of San Antonio in Ciudad Jardín. Among the well-known figures from the entertainment world who attended the ceremony were bullfighter Antonio Bienvenida, José María Forqué, and Jaime Luis de Armiñán.

Whether in a leading or supporting role, Leo Anchoriz appeared in 37 films across various genres—predominantly Spaghetti Westerns—often playing "tough guys" or action roles. He made his debut in 1957 in “Las muchachas de azul”, directed by José M. Forqué and starring Analía Gadé, Fernando Fernán Gómez, and Tony Leblanc; this was followed by Pedro Luis Ramírez’s “El tigre de Chamberí”, alongside José Luis Ozores and Tony Leblanc. In 1959, he appeared in “Duelo en La Cañada”—his first film shot in Almería—and three years later starred in “Milagro a los cobardes”, winning the Best New Actor award at the San Sebastián International Film Festival. That same year, he appeared in “El gladiador invencible”, “Marcha o muere”, and “El halcón de la luna”, alongside Carmen Sevilla, Lola Flores, and Paquita Rico.

He shot nine films in Almería, several of them alongside Eduard Fajardo, who had adopted the region as his home. In a subsequent phase of his career, he worked as a co-screenwriter and writer on “Vivir al sol’; “Carola de día, Carola de noche” (starring Marisol); “La Lola dicen que no vive sola” (directed by Jaime de Armiñán); “Los fríos del miedo”; “A veces ocurren cosas”; a TVE episode; and Pilar Miró’s “La petición”. As an art director, he worked on “La cera virgen” (directed by Forqué and starring Carmen Sevilla and José Luis López Vázquez) and the 1974 film “No es nada, mamá, sólo un juego” (alongside Paco Rabal), and he collaborated with his friend Pilar Miró on the filming of “Gary Cooper, que estás en los cielos”.