‘Elite’ Actor Julian Ortega Dead at 41

Julian Ortega, who appeared in Netflix‘s hit series Elite, tragically passed away on Sunday, August 25, at the age of 41. Ortega is survived by his mother, actress Gloria Muñoz, and father, TV writer José Antonio Ortega.

There were varying reports about how the Spanish actor died, as it was initially reported Ortega drowned. However, on Wednesday, August 28, the media outlet Olive Press, an English-speaking paper for expats in Spain, clarified that cardiac arrest was the actual cause of Ortega’s death, according to emergency and lifeguard services.

The tragedy occurred on Zahora Beach in Barbate, Spain, in front of shocked spectators at the La Calima beach bar. Paramedics acted swiftly with a defibrillator and reportedly tried to revive Ortega for a half hour until he was eventually pronounced dead at the scene, per Olive Press.

Ortega played the character Encargado in six episodes in season one ofElite, which premiered in 2018. Elite is a teen drama that takes place at the fictional private school Las Encinas in Madrid, Spain. It follows three students from working-class backgrounds who are forced to attend Las Encinas after their school is destroyed. Ortega’s character, Encargado, was the manager of La Cabana, a restaurant where some of the main characters worked.

Originally from Madrid, the Madrid’s Royal School of Dramatic Arts alum starred in other Spanish shows like The Countryside (El pueblo), a comedy series, and Caronte, a drama streaming on Amazon Prime.

Following his death, fellow actors have taken to social media to pay tribute to Ortega.

On Monday, August 26, Spanish actress Sílvia Marsó took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to honor Ortega with a selfie of the pair. The post, translated into English, read, “Today, the profession loses an exceptional colleague, an incredible actor, and an unforgettable human being. A big, big hug to your parents 💔 Gloria Muñoz, José Antonio Ortega, and all their family, friends and colleagues,” the 61-year-old wrote.“😥Always our heart, dear Julian.“

Fellow actor Paco Collado also posted a tribute on X, sharing a sweet photo with his arms around Ortega. “It was a great pleasure @julianortega_7 to play your father in @elpuebloserie you left us with sympathy, generosity and professionalism, many hugs friend and also to your family, a real shame in the prime of your youth, RIP Julian,” Collado posted on Tuesday, August 27, as translated into English.

Fans expressed sorrow for Oretga’s passing in the comments section of Marsó’s and Collado’s posts. Like the actors’ tributes, their words were also originally written in Spanish and translated into English.

“Our love and our most sincere condolences to his family and friends!!,” one person wrote under Collado’s post. “RIP 🕊 🙏. My condolences to family (Gloria Muñoz) and to colleagues and friends,” someone shared on Marsó’s upload.

Elite released its eighth and final season in July on Netflix.