Kepa Amuchastegui

Kepa Amuchástegui Eloizaga (Bogotá, December 9 1941 – Bogotá, May 27 2025) was a Colombian actor, screenwriter and director.

Born on December 9 1941 in Bogotá to Basque immigrants, he studied architecture at the Universidad de los Andes, where he joined and later directed the university’s theater group. Although he completed his architectural coursework, he did not submit a thesis or graduate, opting instead for an acting career. He pursued acting studies in Paris at the Université Internationale du Théâtre, returned to Colombia in late 1968 to found the La Mama theater, then worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company in London before coming back to Colombia in 1971.

Amuchástegui spent several decades in theater and initially resisted television work. He made his TV debut at age 42 in *La pezuña del diablo* (1983) and subsequently built a long career as actor, director and screenwriter. In theater he was noted for his performance in *Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?* (1983), which he regarded as one of his most memorable roles, and on television for the series *Camelias al desayuno* (1985) directed by Bernardo Romero Pereiro. As a director he became known for series such as *La casa de las dos palmas* (1990); as a screenwriter he contributed to titles including *El Divino* (1987), *Garzas al amanecer* (1989) and *Perfume de agonía* (1997). His portrayal of Roberto Mendoza in the telenovela *Yo soy Betty, la fea* (1999–2001) brought him international recognition. Later projects included digital‑platform productions such as *Bolívar* (2020) for Netflix and Caracol Televisión, where he played the craftsman Gervasio, and the sequel *Betty la fea: la historia continúa* (2024–) for Amazon Prime, in which he reprised Roberto Mendoza through flashbacks and archival footage. He received the India Catalina Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021.

In 2024 Amuchástegui disclosed via social media and interviews that he faced financial difficulties, lacked a pension and was receiving only temporary or secondary roles, while his new scripts had not yet attracted network interest. He continued writing and shared his experiences on a YouTube channel. In April 2025 he announced the need to decline the lead role in the stage play *El Padre* because of urinary health problems following surgery in December 2024 and a slower recovery than expected. He died on May 27 2025 at 11:11 p.m., aged 84, from bladder cancer, as confirmed by his team through his official Instagram account.