Fortitude actress and Noel Fielding's co-star Verónica Echegui dies aged 42
Verónica Echegui had kept news of her illness private and was admitted to the hospital in recent days.
Actress Verónica Echegui has sadly passed away after a private battle with cancer. The 42-year-old died on Sunday, August 24.
The Madrid-born star, who was a RADA graduate, was known for her roles in the film Bunny and the Bull, where she starred alongside Great British Bake Off's Noel Fielding, and in Sky's drama series Fortitude.
Spanish newspaper EL PAÍS praised her as "an essential talent in Spanish cinema of the last two decades". In 2009, she featured in the offbeat comedy Bunny and the Bull alongside Noel and his Mighty Boosh co-star Julian Barrett.
She was a foul-mouthed waitress caught up in a hallucinogenic road trip involving a kidnapped stuffed bear, tramps and dogs. From 2015 to 2017, she played Elena Ledesma in Sky Atlantic's horror psychological thriller Fortitude.
In 2022, she starred opposite heartthrob Sam Clafin as Maria Rodríguez in the romantic comedy Book of Love, according to the Express. In 2012, she shared the screen with Henry Cavill, Bruce Willis and Sigourney Weaver in the thriller Cold Light of Day.
Her other notable films include La gran familia española (Family United, 2013), Explota Explota (My Heart Goes Boom, 2020), and Objetos (Lost and Found, 2022).
She also appeared in TV series such as Intimidad (Intimacy, 2022) and Los pacientes del doctor García (The Patients of Dr Garcia, 2023).
As the news of her passing broke, heartfelt tributes for the much-loved star began to flood in.
One mourner expressed their shock, writing: "Oh my goodness, how sad. So many young people dying, and with such rapid and sudden illnesses."
Another fan shared their personal connection, scribing: "I loved this woman... I recently saw the movie 'Yo soy la Juani'... it was only two weeks ago that I saw it with my wife because she hadn't seen it... and now this comes out... very sad news to start a Monday.."
La 2, a Spanish TV channel, shared their own touching tribute: "We bid farewell with deep sadness to the actress Verónica Echegui, a unique and courageous voice in film and television. At 42 years old, she leaves us far too soon."
Fotogramas, a Spanish film magazine, also shared: "Today we bid farewell with a broken heart to Verónica Echegui, an exceptionally talented Spanish actress who sadly leaves us at just 42 years old.
"Verónica was one of those performers who gave everything for every character. From her impactful debut in 'Yo soy la Juani' (2006), where she shone with strength and naturalness...
"Her career was a constant challenge to the norm and a song to emotional truth. Her presence in Spanish cinema... is powerful and authentic. Today we miss her as an actress, but above all as a woman: approachable, brave, advocacy-driven, deeply human. Thank you, Verónica, for all the cinema you gifted us. Rest in peace."