Julián Ortega, an actor who starred in Netflix‘s recently wrapped Spanish hit Elite, has died after reportedly collapsing on a beach. He was 41.
Spain’s national union of actors and actresses confirmed Ortega’s death in an obituary earlier this week. “From the Unión de Actores y Actrices, we send our most sincere condolences to the actor’s family and friends,” it read.
There are differing accounts of Ortega’s death. Initial reporting suggested Ortega had drowned, but later accounts said he collapsed on the shore of Zahora beach in Barbate on early Sunday evening.
Olive Press Spain, an English-language publication in Spain, reported that Ortega went into cardiac arrest and paramedics spent up to 30 minutes attempting to revive him.
Ortega appeared in six episodes of Elite in 2018. The show is one of Netflix’s most-established Spanish originals and its eighth and final season recently premiered on the platform. His other credits included Caronte, a crime drama that streamed on Amazon Prime Video.
Spanish actress Silvia Marsó was among those who paid tribute to Ortega, writing on Instagram that it was hard to comprehend the news. “Absolute sadness,” she said.