Fernando Hechavarría Wins Cuba's National Theater Prize After 50 Years

Cuban actor Fernando Hechavarría Gibert has been awarded the 2026 National Theater Prize, Cuba’s highest honor for distinguished figures in the performing arts.

A Unanimous Decision

The jury of the National Council of Performing Arts reached the decision unanimously, recognizing a career spanning more than 50 years dedicated to theater, film, television, and training new generations of actors.

“Theater offers you the continuity of performing from beginning to end, making each show something unique and unrepeatable” — Fernando Hechavarría

From Escambray to El Público

Born in Holguín on September 16, 1955, Hechavarría began his training at the Provincial School of Visual Arts before graduating from the National School of Art in acting in 1976.

His career took a defining turn when he joined the legendary Teatro Escambray in 1978. What started as two years of social service became two decades of work:

“I came for two years of social service and stayed twenty. It gave me so much technically, culturally, and ethically,” the actor recalled in an interview with OnCuba.

Teatro Escambray, founded in 1968 in the mountains of Villa Clara, pioneered community theater in Cuba and became a reference for the collective creation method.

Teatro El Público: Artistic Maturity

Since 1995, Hechavarría has been part of Teatro El Público, the company led by provocative director Carlos Díaz. With this collective, he has starred in productions that have marked Havana’s theater scene:

• King Lear (William Shakespeare)
• Caligula (Albert Camus)
• The Seagull (Anton Chekhov)
• The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (Rainer Werner Fassbinder)

“It’s my most precious way of engaging with today’s Cuba, and the ideal mode of expression as an artist and as a Cuban,” he said of his bond with the company.

A Monumental Career

The numbers speak for themselves:

On television, his portrayal of Nacho Capitán made him a beloved face among Cuban audiences, appearing in series like Tierra Brava, Cuando el agua regresa a la tierra, and Las huérfanas de la Obrapía.

The Teacher

Beyond his prolific acting career, Hechavarría dedicates time to teaching as a professor of acting at the University of the Arts (ISA) and the Corina Mestre National Theater School.

“It’s not enough to know the subject; it’s vital to lead by example and encourage the individual growth of each budding artist,” he noted about his teaching philosophy.

Previous Recognitions

The 2026 National Theater Prize joins other honors:

• Best Supporting Actor in Television for Aire frío
• Best Male Performance in Film for Pon tu pensamiento en mí
• Replica of Generalissimo Máximo Gómez’s Machete (2021)

A Living Legacy

At 70, Fernando Hechavarría represents the best of Cuban theater: a career built on artistic rigor, community commitment, and total dedication to the stage.

From the Escambray mountains to Havana’s stages, his trajectory testifies that in Cuba, theater remains a living, necessary, and deeply human art form.

The National Theater Prize has been awarded annually since 1999, recognizing lifetime achievement. Previous recipients include legends like Raquel Revuelta, Sergio Corrieri, and Corina Mestre.