Yesterday morning the news of the death of Itziar Castro was known, at the age of 46 due to cardiorespiratory arrest. The Catalan actress died at dawn in the municipal pool of Lloret de Mar, where she was with her good friend Anna Tarrés rehearsing the Christmas show of artistic swimming (synchronized) for the Kallípolis club.
The emergency services tried to revive Castro and at 2 yesterday Friday they certified his death. As is appropriate in these cases, the Mossos opened investigations and the body was taken to Girona for an autopsy.
“We deeply regret to inform you that tonight during the club's Purísima stage Itziar Castro has died. Itzíar was part of the wing show and he was spending these days with us. (...) Itziar, you will always be part of our family," says the statement made public by the Kallípolis swimming club of Barcelona.
Itziar Castro loved life and enjoyed all the opportunities it offered him, such as participating in a synchronized swimming show, scheduled for Sunday, December 17. He could not say no to the call of Anna Tarrés, to whom he was united by being davantalers, that is, participants in the dinner that chef Ada Parellada organizes every year at the Semproniana restaurant to celebrate March 8. There Itziar Castro was the soul of the meeting and he traveled expressly from Madrid, where he has lived for many years. Because if there was one thing that defined this actress, it was her loyalty to her friends and her commitment to social issues and especially equality. “I have many friends because friendship must be cultivated,” she told this newspaper a year ago.
She did not like being referred to as a reference for her fight against gender violence, fatphobia, bullying (which she suffered in her childhood) and for her defense of the rights of the LGTB community: “I don't want to be a reference. I am only consistent with what I feel,” he said in that interview.
Itziar Castro, of Galician descent, was born in Barcelona on February 14, 1977, Valentine's Day, and that was her, a lover of life. From a very young age she knew that she wanted to be an artist by watching Concha Velasco on television: “Today my first reference has gone. At 5 years old, my mother sent me to sleep and I told her not until Concha stopped appearing on TV, I danced and sang with her and if I am an actress, part of it is because of her. (...) The day she told me that I was a very good actress, you don't know the honor and shame that meant, my inner child couldn't believe it! " Itziar Castro wrote it last Saturday along with two photos with Concha Velasco, the day of her death. Little did she suspect that it was going to be her last Instagram post of hers. The penultimate one, dated November 29, is still somewhat premonitory: a letter addressed to the girl who was in which she opens her heart about what all these years of dreams fulfilled but also of pain have been like.
In 2002, the Catalan began her acting career in El cor de la ciutat. She was followed by titles such as Central Hospital, The Great Vázquez, Red Eagle, Snow White, The Witches of Zugarramurdi or The Crac. Her popularity came in 2017 with Pieles, which earned her a Goya nomination as revelation actress. From there to Vis a vis, Paquita Salas, Campeones, La vampira de Barcelona, Full train! Asturias destination, Once upon a time...but not anymore or Rifkin's festival. She was also a teacher in Operación Triunfo.
For a year she was on tour with the monologue With the heart ahead, based on a book of poems written by herself. Two months ago she premiered a short film as director and protagonist L @ cita that she wanted to turn into a series and tomorrow she was going to participate in an action in Madrid against abuse of women.
From cinema, music, politics or television they lamented the loss of a generous, committed and dedicated woman "I like to make others happy," she confessed to this newspaper. And so she collaborated with numerous NGOs and was a prison volunteer. “I'm fat and a lesbian. I have it all,” she joked. And those who knew her know that she also had a great heart that failed her on Friday. That is why she would have liked them to say goodbye to her with the same words that she used for Concha Velasco last Saturday after visiting the funeral chapel: “Long live life and long live the show!”
