José de la Torre, best known for his role as Ivan in the Spanish language Netflix drama Toy Boy, has died, aged 37.
According to the Spanish publication Montilla Digital, de la Torre, died on 5 December with a funeral service being held the day after his death.
In June, de la Torre revealed he had been battling an unspecified “serious illness” for a long period of time but had chosen to stop acting and modelling that month to prioritise his health, reports Variety.
The Spanish show followed stripper Hugo Beltrán, played by Jesús Mosquera, who “sets out to prove his innocence for a crime he didn’t commit and was unjustly incarcerated for seven years earlier.”
Toy Boy ran for 21 episodes and three seasons from 2019 until 2021. Other cast members include Cristina Castaño, María Pedraza, Carlo Costanzia and Raudel Raúl Martiato.
De La Torre’s other credits include other Spanish TV shows such as Vis a Vis: El Oasis, Serve and Protect and Amar es para siempre.
Tributes have been paid to the star via his final Instagram post, which was a series of photos of him and his friends enjoying a music festival in the Canary Islands in June.
The post read: “The joy of arriving in the Canary Islands, seeing your friends, grabbing a mojito, and singing your heart out until you lose your voice.”
One fan wrote in the comments: “So young so handsome so full of life so good actor, I can’t believe it, rest in peace Jose and heaven receives you with open arms.”
Another said, “Fly high my friend! Another shining star lights the sky... we will see each other again!”
A friend of his, Marta Martinez-Bordiu wrote: “You can’t imagine how sad I am to receive such terrible news. It’s not fair, you deserved more time, no one enjoyed life like you, your energy, your light. You are a very special person, always happy and eager to have fun and do things. Can’t be true that I won’t see you again and we won’t party again. I’m going to miss you so much my friend. I love you so much.”
Spanish actor and singer, Lolita Flores, said in her own post about De La Torres: “How hard it is for me to accept that you’re gone, without even knowing you.
“We shared very few hours, but your 37 years hurt me. Life is so unfair sometimes. You’re handsome on the outside and on the inside.
“Your departure hurts me... and the pain of those who loved you hurts me. I didn’t have time to love you, but I did have time to get to know you. Heaven awaits you with open arms. How sad. You’ve gone too soon.”
De la Torre is survived by his father and mother, Antonio de la Torre Hidalgo and Maria Jose Delgado Espejo and his sister, Marina.
