José María Soler Vilanova (13 June 1929 – 19 September 2009), known professionally as Víctor Israel, was a Spanish actor. He was known for his character roles, typically in genre films, in over 200 productions between 1961 and 2008.
Biography
Israel was born José María Soler Vilanova to Catalan parents in Barcelona in 1929. After completing his basic education, Israel studied Commerce. At the same time, he pursued a wide range of cultural and artistic studies, including Psychology, Philosophy, Public Relations, Languages, and Music. His education in Dramatic Arts was divided between Julio Coll and Fernando Espona's acting studio and the Theater Institute.
He began his film career in 1961 in Antonio Isasi-Isasmendi film A Land for All. Throughout his career, he appeared in more than 140 films, mostly horror and westerns, in supporting roles. His distinctive physical appearance made him ideal for playing mysterious and untrustworthy characters. In the 1980s, his workload declined. However, his film image was revived and even honored, with him receiving roles from Catalan filmmakers such as Santiago Lapeira, Carlos Benpar, Antoni Martí, Carlos Balagué, and José Luis Valls, among others.
In terms of television, his participation in the series Doctor Caparrós, medicina general alongside Joan Capri, broadcast in 1979 by Televisión Española on the regional channel TVE Cataluña, is noteworthy.
In 2006, he was awarded the Brigadoon Nosferatu honorary award at the Sitges Film Festival.
He died on September 19, 2009, at the age of 80.
