Germán Quintero

Germán Quintero Laverde was born in Bogotá, Colombia, on 10 August 1954, according to Wikipedia; Colombian media gave his age at death as 72. He was the half-brother of the actress Talú Quintero. Few further details of his childhood and training were published in the coverage of his death.

Quintero began acting professionally in the early 1980s. He made his television debut in El Bogotazo (1984), the series about the events of 9 April 1948 in the capital, playing the writer Jorge Zalamea, and followed it with Los Cuervos (1985). In the 1990s he appeared in La quinta hoja del trébol, La fuerza del poder, La maldición del paraíso, Sueños y espejos, Cara o sello: Dos rostros de mujer, Guajira and El amor es más fuerte.

He remained in steady demand through the 2000s, with roles in El inútil, Pecados capitales, Mesa para tres, La saga, negocio de familia, El baile de la vida, La diva, Montecristo, Nadie es eterno en el mundo, El cartel de los sapos (as General Javier Ibarra), Aquí no hay quien viva, Las trampas del amor, Doña Bella and Chepe Fortuna, in which he played Zamudio.

In 2012 he played Guillermo Cano Isaza, the director of El Espectador assassinated by the Medellín cartel in 1986, in Escobar, el patrón del mal, one of the most watched series in Colombian television history. Later television work included El laberinto, Familia en venta, Palabra de ladrón, Hilos de sangre azul, La ley del corazón, Venganza, Sitiados, Jugar con fuego, El Bronx and Libertador.

In 2022 he took over the role of Don Martín Acevedo, grandfather of the Elizondo sisters, from Jorge Cao for the second season of Telemundo's Pasión de gavilanes, appearing in 48 episodes. His final television role was Bernardo Ruiz in Rojo carmesí (2024). On film he appeared in La milagrosa (2008), Gente de bien (2014) and Sin mover los labios (2017).

Quintero was also active in theatre. In November 2011 the Casa del Teatro Nacional in Bogotá staged Muéreme, which he conceived after his own stay in an intensive care unit, co-wrote and co-directed with Carlos Ramírez, and in which he acted.

Quintero lived and worked mainly in Bogotá. He kept close ties with his family; after his death his niece, the photographer Alejandra Quintero Sinisterra, paid tribute to him publicly, and other relatives described him as a very special uncle. He rarely sought media attention, and few details of his private life were made public.

Germán Quintero died on the morning of Thursday 15 October 2026, aged 72. Family sources confirmed the death to El Tiempo and said it followed health complications; the paper reported that the exact cause had not been disclosed and that the death was presumed natural. Infobae reported that he had been living with cancer for a long time.

The news was widely reported across Colombia, and actors including Majida Issa, Marcela Carvajal, Manuela González, Natalia Jerez, Mónica Pardo and Juan Fernando Sánchez sent condolences. Funeral arrangements were not announced publicly.

Quintero was regarded as one of the dependable character actors of Colombian television, appearing in more than 40 productions over four decades. His portrayal of Guillermo Cano Isaza helped bring the story of the murdered editor to a wide audience, and his Don Martín Acevedo introduced him to international viewers of Pasión de gavilanes. Infobae wrote that he never sought the spotlight, but that whenever he appeared on screen it was impossible to look away.