Actor Gerardo Taracena Dead At 55

Actor Gerardo Taracena, best known for his role as Pablo Acosta on the Netflix series Narcos: Mexico, has died at the age of 55, the Mexican Academy of Film Art and Sciences announced in a post shared on its Instagram account Sunday (February 1).

"The Mexican Academy of Arts and Sciences deeply regrets the passing of Gerardo Taracena, a fundamental actor of Mexican cinema, whose screen presence left an intense, honest and deeply human mark," the translated post states. "Throughout his career he gave life to memorable characters in films such as Back and Forth, The Violin, Apocalypto, Hell, The Zone, Desire, Flying Low and Almost Paradise, among many others.

"He was nominated three times for the Ariel Prize for The Violin, Potosí and La Carga, recognition of a career marked by absolute surrender, expressive strength and a deep commitment to his craft.

"The Academy extends its respect and solidarity to his family, friends, and colleagues. His work and his unforgettable face will remain in the memory of our cinema."

Tarracena appeared in 11 episodes of Narcos: Mexico, a followup of Narcos, from 2018 to 2020, alongside Michael Peña, Diego Luna, Tenoch Huerta, Alyssa Diaz, Joaquín Cosío, Alejandro Edda and Matt Letscher. The actor also starred in Mel Gibson's 2006 film Apocalypto, which took place during the decline of the Mayan civilization and focused on a young hunter attempting to escape captivity.

Tarracena's other acting credits include Saving Private Perez (2011), A World for Raúl (2012), Sound of Freedom (2022) and Surviving My Quinceañera (2023), according to his IDMb page.