Top Boy actor Jose de la Torre tragically dies aged 37 after revealing mysterious ‘serious’ illness
Spanish actor and model José de la Torre has died at the age of 37 – which comes just months after he revealed he was battling a serious illness.
De la Torre had established himself as both a television actor and fashion model, working with various jewellery and fashion brands throughout his career.
In June 2023, de la Torre shared with his followers that he was suffering from a serious illness.
Following this announcement, the actor stepped away from the entertainment industry to focus on his medical treatment.
The nature of his illness had not been publicly disclosed, but the actor had taken time away from both his acting and modelling commitments to prioritise his health.
De la Torre was best known for playing Iván, one of the main characters in Toy Boy, which was released in 2019 and ran for two seasons.
Reports suggest he died on Thursday December 5, and his funeral was held the following day.
Spanish actress Luisa Martín was among those to pay tribute to José, writing on social media: “It breaks my heart to think I’ll never hear your voice again, but I’ll keep talking to you. Love you endlessly, José.”
He also acted in a number of other domestic series including Amar es para siempre (To Love is Forever), Vis a Vis: El Oasis, and Servir y proteger (Serve and Protect).
His last post was on 3 June and shows him enjoying a music festival in the Canary Islands.
It was captioned: “The joy of arriving in the Canary Islands, seeing your friends, grabbing a mojito, and singing your heart out until you lose your voice.”
Heartbroken fans have since taken to the comments, with one writing on X: “What has happened to him? What disease has he passed away from? RIP.”
Another commented: “What happened to this child???. Too young to leave.”
“Fly high my friend! Another shining star lights the sky… we will see each other again!” a third wrote before someone else penned: “In shock!! I don’t believe it!! R. I. P.”
A fifth said: “My dear friend, 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..” (sic)
He previously spoke about his love of acting and films, sparking his determination to make it in the industry. “From a very young age, I found solace in cinema – though not so much in acting, at least not at first.
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“I was a child who couldn’t stop watching films, purely for the joy of it.
“But that captivated me and planted the seed that would later grow into my desire to pursue it as a career.”