Worked as a street vendor selling various trinkets

Was an electrician at Chamartin Film Studios; soon after was stand-in and then extra and bit player

Made stage debut aged 20; at time known as Paco Rabal

Worked with Infanta Isabel and Maria Guerrero Theatres, Madrid; later worked with Lope de Vega company under direction of Jose Tamayo

Began making uncredited appearances in films

Had lead role in "Don Quixote"

First significant film role in "Luna de Sangre"

Appeared in "The Wide Blue Road"

Began collaboration with Luis Bunuel with title role in "Nazarin"

Acted in Bunuel's "Viridiana"

Appeared in Michaelangelo Antonioni's "The Eclipse"

Co-starred in Jacques Rivette's "La Religieuse/Suzanne Simonin, la Reliieuse de Denis Diderot" and in Claude Chabrol's "Marie-Chantal Contre le Docteur Kha"

Played opposite Catherine Denueve in Bunuel's "Belle de Jour"

Starred in Vittorio Cottafavi's TV series "Christopher Columbus"

Had title role in "El 'Che' Guevara"

Acted in "Goya"

Appeared in first American feature, "Sorcerer"

Directed by Carlos Saura in "Los Zancos"

Earned Best Actor prize at Cannes for "The Holy Innocents"

Appeared in Gregory Nava's "A Time of Destiny"

Was featured in Pedro Almodovar's "Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!"

Co-starred in "Talk of Angels"

Had role of a lifetime as the aged painter in "Goya in Bordeaux", directed by Saura