Manuel “Manolo” Noriega, (July 24, 1880 – August 12, 1961) was a stage and film actor, screenwriter, and film director. Born Manolo Noriega Ruiz in Spain, he worked in live theatre for many years, performing in his native Spain as well in Mexico, Cuba, and the United States. A pioneer in silent film, he made his first screen appearance in 1907. It is believed some of his early silent films have been lost but his main body of work began in talkies in the early 1930s, performing in close to two hundred sound films. Noriega earned an Ariel Award nomination for “Best Actor in a minor role” for his performance in the 1946 film, “Pepita Jiménez.” Married to Hortensia Castañeda, their daughter Carmen became a singer who married Tito Guízar. Manuel Noriega died in Mexico City in 1961.