Manuel Landeta is a Mexican actor and singer who has spent more than four decades in telenovelas, musicals and stage plays. Born José Manuel Goenaga Jassan, he’s best known for “Martín Garatuza,” “Teresa,” “Corazón valiente” and “La Impostora,” the role that won him the 2014 Premios Tu Mundo award for Primer Actor. He turns 68 on October 5, 2026, which is also the day he married his wife, Angelina Martí, back in 1985.
| Date of Birth | October 5, 1958 |
|---|---|
| Age | 68 years |
| Nationality | Mexican |
| Zodiac Sign | Libra |
| Occupation | Actor and singer (telenovela star) |
| Real Name | José Manuel Goenaga Jassan |
| Spouse | Angelina Martí (married October 5, 1985) |
| Children | Imanol Landeta (b. 1987) and Jordi Landeta (b. c. 1990) |
| Height | 1.80 m (approx. 5'11") |
| Notable Award | 2014 Premios Tu Mundo, Primer Actor, for La Impostora |
GroovyManuel Landeta Biography
Manuel Landeta was born on October 5, 1958, in Mexico City. He grew up in what he calls an unusual family. Speaking on Imagen Televisión’s “El minuto que cambió mi destino” in 2020, he explained that his father married a second time, to a woman more than 20 years younger, and was about 50 when Manuel was born. His half-siblings were old enough to be his parents, and he has one sister who is only ten months younger than him.
His father was born in France and came to Mexico in the early 20th century, settling in Mixcoac. He went into the milk business, and Landeta jokes that he is “the milkman’s son.” In the same interview, he said his father was a trusting man who co-signed loans for friends. When Manuel was about 13 or 14, one of those deals left the family broke. He says that’s why he has never co-signed a loan for anyone, not even his own sons.
Landeta says he wanted to act for as long as he can remember. His parents were firmly against an acting career, so he took classes in secret. His first real stage job came in “Electra” alongside Ofelia Guilmáin, an actress he still calls his artistic mother.
Around 1978, at about 20, he took his first ballet class and fell in love with dance. After a bad argument with his father, he moved out and lived at an actress friend’s house for about a year and a half. When his father later showed up at the ballet school to find him, Landeta only shook his hand. He has called it the hug he still owes his father.
His stage name came from family. Landeta was his father’s second surname, and his relative Matilde Landeta, Mexico’s first woman film director, told him to drop “Goenaga Jassan” and use it instead.
Career
Landeta’s first telenovela part was a small role as a prisoner in “Donde termina el camino.” He followed it with “La pasión de Isabela” in 1984 and “Juana Iris” in 1985. His big break came with “Martín Garatuza” in 1986, where he played the title character in a drama set in colonial Mexico. That lead role made him a familiar face at Televisa.
He never left the stage, though. He was in the Mexican production of “Cats” in 1991, and he also appeared in “José el soñador,” “Loco por ti” and the Mexican premiere of “Crazy for You.” In 2001, he released a pop album called “Mírame.” He later joined the male revue “Sólo para mujeres.” On “El minuto que cambió mi destino,” he said Angelina backed the idea, telling him that after 30 years of work, nobody could say it was the only thing he knew how to do. He says he has never regretted it.
The 2000s and 2010s turned him into one of Televisa’s go-to villains. He earned a TVyNovelas nomination for “Rubí” (2004) and went on to “La fea más bella,” “Fuego en la sangre” and “Mar de amor.” As Rubén Cáceres Muro in “Teresa” (2010), he picked up another TVyNovelas nomination for Best Antagonist Actor. He then played Bernardo del Castillo in Telemundo’s “Corazón valiente” (2012-2013).
His biggest award came in 2014. Playing Adriano Ferrer in Telemundo’s “La Impostora,” he won the Premios Tu Mundo award for Primer Actor. Other credits from that decade include “Amor de barrio” (2015), “Un camino hacia el destino” (2016) and “Mi marido tiene familia” (2017-2019). He also played Sandro Santillana, an engineer who sinks into alcoholism, in “Contigo sí” (2021-2022).
Recent Work
In 2024, Landeta surprised fans by joining a new season of TV Azteca’s “Lo que callamos las mujeres,” which premiered in April on Azteca Uno. “I’m a free actor, without ties,” he told El Universal about the move. Later that year, he was back at Televisa for a guest spot as Richie on the sitcom “Más vale sola.”
On stage, he played Pedro Navajas in “Juana y un amor de tres,” a cabaret musical at Foro San Rafael in Mexico City. The show had more than 30 performers and the Orquesta Pérez Prado playing live. When he promoted it on Unicable’s “Montse & Joe” in November 2024, he said he was also still busy with his “Caballeros cantan” project.
Health and Spine Surgeries
Landeta’s back problems go back to a fall during “Cats” in 1991. The injury caught up with him in 2012, when he needed spine surgery while working in Miami. In a 2023 interview with journalist Mara Patricia Castañeda on her YouTube channel, he said there was one week when he thought he would never walk again.
He told her he even talked with Angelina about learning to teach and direct so he could keep working. “And if my future is in a wheelchair, well, so be it,” he said. Doctors operated two more times, and he got back on his feet.
In March 2025, he told reporters he was “on standby” after another spine operation about two weeks earlier, in a clip aired by Imagen’s “De Primera Mano.” He joked that it was just “alignment and balancing, the usual.” He added that he was walking 10 kilometres a day and thanked “a very good neurosurgeon.” In February 2026, his son Imanol told the press that his father would also need surgery on his shoulder to fix an old injury.
Personal Life
Manuel Landeta married Angelina Martí in October 1985, on his own birthday. They are one of the longest-lasting couples in Mexican entertainment. On “Montse & Joe” in 2024, he put it simply: “The success of my marriage is called Angelina.”
He also shared a story from one of their worst fights. After an argument in the car, he got out on Avenida Insurgentes and walked all the way home, planning to take off his ring. He had forgotten his keys, so he had to knock. Angelina opened the door and calmly welcomed him home. He said his anger vanished, and he knew then that he hadn’t made a mistake in choosing her.
The couple have two sons. Imanol Landeta, born July 23, 1987, was a child star in “Vivo por Elena” and “Clase 406” before stepping away from acting around 2009, partly because of early hair loss. He made a big comeback in 2024 and won “Las Estrellas Bailan en Hoy” with dance partner Sandra Itzel that December.
When the podcast “Envinadas” suggested Imanol had treated Sandra Itzel badly, his father hit back in March 2025. “Imanol wasn’t even dating Sandra Itzel. They were work colleagues,” he told reporters, adding that he would not accept Mariana Botas talking about his son that way.
Younger son Jordi Landeta, a former child actor in “Serafín,” keeps a much lower profile. He became a father in September 2022, and Manuel announced the news on Instagram by calling himself a “grandfather for the second time.” Imanol has a daughter, Julia, born in 2018.
Manuel Landeta Net Worth
Manuel Landeta’s net worth is estimated at $1 million to $5 million, based on more than 40 years of telenovela salaries, stage work and music. Lead and villain roles at Televisa and Telemundo paid the bulk of it, while long theatre runs like “Cats,” “Sólo para mujeres” and “Juana y un amor de tres” added steady income.
He has never been a big endorsement name, so his money comes from acting work rather than brand deals.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Manuel Landeta?
Manuel Landeta was born on October 5, 1958, so he turns 68 on October 5, 2026.
What is Manuel Landeta’s real name?
His real name is José Manuel Goenaga Jassan. He took “Landeta,” his father’s second surname, as his stage name on the advice of filmmaker Matilde Landeta.
Who is Manuel Landeta’s wife?
He has been married to Angelina Martí since October 1985. They wed on his birthday.
Is Imanol Landeta Manuel Landeta’s son?
Yes. Imanol is his older son, born in 1987. His younger son is Jordi Landeta, and he has two grandchildren.
What happened to Manuel Landeta’s spine?
He hurt his spine in a fall during “Cats” in 1991. He had surgeries in 2012 and another operation in early 2025, and in February 2026 his son said he also needed shoulder surgery.
What award did Manuel Landeta win for La Impostora?
He won the 2014 Premios Tu Mundo award for Primer Actor for playing Adriano Ferrer in “La Impostora.”
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