Born in Madrid, Spain, Santiago Segura embarked on his cinematic journey at a remarkably young age, creating his first short film at the tender age of fourteen. Following his education in the arts in Madrid, he made the decisive choice to pursue a career in filmmaking.
His inaugural short film, "Relatos de la medianoche" (1989),was crafted on a shoestring budget of a mere 7,000 pesetas (approximately 60 dollars),showcasing his resourcefulness and creative prowess.
In addition to his burgeoning filmmaking career, Segura gained prominence by appearing as a contestant on several Spanish television quiz shows, including "Locos por la tele" (1990) and "No te rías, que es peor" (1990). The financial rewards from these appearances enabled him to direct his next two short films, "Evilio" (1992) and "Perturbado" (1993),the latter of which garnered a Goya Award for Best Short Film in 1994. His final short film, "Evilio vuelve (El purificador)" (1995),served as the sequel to his earlier work.
Segura's friendship with Spanish director Álex de la Iglesia led to his appearance in all of de la Iglesia's films. In 1998, Segura made his feature film debut with the box office hit "Torrente, the Dumb Arm of the Law" (1998).
