Fran Perea (born Francisco Manuel Perea Bilbao on November 20, 1978, in Malaga, Spain) is a Spanish actor, singer, songwriter, theater director, producer, and cultural entrepreneur. Trained at the Escuela Superior de Arte Dramatico de Malaga, he began his professional career around the turn of the millennium, combining television work with theater and short film projects.
Perea first gained broad exposure as Hugo in the television series Al salir de clase, a role he played from 2001 to 2002. His major breakthrough came in 2003, when he joined the cast of the Telecinco series Los Serrano as Marcos Serrano. The show's popularity made him a familiar figure throughout Spain and established the public image that initially defined his career. Perea also performed the series' theme song, "Uno mas uno son siete", which became one of the most recognizable Spanish television songs of its period.
The success of Los Serrano led directly to Perea's recording career. His debut album, La chica de la habitacion de al lado, was released in 2003 and combined accessible Spanish pop with the singer's youthful, singer-songwriter presentation. The album became a major commercial success and earned multiple platinum and gold certifications. In 2004, he followed it with the live release Fran Perea, en concierto. His second studio album, Punto y aparte, appeared in 2005 and marked a step toward a more personal musical identity, including several songs written by Perea himself. The compilation Singles, ineditos y otros puntos was released in 2006.
Perea also expanded into cinema, appearing in films including Los Managers, directed by Fernando Guillen Cuervo, in which he worked alongside Paco Leon. He continued to move between screen acting and theater, an area that increasingly became central to his artistic development. His stage work included productions such as Feelgood and La estupidez, projects connected with the Compañia Feelgood Teatro, which he helped establish with fellow performers and creators.
Music remained an important part of his career, although later releases reflected a more independent and reflective approach. In 2010, Perea self-produced Viejos conocidos through his own label, Sinfonia en Nobemol. The project demonstrated his interest in controlling the creative and production process rather than relying exclusively on the commercial structures that had accompanied his early success. In 2018, he released Viaja la palabra, a combined album and book that linked songs with reflections on his artistic life and creative evolution.
From the late 2010s onward, Perea took on directing responsibilities in both film and theater. His short film El bailarin represented his debut as a cinema director, while Souvenir, written by Pablo Diaz Morilla, marked his first major theater directing project. The production received recognition in Malaga and was nominated for a Premio Max in 2018. He later directed Mitad del mundo, another collaboration with the Factoría Echegaray.
Perea's later work has continued to connect his acting and musical identities. The album El hombre invisible, released in 2026, revisits characters and experiences associated with his career while presenting him as a mature singer and creator. Across television, film, music, theater, and cultural management, Fran Perea has developed from a television breakthrough performer into a multidisciplinary figure in Spanish entertainment.