He was born Aníbal Vela del Castillo on June 7th 1896 in Madrid, Spain. He married María Rosa Lamana Ullate in July 1925.
One of his sons from this marriage, also named Aníbal Vela, also became an actor. In his father's lifetime his son was most often billed as "Aníbal Vela hijo" ('hijo', meaning 'son', is the Spanish equivalent of putting 'jr.' after a name in English), but there were quite a few occasions where the son was also billed just as "Aníbal Vela", which has understandably caused confusion and mistakes on most online filmographies for both actors. Following his father's death the son adopted his father's name and was then always billed as "Aníbal Vela".
Aníbal died in Madrid on March 7th 1962, at the age of 65.
- Eugenia de Montijo .... General Saint-Arnaud (credited)
- Inês de Castro .... Infante Don Juan Manuel (credited)
- Paraíso sin Eva .... role unknown (poster credit)
1946 - Audiencia pública .... Judge (credited)
1947 - Angustia .... Sr. Marí (credited)
- La princesa de los Ursinos .... Minister of war (credited)
1948 - María de los Reyes .... role unknown (poster credit)
1949 - La guitarra de Gardel .... Empresario (credited)
- Yebala .... Muley Alí (poster credit - role unconfirmed)
1950 - Cuentos de la Alhambra .... Washington Irving (uncredited)
- El rey de Sierra Morena .... role unknown (poster credit)
- Pequeñeces... .... General (credited)
1951 - El final de una leyenda .... Lorenzo Oliván (credit unknown)
- Niebla y sol .... Bascones (credited)
- Tercio de quites .... Don Arturo (credited)
1952 - Los ojos dejan huellas .... Commissioner (credited)
1953 - Bella, la salvaje .... Butler (credited)
- Condenados .... Salvador (credited)
- El pórtico de la gloria .... Senior friar (credited)
- Maldición gitana .... role unknown (credited)
- Vuelo 971 .... Musician passenger (credited)
1954 - Amor sobre ruedas .... Editor (credited)
- Cómicos .... Impresario (credited)
- El pescador de coplas .... Don José (credited)
- La danza de los deseos .... Man who runs over Candela (credited)
- La moza de cántaro .... Mayor (credited)
- La patrulla .... Lucia's father (credited)
- La principessa delle Canarie .... Excellence (credited)
- Tres huchas para Oriente .... Priest (credited)
1955 - Congreso en Sevilla .... Martín Hidalgo (credited)
- La cruz de mayo .... Tribunal president (credited)
1956 - Cuerda de presos .... Sergeant Murias (credited)
- Curra Veleta .... Mateo Alvarado (credited)
- El malvado Carabel .... Guest at the ball (credited)
- El tigre de Chamberí .... (credited, but not found)
- Embajadores en el Infierno .... Russian General (credited)
- Manolo guardia urbano .... Director (credited)
- Suspenso en comunismo .... Priest (credited)
- Todos somos necesarios .... Stationmaster (credited)
1957 - El pequeño ruiseñor .... Parish priest (credited)
- Fulano y Mengano .... Generous man (credited)
- La Cenicienta y Ernesto .... Magazine editor (credited)
- La guerra empieza en Cuba .... Officer (credited)
- Las muchachas de azul .... Department store manager (credited)
- Los maridos no cenan en casa .... Butler (credited)
- Mensajeros de paz .... Priest (credited)
- Roberto el diablo .... Committee chairman (credited)
- Saeta del ruiseñor .... Mayor (credited)
1958 - Ana dice sí .... Don Álvaro Fuentemayor (credited)
- Aquellos tiempos del cuplé .... Magazine editor (credited)
- El aprendiz de malo .... Commander (credited)
- El fotogénico .... Director (credited)
- El hincha .... Interviewer (credited)
- El inquilino .... Businessman (credited)
- El ruiseñor de las cumbres .... Rich villager (credited)
- El sol sale todos los días .... Mayor (credited)
- El tigre de Chamberí .... Man who pays Miguel (credited)
- Historias de Madrid .... Bus passenger (uncredited)
- La vida por delante .... Arcadio Ibarrola (credited)
- Muchachas en vacaciones .... Hotel manager (credited)
- Una muchachita de Valladolid .... Bank manager (credited)
1959 - ¿Dónde vas, Alfonso XII? .... Bishop (credited)
- Bombas para la paz .... Bank manager (credited)
- El gafe .... Cinema manager (credited)
- Gayarre .... Gaztambide (credited)
- Luna de verano .... Rector (credited)
- Tenemos 18 años .... Teacher (credited)
1960 - El hombre que perdió el tren .... Party organiser (credited)
- Juanito .... role (credited)
- La quiniela .... role (credited)
- Trío de damas .... Priest (credited)
- Un trono para Cristy .... role (credited)
- En un rincón de España (1949) IMDb as Juan Carlos
- Vidas confusas (1949) IMDb
- Sangre en Castilla (1950) EdCE
- Catalina de Inglaterra (1951) IMDb
- María Antonia 'La Caramba' (1951) IMDb
- Ha desaparecido un pasajero (1954) IMDb
- La ciudad de los sueños (1954) IMDb
- Tres eran tres (1954) IMDb in segment "Una de pandereta"
- Noche de tormenta (1955) IMDb
- Amor y toros (1956) IMDb
- Dos novias para un torero (1956) IMDb
- Piedras vivas (1956) IMDb
- Buongiorno primo amore (1957) IMDb
- El anónimo (1957) IMDb
- La puerta abierta (1957) IMDb as Esteban
- Hospital general (1958) IMDb as Pedro Alba
- Il romanzo di un giovane povero (1958) IMDb
- Cara de Goma (1959) IMDb
- Juego de niños (1959) IMDb
- Compadece al delincuente (1960) IMDb
- Agustina de Aragón (1950) IMDb as Emissary of Mariscal Lacoste. Vela is not credited and it is not him in this role.
- Nosotros dos (1955) IMDb with no role. Not credited and not found.
- Faustina (1957) IMDb as Traveller. Not credited and not found.
Titles listed on Aníbal's IMDb page where "Aníbal Vela" is credited, but it is actually his son who appears. - Los tramposos (1959)