Silvia Pinal, a renowned Mexican actress, has passed away at the age of 93. As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Mexico’s Culture Secretary Claudia Curiel de Icaza and the National Association of Interpreters confirmed her death through social media.
A Career Spanning Seven Decades
Silvia Pinal enjoyed an extraordinary career in acting and producing that lasted over 70 years. She gained international recognition for her roles in three iconic films of the 1960s directed by Luis Buñuel: Viridiana (1961), which won the Palme d’Or, The Exterminating Angel (1962), and Simon of the Desert (1965).
Early Years and Breakthrough
Pinal began her career in theater in the late 1940s, working with Cuban-born director Rafael Banquells, who later became her first husband. Her film career took off in 1950 when, at just 18, she starred in two leading roles alongside Mexico’s top actors.
She appeared in The King of the Neighbourhood with German Valdes (known as Tin-Tan) and in The Doorman with Mario Moreno (familiarly known as Cantinflas). She also starred with Pedro Infante in Un Rincón Cerca del Cielo (1952), further cementing her status in Mexican cinema.
Hollywood Collaborations and Over 100 Acting Credits
While most of her work was in Mexico, Pinal also appeared in international productions. Her Hollywood projects included Guns for San Sebastian (1968), an action film co-produced by MGM and starring Anthony Quinn and Charles Bronson, and Shark (1969) by Samuel Fuller, featuring Burt Reynolds.
On television, Silvia Pinal captivated audiences as the producer and host of Mujer, Casos de la Vida Real, an anthology series that aired from 1986 to 2007.
This show, inspired by real-life stories from viewers, tackled important social issues such as domestic violence, LGBT discrimination, and women’s rights topics that were rarely addressed in Mexico during the 1980s and 1990s. The series was a massive success across Latin America.
