Biography

I was born in Sahuayo, on the southwestern coast of Mexico. From there my family moved to Mexico City, where I went to school. I dreamed of being a dancer and thus traveling the world. I wanted to study music and dance, but my father refused to give me his permission. My family had very strict, old-fashioned morals. He thought that when I grew up I would have no choice but to enter a convent. But I started working as a telephone operator to earn my own money.

[on film critic Emilio García Riera] I know he appreciated me as an actress. He knew how I have built my career without any training.

[on Hot Rumba (1952)] I love that movie, but filming it was not very pleasant. My co-star, Resortes, was already a star and had more dialogue than me. He was also a comedian, used to improvising, which for me was impossible. But the film was a great success.

[on Las tres alegres comadres (1952)] I was well paid, but top billing went to Amalia Aguilar, the Cuban dancer. We were on set when the publicity around the success of Mexican Bus Ride (1952) exploded in Cannes, and the offers came in from Italy. Hordes of journalists came to the studios. I tried to get Amalia Aguilar and Lilia del Valle to also appear in the photos. But they were terribly jealous and tried to make my life miserable with all kinds of dirty tricks (despite the fact that life was already difficult enough).

[when asked, "How did you enter the world of film?"] That was destiny! I never did anything to get there, partly out of fear of my parents. But then one day I was walking down the street and a film producer saw me. He was talking to a group of people, and then he looked at me and said maybe I could be in one of his movies. One of the people present said that he knew my father and could put him in touch with him. Six months passed before they came to my house and talked to my mother. She convinced my father with the comment: "Leave her, she is not ready for that yet. Nothing will happen".