Silvia Pinal, the actress who made an unforgettable impact on Mexico’s Golden Age of Cinema, passed away on Thursday.
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Mexico’s Culture Secretary, Claudia Curiel de Icaza, and the Asociación Nacional de Intérpretes announced her death on social media. According to the Associated Press, Pinal had been hospitalized a few days earlier due to a urinary infection.
Pinal was 93.
Throughout her illustrious 60-year career, Pinal graced the silver screen alongside notable Mexican comedians such as Cantinflas and Tin Tan, as well as leading men like Pedro Infante.
She gained further acclaim starring in Luis Buñuel’s 1961 masterpiece Viridiana. Her collaboration with Buñuel continued with roles in The Exterminating Angel in 1962 and Simon of the Desert in 1965.
Silvia Pinal Makes Her Mark in Hollywood
With over 100 acting credits per IMDb, Pinal primarily worked in Mexico but also took roles in films with Hollywood stars. Notably, she appeared in the MGM co-production Guns for San Sebastian (1968), an action film starring Anthony Quinn and Charles Bronson, and in Samuel Fuller’s Shark (1969) alongside Burt Reynolds.
Pinal also had a prolific career on the small screen. She gained popularity as the presenter and producer of Mujer, Casos de la Vida Real, a melodrama anthology based on real viewer submissions. Airing from 1986 to 2007, the show addressed overlooked social issues in Mexico, such as domestic violence, LGBT discrimination, and women’s rights.
Pinal’s Laters Years Included Political Work
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Pinal was also a prominent force in Mexico’s musical theater scene. She both starred in and produced local adaptations of Broadway hits like Hello, Dolly!, A Chorus Line, and Cats. Additionally, she owned several theaters in Mexico City, solidifying her influence in the industry.
In her later years, she balanced a career in show business with politics. She served as a federal lawmaker in the early 1990s and led the Mexican actors’ guild, ANDA, from 2010 to 2014.
Three of her former husbands were involved in show business, and their children and grandchildren pursued careers across film, TV, music, and modeling. With her third husband, pop singer Enrique Guzman, she had two children, including Alejandra Guzman, a Latin Grammy-winning artist who has sold over 30 million albums. Due to the family’s numerous achievements in the entertainment industry, they are often known as the “Pinal Dynasty.”
She is also survived by her children, actress Sylvia Pasquel and musician Luis Enrique Guzman.