Ninón Sevilla: The Cuban Star Who Conquered Mexico and Soap Operas
Discover Ninón Sevilla’s inspiring story, the Cuban actress who became a beloved icon in Mexican cinema and telenovelas with her unforgettable talent.
Known to the Brazilian public mainly for her appearances in Mexican soap operas, Ninón Sevilla also acted extensively in cinema, and was extremely successful, especially in the 40s and 50s.
Emelia Pérez Castellanos , Ninón’s real name, was born on November 10, 1929 in Havana, Cuba. The name Ninón, which she took when she began working in nightclubs, was a tribute to Ninon de Lenclos, a famous courtesan who lived between 1620 and 1705 in France.
In the early days, Ninón worked alongside comedians Mimí Cal and Leopoldo Fernández. And it was through a show where she performed alongside Libertad Lamarque that she arrived in Mexico, where she would settle from then on.
Once in Mexico City, she continued her theater performances when she was spotted by producer Pedro Arturo Calderón. The two began a long romance. After auditions, she starred in her first film, Carita de Cielo (1946) . Hired by Producciones Calderón, she went on to star in several films and even received offers from Hollywood. According to her, she preferred not to go to the United States.
Ninón was a woman known for her strong temperament, which many considered eccentric and extremely sensual. All of this was emphasized by her eye-catching outfits, making her an easily recognizable figure in films such as Aventurera (1949) and Sensualidad (1950).
According to journalists Terán and García , “Mexican society was thirsty for realism, for stories that were more personal and for problems that were understandable to everyone. For this reason, dramas that simultaneously portrayed the current reality of Mexico were attractive. That was when a large number of films with evil and perverse women as protagonists emerged. Films that were well received by the public and at the same time Ninón became a sex symbol and an example for all the other rumberas of the time, who could play lost characters, mistreated by life, tough, but always justified by dance.”
The actress worked alongside several well-known actors and actresses such as Andrea Palma, Rita Montaner, Andrés Soler, Joaquín Pardavé, Pedro Armendáriz, Pedro Vargas, among others. She even visited Brazil in the 1950s. However, Mexican cinema lost much of its glamour from then on. Here’s another video of her dancing beautifully:
Ninón ended up leaving the screens and only returned in the 80s. In the meantime, she continued her career by participating in soap operas. The first of these was Juicio de Almas (1965). The Brazilian public remembers her more for her appearances in Maria do Bairro (1995) and Rosalinda (1999).
The actress married José Gil, a Cuban doctor, but had only one child, the result of her relationship with musician Genaro Lozano.
Ninón died on January 1, 2015 from heart failure. He was 85 years old.
Mais sobre a autora
