Silvia Pinal (1931–2024), Mexican film star
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2 min readSilvia Pinal was a Mexican star of film and television best known for her work with movie maker Luis Buñuel, including “Viridiana,” “The Exterminating Angel,” and “Simon of the Desert.”
- Died: November 28, 2024 (Who else died on November 28?)
- Details of death: Died in Mexico City at the age of 93.
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Silvia Pinal’s legacy
Pinal had already become a mainstay in Mexican cinema by the time she starred in Luis Buñuel’s 1961 Palme d'Or winner, “Viridiana,” but the movie once voted the best Spanish film of all time launched Pinal into stardom that wouldn’t dim for decades to come.
As a young woman, Pinal studied opera and participated in pageants as part of her desire to go into entertainment. She studied at Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes before making her screen debut in 1949’s “Bamba.” More work followed quickly, and in 1953, her supporting-role excellence in "A Place Near Heaven" won Pinal her first Silver Ariel award, an honor granted by the Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences to recognize the best in Mexican cinema.
Of her dozens of roles in the 1950s and ‘60s, her most acclaimed are arguably the three films she made with Buñuel: “Viridiana,” “The Exterminating Angel,” and “Simon of the Desert.”
When not on screen, Pinal acted on stage, and she produced the stage comedy “Bells are Ringing” in 1958. She not only became a stage producer, helping bring shows like “A Chorus Line” and “Cats” to Mexican stages, but she was also a theater owner, acquiring two theaters where she produced many more shows. Pinal did this even while remaining a regular draw on the stage herself, performing in Mexican versions of classics like “Hello, Dolly!” and “Annie, Get Your Gun.”
Later in life, Pinal got into politics, becoming first lady of Tlaxcala while wedded to its governor, her fourth marriage. She was elected to Chamber of Deputies, representing a district in Mexico City; voted a member of the Assembly of Representatives of the Federal District, then served as a national-list senator.
Pinal earned four Ariel Awards overall, and she won a special Golden Ariel in 2008. Her 2015 autobiography, “Esta soy yo,” chronicles her life and work.
Tributes to Silvia Pinal
Full obituary: CNN
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