Mourning for “last diva”
Mexican acting icon Silvia Pinal dies
She was considered the “last diva of Mexican cinema” and muse of famous directors and painters: Mexico mourns the loss of one of its greatest acting icons.
One of Mexico’s most important actresses, Silvia Pinal, is dead. The “last diva of Mexican cinema” died on Thursday in Mexico City at the age of 93, said the artists’ union Andi, the Mexican Ministry of Culture and the actress’s family. The cause of death was initially unknown. Pinal was in the hospital for a urinary tract infection in the days before her death, media reports said.
The artists’ union said Pinal was the “muse” of the legendary Spanish director Luis Buñuel (1900-1983). In 1961 she played the leading role in his socially and religiously critical drama “Viridiana” and a year later in “The Würgeengel”. Pinal was revered throughout Mexico for her numerous other films, television series and plays. The Mexican muralist Diego Rivera (1886-1957), husband of the artist Frida Kahlo (1907-1954), immortalized Pinal in a painting in 1956.
“Part of Mexico’s cultural memory”
Pinal’s death caused great consternation in Mexico. The actress was “part of Mexico’s cultural memory,” wrote President Claudia Sheinbaum on X. Many generations grew up with her and admired her. Mexico’s Culture Minister Claudia Curiel de Icaza wrote that Pinal was a “pioneer of the theater.” “Her legacy as an artist and her contribution to our culture are unforgettable.”
dpa
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
