Actress Carmen Sevilla dies at the age of 92

The actress Carmen Sevilla has died this Tuesday at the age of 92, as reported by her son to Europa Press.

She was transferred this Monday from the residence where she lives in Aravaca (Madrid) to a Madrid hospital when her health condition worsened. Sevilla lived in a geriatric residence since 2015, six years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

The last appearance of the legendary actress took place during the 20th anniversary gala of Telecinco --a chain that lived its return to the small screen at the end of 1991--, an event in which some health problem became evident given her speech disconnected that the presenters of the gala had to cut. Thus, she retired from television in 2010, a year after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's, after years of conducting 'Neighborhood Cinema'.

Born in the Seville neighborhood of Heliópolis in 1930, Carmen Sevilla married the Spanish composer, arranger and conductor Augusto Algueró, with whom she had her only son, and in second marriage with the businessman Vicente Patuel, who died in the year 2000 after 15 years of marriage.

Seville participated in 80 films both in Spain and in Argentina, Mexico, France or Italy, but also in Hollywood (United States); she was a dancer, singer and television presenter. She is a friend of other great star artists such as Lola Flores, Sara Montiel or Paquita Rico and she earned the nickname 'Spain's girlfriend'.

She began as a brand-new bailaora in 1942 with the singer and actress Estrellita Castro, made her film debut in 'Serenata española' (1947) and in July 1949 had her first leading role in the film 'Jalisco canta en Sevilla', together with Jorge Negrete, which would be followed shortly after by 'La revoltosa', by José Díez Morales.

With the decade of the 50s, her first great period of success would come, becoming one of the actresses most requested by the public, with such emblematic films as the one directed by Richard Pottier, 'Imperial Violets' (1952), together with Luis Mariano, with whom he also worked on 'El sueño de Andalucía' and 'La Bella de Cádiz'.

Other titles from this period are also 'El Sueño de Andalucía' (1951), 'El deseo y el amor' (1952), 'La hermana San Sulpicio' (1952), 'La pícara molineta' (1955), 'El amor of Don Juan' (1956) or 'The Taming of the Shrew' (1956). Remarkable was 'La venganza' (1957), directed by Juan A. Bardem, and turned into the first Spanish film nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

Her acting ability also led her to work in international productions such as 'King of Kings' (1961), directed by Nicholas Ray and in which Carmen Sevilla gave life to María Magdalena, or 'Marco Antonio y Cleopatra' (1962), in the who played Octavia in this Charlton Heston version of William Shakespeare's classic. A step through the 'cinema mecca' that helped him rub shoulders with Frank Sinatra, Cary Grant or Ricardo Montalbán.

The decade of the 60s was also the stage in which he consolidated himself as a singer, taking advantage of the pull of the previous decade thanks to the songs he performed in his films, coming to publish more than 15 discs of coplas, boleros, tangos or chotis.

In the 1970s, she once again gained the support of the public and critics when she became one of the protagonists of the new Spanish cinema, marked by the arrival of directors such as Eloy de la Iglesia, with whom she worked on 'El techo de cristal ' (1971), Julio Diamante, who directed her in 'Sex or no sex' (1974), or Gonzalo Suárez, with whom he made 'La loba y la paloma (1974), among others.

A popularity that has remained in recent decades, especially for her work and appearances on television, being responsible for saying goodbye to the year from Puerta del Sol on several occasions, including in 1994 when she wished all Spaniards a happy 1964 before the stunned look of José María Íñigo.

After 15 years without participating in any film, Antena 3 offered her to return to acting with a series entitled 'Ada Madrina', starring alongside Jesús Puente and the model Mar Flores, although the chain withdrew it from the screens after four episodes.

Unforgettable was also his daily appearance in front of Telecinco's 'Telecupón' from late 1991 to 1997, where he conquered the public with his naturalness and leaving expressions for the collective memory such as "ovejitas" and his "cuponsito", or in space from Antena 3 'Dear presenters', together with Bertín Osborne.

After going through various jobs on Canal Sur and Canal 9, he ended up on TVE, where he hosted programs such as 'Cine de Barrio', which he presented from 2004 to 2010.

She has been recognized with the Medals of the Circle of Cinematographic Writers as best leading actress for 'The Taming of the Shrew', awarded in 1995, as best actress in 'The Glass Ceiling', in 1970, and the Medal of Honor, which she received in 2003 .

Among the many awards he has received are also the Gold Medal for Merit at Work (2001) or the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts (2003), as well as a Silver Frames, a TP, an Antenna and a Gold Microphone and the Medal of Andalusia or the award for a lifetime of cinema from the Community of Madrid, among others.

In addition to Seville's Favorite Daughter, it gives its name to avenues in Roquetas de Mar (Cádiz) and Marbella (Málaga), to streets in San Pedro de Alcántara (Málaga) and Villafranca de Córdoba (Córdoba) and has a star on Paseo de the fame of Madrid.