Spanish actress Marisa Paredes dies at 78 years old

The Spanish film industry mourns the loss of Marisa Paredes, one of its most iconic actresses, who passed away at the age of 78. The Academy of Cinema, which she presided over from 2000 to 2003, announced the news on Tuesday. “Spanish cinema says goodbye to one of its most iconic actresses, Marisa Paredes, who leaves behind a long career that has seen her on the big screen more than 75 times,” the Academy posted on social media.

Paredes's career, which began in the 60s, has been one of the most prolific in Spanish cinema. The actress never lacked work. In addition to those 75 films, she appeared in just as many television series and took to the stage numerous times. She was one of Almodóvar's girls, and perhaps viewers will remember her in the tight green dress and long red gloves singing Piensa en mí in High Heels. But Paredes was also one of the most sought-after actresses by Mexican and, above all, French directors.

He started working in the theater, on TV programs like Estudio 1, and with supporting roles in movies under the direction of directors like Fernando Fernán Gómez. But he became very popular among the Spanish audience in 1980 after participating in Opera prima by Fernando Trueba. The film starred, among others, actors like Óscar Ladoire and Kiti Mánver, who would also later join Pedro Almodóvar's troupe.

Paredes joined the universe of the manchego director in 1983 to become sor Estiércol, one of the nuns that wandered around Among the Dark, a film that also starred Julieta Serrano, Carmen Maura, and Chus Lampreave. The actress was already a part of Almodóvar's world, but that did not stop other directors from calling her. She once again worked under the direction of Fernán Gómez in Bicycles Are for the Summer (1984), one of the year's successes. She then took part in two other notable films, Tata mía (José Luis Borau, 1986) and Turnip Face (José Sacristán, 1986).

Agustí Villaronga gave her the leading role in In a Glass Cage (1987), a horror film that told the story of a Nazi doctor. In the late 80s, Paredes appeared in other titles that went relatively unnoticed, but with the new decade, her full potential as an actress shone through thanks to the role of Becky del Páramo in High Heels (Pedro Almodóvar, 1991). Victoria Abril and Miguel Bosé accompanied Paredes in this cinematic adventure, which, with the voice of Luz Casal, gave us two unforgettable songs, Piensa en mí and Un año de amor.

In tandem, Almodóvar and Paredes worked wonderfully, and the pair repeated with The Flower of My Secret (1995), perhaps one of the filmmaker's lesser-known films today. It is a delightful romantic comedy with Almodóvar's touch, where Paredes is paired with Juan Echanove. Also appearing in the film were Imanol Arias, Rossy de Palma, Chus Lampreave, and Carme Elías.

Thanks to these two titles, the actress became one of the most prominent figures in the Spanish acting scene, which opened the doors to other film industries. The Mexican Arturo Ripstein signed her to work on Deep Crimson (1996) and Roberto Benigni gave her a role in the wonderful and acclaimed Life is Beautiful (1997), which tells the story of a man locked in a Nazi extermination camp who invents a game to shield his son from the pain of the place.

With these works, Paredes' international career took off, as he worked under Guillermo del Toro in The Devil's Backbone (2001), Manoel de Oliveira in The Magic Mirror (2005), and Edgardo Cozarinsky in Red Twilight (2003). However, he never strayed far from Almodóvar. He had roles in All About My Mother (1999), the Oscar-winning Talk to Her (2002), and The Skin I Live In (2011), where he worked alongside Antonio Banderas.

Paredes, who was married to Chema Prado and filmmaker Antonio Isasi-Isasmendi, had a daughter, María Isasi, born in 1975. The actress received the Honorary Goya Award in 2018, a special recognition for her extensive career, which included nominations for her performances in Turnip Top (1988) and The Flower of My Secret (1996).