Carmen Sevilla facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carmen Sevilla
Sevilla, c. 1955
Born	María del Carmen García Galisteo (1930-10-16)16 October 1930 Seville, Spain
Died	27 June 2023(2023-06-27) (aged 92) Madrid, Spain
Occupation	Actress singer dancer television presenter
Years active	1947–2010
Spouse(s)	Augusto Algueró ​ ​ (m. 1961; div. 1974)​ Vicente Patuel ​ ​ (m. 1985; died 2000)​
Children	1

Carmen Sevilla at the 1956 San Sebastián Film Festival

María del Carmen García Galisteo (16 October 1930 – 27 June 2023), known professionally as Carmen Sevilla, was a Spanish actress, singer and dancer. She began her career in the 1940s and became one of the most popular and highest paid stars of Spanish cinema until the 1970s. In 1991, at the age of sixty, she began her career as a television presenter, working for the three major Spanish networks until her retirement in 2010.

As an actress, she had leading roles in numerous films, including Imperial Violets (1952), Academy Award nominee Vengeance (1958), Don Juan (1956) and Searching for Monica (1962). She also had supporting roles in English-language epic films including King of Kings (1961) and Antony and Cleopatra (1972).

She began her career in 1942 as a dancer thanks to Estrellita Castro. In the 1950s, she began to establish herself as a singer thanks to the songs she performed in her films. She released numerous albums, with many songs composed by her then husband Augusto Algueró, including coplas, boleros and tangos, and performed them on stage and television.

Career

Sevilla as Mary Magdalene in a publicity photo for King of Kings (1961)

Sevilla had her first leading film role in 1948's Jalisco Sings in Seville. Her rise to fame came with her starring role in The Troublemaker (1950) with Tony Leblanc. She then became one of the most popular and highest paid stars of Spanish cinema. In 1952 she starred in Imperial Violets along with Luis Mariano. She also played Mary Magdalene in the English-language Nicholas Ray's epic film King of Kings (1961).

On 3 January 1965 she made her first appearance on American television at The Ed Sullivan Show, where she performed live the songs "Mis noches de Madrid" and "Estando contigo", both composed by her then husband Augusto Algueró.

In 1972, she played Octavia in the English-language Charlton Heston's film Antony and Cleopatra. She also starred in No es bueno que el hombre esté solo (1973), Nadie oyó gritar (1973), and Beatriz (1976).

In 1991, at the age of sixty, she began her career as a television presenter working in different shows and specials for the three major Spanish networks until her retirement in 2010. Her works as presenter include Telecupón [es] (1991–97) on Telecinco, La noche de Carmen (1997–98) on Antena 3 and Cine de Barrio [es] (2004–10) on Televisión Española. She also presented the broadcast of the New Year's clock bell strikes live from Puerta del Sol in Madrid once on each of the three networks, being the only person to have done so on all three networks.

In January 2004, she received the 2003 Medal of Honour bestowed by the Círculo de Escritores Cinematográficos.

Personal life and death

In 2012, she was announced to be in a "very advanced stage" of Alzheimer's disease, with which she was diagnosed three years earlier. In 2015 it was reported that she no longer recognized her home. In 2015, she went to live in a nursing home in Aravaca, Madrid. In 2022 her son announced that his mother's Alzheimer's was already at such an advanced stage that she did not recognize him and could not remember her artistic career.

On 26 June 2023 it was made public that Carmen Sevilla was hospitalized in serious condition at the Puerta de Hierro hospital in Madrid, where she died the following day at the age of 92 from complications of her illness.

Selected filmography

• Jalisco Sings in Seville (1949)
• The Guitar of Gardel (1949) as Carmelilla
• Tales of the Alhambra (1950) as Mariquilla
• The Troublemaker (1950) as Mari Pepa
• The Dream of Andalusia (1951) as Dolores
• Imperial Violets (1952) as Violeta
• Sister San Sulpicio (1952) as Gloria Alvargonzález / Sister San Sulpicio
• The Beauty of Cadiz (1953) as Maria-Luisa
• You Had To Be a Gypsy (1953) as Pastora de los Reyes
• An Andalusian Gentleman (1954) as Esperanza 'Colorín'
• Congress in Seville (1955) as Carmen Fuentes
• Requiebro (1955)
• Don Juan (1956) as Serranilla
• Desert Warrior (1957) as Princess Amina
• Vengeance (1958) as Andrea Díaz
• Bread, Love and Andalusia (1958) as Carmen García
• King of Kings (1961) as Mary Magdalene
• The Balcony of the Moon (1962) as Charo
• Searching for Monica as Mónica Durán (1962)
• Road to Rocío (1966) as Esperanza Aguilar
• The Partisan of Villa (1967) as Reyes Mendoza
• The Locket (1970) as Virginia / Soledad
• The Boldest Job in the West (1971) as Marion
• The Glass Ceiling (1971) as Marta
• Antony and Cleopatra (1972) as Octavia Minor
• Nadie oyó gritar (1973) as Elisa
• House of the Damned (also known as La Loba y la Paloma) (1974)
• Muerte de un quinqui (1975)
• La cruz del diablo (1975) as Maria
• Beatriz (1976) as Carlota

Honours

• Gold Medal of Merit in Labour (2001)
• Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts (2003)
• Hija Predilecta of the Province of Seville (2007)

See also

In Spanish: Carmen Sevilla para niños