María de los Ángeles Félix Güereña, known as María Félix, is one of the most beautiful and talented actresses of Mexican cinema. Born in 8 April of 1914 in Álamos, Sonora, Mexico, Félix is one of the sixteen children military officer Bernardo Félix Flores, and Josefina Güereña Rosas had.
At the age of 17, her beauty began to attract attention, and later she was crowned as a Beauty Queen at the University of Guadalajara. After a failed marriage and giving birth to her only child, Félix decided to move to Mexico City, where she started working as a receptionist in a plastic surgeon’s office.
One day after work, director and filmmaker Fernando Palacios approached her and asked if she wanted to make movies, and the rest is history. Félix made her first appearance in the “White and Black Ballroom.” After rejecting to start an acting career in Hollywood, she became the female lead role in El Peñón de las Ánimas, alongside Mexican actor and singer Jorge Negrete.
In 1943, Félix started to be recognized as “La Doña” after nailing her role in Doña Bárbara. Five years later, she took over the European cinema and debuted in Spain with the film Mare Nostrum.
La Doña consolidated her film career in 47 movies, all filmed between Mexico, Spain, France, Italy, and Argentina.
Multiple people rejected Félix’s strong personality, and she was labeled as a tough and arrogant woman.
“With these films, I became the number one enemy of the Mexican family morals,” she said. “Somehow, I seduced the public, even those who criticize the conduct of my characters in the films. My legend began to take shape without moving a finger. The public imagination did everything for me.”
María Félix died on her 88th birthday in Mexico City. She is resting in peace in her family’s tomb alongside her son Enrique and her parents at the Panteón Francés in Mexico City.
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