Pinal had been hospitalized earlier this month for a urinary tract infection. Mexico’s Secretary of Culture confirmed Pinal’s death.
“The Ministry of Culture of the Government of Mexico regrets the passing of leading actress Silvia Pinal,” read the statement posted on X. “With a career spanning more than six decades, she participated in more than 60 films and plays. Her legacy lives on as a fundamental pillar of cinema, theater and television in Mexico. May she rest in peace.”
Pinal was born in Guaymas, Sonora, México on September 12, 1931. She studied acting at the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature. Pinal’s acting debut was in 1949 with the comedy Dos pesos la dejada.
Making her debut during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema, Pinal got to star opposite legendary actor Pedro Infante in La Mujer que yo perdí in 1949. Pinal also shared the silver screen with Mexican movie stars like Cantinflas in The Doorman (1950), Tin Tan in El Rey del Barrio and Sara García.
Pinal’s first major acting award came after starring in Un rincón cerca del cielo, winning the Ariel Award, the Mexican equivalent of the Oscar. In the film, she starred opposite Pedro Infante once again.
Following her success in México, Pinal went international, starring in the Spanish film Las Locuras de Bárbara (1958) and in the musical film Charleston. Pinal would later take on cinema in Italy where she starred in Uomini e Nobiluomini (1959), in which she shared credits with Vittorio de Sica and Elke Sommer.
Pinal’s only credit in a Hollywood production was in 1969 when she starred opposite Burt Reynolds in the film Shark! directed by Samuel Fuller. She also worked with Anthony Quinn and Charles Bronson in the French film Guns for San Sebastian (1968).
In her later years, Pinal became a successful television producer. She created and presented Mujer, Casos de la Vida Real, a series that tackled real-life issues that women faced in today’s society. Pinal also appeared in telenovelas like Carita de ángel (2000), Fuego en la Sangre (2008), Soy Tu Dueña (2010) and Mi Marido Tiene Familia (2017).