MIAMI _ Legendary star Rosita Fornes, considered one of the most versatile figures in the Cuban entertainment industry, died in Miami early Wednesday of respiratory complications. She was 97.
"She died peacefully and surrounded by her loved ones. She was an excellent woman in every sense of the word," said her daughter Rosa Maria Medel. "Her altruism and kindness were unmatched. But the most important thing is that throughout her life she dedicated herself to making others happy. That was her great commitment every time she went on stage."
Fornes was born in New York on Feb. 11, 1923. The daughter of Spanish immigrants living on the island, she became a Cuban citizen and developed a versatile career that encompassed cinema, the theater, radio, television and cabaret.
Her time in Cuban cinema is remembered for her performance in the comedy "Se Permuta" (1985), the theatrical version of which she previously starred in during a long season. She also played many other roles in various films, including, "Papeles Secundarios," "Placido," "Quiereme y Veras" and "Las Noches de Constantinopla."
The actress, whose birth name is Rosalaa Lourdes Elisa Palet Bonavia, began her career in 1938. At the age of 15 she landed a role in "La Corte Suprema del Arte," a radio amateur program. Her cinematic debut came in "Una Aventura Peligrosa," a Ramon Peon comedy filmed in 1939.
Her career reached international status with performances in Spain and Mexico, where she was part of the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema with the films such as "Deseo," "Del Can Can al Mambo," "Cara Sucia" and "Se Acabaron las Mujeres." She also had roles in films co-produced with Cuba, including "Tintan en La Habana," "No Me Olvides Nunca" and "Hotel Tropical."
In Mexico, she married Mexican actor Manuel Medel, father of Rosa Maria, her only daughter. After that relationship ended, Fornes returned to Havana in 1952. She eventually married the actor Armando Bianchi, who died in 1981.
The couple spent time together in Spain where they had stints with the Barcelona Comic Theater, the Madrid Theater and the Alcazar Theater between 1957 and 1959.
Fornes was celebrated for her roles on Cuban television in both musical and drama performances, including opera. In New York, she took part in a series of presentations at the Spanish Repertory Theater in 1996. And in Miami, she participated in the XIV Latin American Monologue Festival in 2015, featuring a body of biographical work.
In recent years Fornes resided between Havana and Miami, where he had a legion of admirers.
Her last performance took place at the Miami-Dade County Auditorium in 2019.
"A star of her caliber, she did everything well," said Cuban composer Meme Solis, who also expressed displeasure that she was labeled a communist by some exiles about two decades ago for maintaining ties with Cuba.
"She stayed in Cuba for family reasons, she said she was too old to start again," Solis said. "But few know that in the 1960s she defended many artists who were persecuted for various causes, and that she was a very Catholic woman."
For Irene Lopez, a lifelong friend who cared for Fornes during the months she was ill, the artist was inspiring figure for young Cubans living through the Revolution.
"Rosita was the only window to normality that gave us access to the beautiful things of a world that had disappeared in Cuba," Lopez said. "As the country collapsed and the people got demoralized, she kept going down the stairs of the (theater) ... with her fan of feathers ... without losing her class or her positive words," said Lopez. "She was a good woman who never held a grudge against anyone."
In addition to her daughter, Fornes is survived by two brothers, two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
