Antonia Rey Explained

Antonia Rey
Birth Name:Maria Antonia Rey
Birth Date:October 12, 1927
Birth Place:Camajuaní, Villa Clara, Cuba
Death Date:February 21, 2019 (aged 91)
Years Active:1954–2019
Spouse:Andres Castro (m. 1958; died 2000[1])
Occupation:Actress

Maria Antonia Rey[2] (October 12, 1927[3] – February 21, 2019[2]) was a Cuban-born American actress.

Life and career

Born in Camajuaní and educated in Havana,[4] Rey was the only child of Emilia Rey and dentist Antonio Francesch. Due to her father's premature death, she was given her mother's surname at birth. Over the course of her adolescence, Rey acquired two stepbrothers following her mother's remarriage, to banker Rafael Rangel.[2]

Rey married theatre director Andres Castro in 1958during the intermission of a play. Despite offers of prominence in their fields, they chose to flee communist Cuba in 1961.[2]

Rey's Broadway credits include The Rose Tattoo (1995), The Ritz (1975), A Streetcar Named Desire (1973), 42 Seconds from Broadway (1973), The Engagement Baby (1970), Camino Real (1970), Mike Downstairs (1968), and Bajour (1964).[5]

Rey is better known for her cameos in various movies like Kiss Me, Guido (1997),[6] Jacob's Ladder and King of the Gypsies, as well as the TV-movie pilot for Kojak entitled The Marcus-Nelson Murders. She has also appeared in shows such as Who's the Boss?, Third Watch, Law & Order and .

Rey's final role was Assunta Bianchi, in the television series Happy!; her character dies in the second to last episode of the series, which aired three months after Rey's death, and featured a closing “In Memory” credit dedicated to Rey.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1968Coogan's BluffMrs. Amador
1969PopiMrs. Cruz
1971KluteMrs. Vasek
1971'Doc'Concha
1971Who Killed Mary Whats 'ername?Waitress
1971Who Says I Can't Ride a Rainbow!
1972To Find a ManModesta
1974The Lords of FlatbushMrs. Rosiello
1976The MoneyPearl
1978King of the GypsiesDanitza Giorgio
1979HairMrs. Berger, George's Mother
1979BoardwalkCarmelita
1980The ChangelingEstancia
1981Time BanditsDaisy
1982The ClairvoyantSpanish Woman
1984Moscow on the HudsonCounter Woman at McDonald's
1984Beat StreetFlora
1984Garbo TalksEsmeralda
1986Wise GuysAunt Sadie
1987Forever, LuluClara
1987SpaceballsClarie
1988White HotMarket Woman
1988 Spike of Bensonhurst Bandanas Mother
1989Simple JusticeMrs. Maria Pajarro
1990Jacob's LadderWoman on Subway
1991True ColorsSoledad
1991I Was On MarsLa Mama
1992Chain of DesireJesus' Mother
1994Only YouFortune Teller
1994It Runs in the FamilyGypsy Woman
1995Die Hard with a VengeanceMrs. Stella
1995TarantellaGrandmother
1997Kiss Me, GuidoJosephia Zito
1997The Full MontyEmmy
1998The Object of My AffectionMrs. Ochoa
1999GloriaTenant
2001PiñeroSenora
2005The Reality TrapConsuela
2014MatchMrs. Trujillo
2015AltoNonna Del Vecchio”

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2000–2010Dora the ExplorerAbuela, Wizzles (voice)11 episodes
2001–2002Courage the Cowardly DogMaria Ladrones, Space Chicken's Wife (voice)2 episodes
2017–2019Happy!Assunta Bianchi

Notes and References

  1. News: Muere el Dramaturgo Cubano Andres Castro. Niurka, Norma. September 9, 2000. El Nuevo Herald. 11A. (Auto translate) In New York, [Andres Castro] taught acting at the Senior Dramatic Workshop and presented two seasons of theater in Spanish, until he founded, in 1969, together with his wife, the West Side Repertory Theater to make productions in English. In 1985, Castro retired. He recently suffered a relapse of the stroke he suffered five years ago.. .
  2. Web site: Antonia Rey, Latin Actress of Stage and Screen, Dies at 92 . Katharine Q. . Seelye . March 22, 2019 . . March 22, 2019 . https://archive.today/20190322194607/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/22/obituaries/antonia-rey-dead.html . March 22, 2019 . live .
  3. Willis, John (1969). Theatre World 1968-69 Season, Volume 25. New York: Crown Publishers. p. 244. . See also:
  4. Unterberger, Amy L. (1994). Who's Who Among Hispanic Americans 1994-95. Detroit, MI: Gale Research. p. 666. .
  5. Web site: Antonia Rey . Internet Broadway Database . The Broadway League . 26 September 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180926021825/https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/antonia-rey-73119 . 26 September 2018.
  6. Web site: Kiss Me, Guido, TV Guide . TVGuide.com . 11 November 2018 . en.