Icon María Félix may have rubbed elbows with other legends like painter Frida Kahlo, Pedro Infante, and Christian Dior during her career, and even had a song written about her by Juan Gabriel (“María de Todas las Marías”), but to her niece Gina Félix Goldman, she was just a “regular aunt” who traveled a lot.
“We didn’t see her as this famous [person],” Félix Goldman told Remezcla during a recent interview. “She was a regular family member who just happened to be in the entertainment industry.”
In celebration of her far-from-conventional life, several films starring María Félix, who is considered one of the most successful actresses of Latin American cinema during the 1940s and 1950s, will be presented for free on the streaming platform Canela TV.
With her aunt’s films accessible during Hispanic Heritage Month in September, Félix Goldman is encouraging younger generations to watch some of the classics like Rio Escondido, Juana Gallo, El Rapto, and La Diosa Arrodillada.
“The films she did were very classy with very positive messages,” Félix Goldman said. “Watching them, I learned about perseverance and to have high self-esteem. All the films are wonderful. My favorite is Tizoc, but they’re all beautiful.”
Félix Goldman remembers once when she was working in the news industry, she got the opportunity to interview labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar Chávez, who pulled her aside after the interview and told her that he knew her aunt and family.
“He pointed to [the farmworkers] and said, “Those are your people, and you have to give back to them,’” Félix Goldman said. “For years, I’ve been giving back to the community. I feel strongly that Canela TV is giving back to the community with its free app. What a wonderful way to discover your Latino roots.”
Although she was unable to comment at the time on the upcoming Hollywood biopic about her aunt, who will be portrayed by actress Eiza González (Godzilla vs. Kong), she was very sure that there would never be another actress like María Félix.
“Absolutely not,” she said when asked if anyone currently working in Hollywood reminded her of her aunt. “She’s the one and only.”