Katy Jurado Movies and Career Information

Katy Jurado (January 16, 1924 – July 5, 2002), born María Cristina Estela Marcela Jurado García in Guadalajara, Jalisco, was the first Mexican National actress to be nominated for an Academy Award. María Cristina Estela Marcela Jurado García was born in Guadalajara, México into a wealthy family. Her father was descended from Spaniards from Andalucía, where she inherited her andalucian features from her grandfather. She moved with her family to Mexico City in 1927. She studied journalism before marrying Mexican actor Victor Velázquez, whom she divorced in 1943. While working as a journalist she caught the attention of director Emilio Fernandez who offered her a role in the film La Isla de la Pasión, but she declined the invitation. Jurado began acting in Mexican films starting in 1943, with the movie No Matarás. Her very particular features were the key of her notable success. During her early years in the Mexican cinema she appeared with stars like Carmen Montejo, Maria Elena Marques, David Silva and others. In 1945, she had her first success with the film Balajú. In 1948, her performance in Nosotros los pobres, opposite the well-known Mexican actor Pedro Infante, brought her fame.