Rosa María Juana Martínez Suárez (born 23 February 1927), known by her stage name Mirtha Legrand (″Legrand″ being a portmanteau for the French , "the great") is an Argentine actress and television presenter. With an 80-year career, Legrand is one of the most recognized entertainment figures in Argentina. Despite having appeared in 36 films and 20 theatrical performances, Legrand is best known for her interview television programme ''Almorzando con las estrellas'' that first aired in 1968 on

Alejandro Romay Alejandro Romay (born Alejandro Argentino Saúl, January 20, 1927 – June 25, 2015) was an Argentine businessman and media mogul. He worked for many years at Canal 9 (known under his management as Canal 9 Libertad), and became known as the "''Cz ...

's channel 9. The show was later renamed ''Almorzando con Mirtha Legrand''.

Early life and career

Reapertura del Teatro Colón - Mirtha Legrand

Legrand was born on 23 February 1927 in Villa Cañás. She and her twin sister Silvia were born to José Martínez, a librarian, and Rosa Suárez, a school teacher. They had a sibling named José Antonio. Their parents were Spanish. When they separated in 1934 Rosa moved to

Rosario Rosario () is the largest city in the central Argentine province of Santa Fe. The city is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the west bank of the Paraná River. Rosario is the third-most populous city in the country, and is also the most p ...

with her three children, where the Legrand sisters took classes of singing and dancing. In 1936 they moved to the La Paternal neighborhood in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

. Legrand began her career in the

carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival t ...

of 1939 when she participated in a contest organised by the ''Diario de Cine'' programme (''Cinema Diary'') at ''Belgrano Radio''. She rose to fame in the late 1930s and early 1940s, during the golden era of the Argentine film industry that resembled the

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

one. Rosa María's stage name ''Mirtha Legrand'' was coined by her agent Roberto Cerebello when she was 14 years old. Legrand's film debut was in '' Educating Niní'', which also had the participation of

Niní Marshall Marina Esther Traveso (June 1, 1903 – March 18, 1996), known by her stage name Niní Marshall, was an Argentine humorist, comic actress and screenwriter; nicknamed ''The Chaplin with a skirt'' and ''The Lady of Humour''. Life and work She ...

and Legrand's sister Silvia.

Personal life

While filming ''Cinco besos'' in 1945, Legrand met Daniel Tinayre, a director of French origin. Legrand married Tinayre on 18 May 1946. They had two children, Daniel Andrés, born in 1947, and Marcela, born in 1950. Legrand and Tinayre were married until Tinayre's death in 1994. Tinayre had been diagnosed with hepatitis B in September 1994 and died a month later. Their son Daniel died from

pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a mass. These cancerous cells have the ability to invade other parts of the body. A number of types of pancr ...

in 1999.

Selected filmography

Her cinematographic career spanned more than 25 years from 1939 to 1965. She participated in 36 films of Argentina and Spain, including: * '' Educating Niní'' ( es, Hay que educar a Niní) * ''El viaje'' ( es, The journey) * ''Un Beso en la Nuca'' ( es, A kiss on the neck) https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0499464/ * ''El espejo'' ( es, The mirror) * ''Cinco besos'' ( es, five kisses) * ''El retrato'' ( es, The portrait) * ''La vendedora de fantasías'' ( es, Seller of fantasies) * '' Los martes, orquídeas'' (1941)

Awards

Nominations

* 2013 Martín Fierro Awards ** Best female TV host

References

External links

*
Mirtha Legrand
at cinenacional.com
Biography of Mirtha Legrand
{{DEFAULTSORT:Legrand, Mirtha 1927 births Living people 20th-century Argentine actresses People from General López Department Argentine film actresses Argentine radio actresses Argentine stage actresses Argentine television actresses Illustrious Citizens of Buenos Aires Golden Martín Fierro Award winners Argentine twins Argentine people of Spanish descent