Cuban actress Adela Legrá, renowned for her starring role in the iconic film Lucía (1968) by director Humberto Solás, passed away at the age of 86 in Santiago de Cuba, as reported by the president of the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC), Alexis Triana.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel posted on his Twitter account: “A heartfelt farewell to Adela Legrá, Cuban actress, whose portrayal of a humble peasant woman seeking emancipation was immortalized by Humberto Solás in his emblematic ‘Lucía,’ illuminated by her face of authentic Cuban spirit. Our condolences to her family, friends, and Cuban cinema.”
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Her passing has generated widespread mourning in the country’s cultural sphere, with condolences expressed by high-ranking state officials, cultural institutions, and figures in Cuban cinema. Adelaida López Legrá, born in 1939 in Guantánamo, was discovered by Solás, who introduced her to the world of cinema and with whom she collaborated on films such as Miel para Oshún (2001) and Barrio Cuba (2005).
Her face, described as “both strong and beautiful,” and her authenticity earned her an irreplaceable place in the history of Cuban and Latin American cinema. Solás highlighted her “extraordinary, raw, and powerful catharsis, full of light and overwhelming sincerity.”
The Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC) expressed on social media its “deep respect for a renowned actress, who was much more than just a face on the big screen.” Likewise, the International Festival of New Latin American Cinema and the Gibara International Film Festival, institutions that honored her with the Lucía de Honor Award in 2017, mourned her passing.
Her filmography also includes Rancheador (1976), El Brigadista (1977), Aquella noche larga (1979), Vals de la Habana Vieja (1988), and Nada (2001). Of peasant origin, Legrá brought the essence of rural Cuban women to the screen with a naturalness that resonated with generations.
The tribute was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Inés María Chapman, the president of the Hermanos Saíz Association, Yasel Toledo, and cultural projects such as CubaActores and CartelÓN Gráfica Cubana.
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