Marisa Paredes, Icon of Spanish Cinema, Dies at 78

Marisa Paredes, an icon of Spanish cinema and muse of filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, died Tuesday in Madrid of heart failure, Variety reports.

She was 78.

Paredes appeared in dozens of films, receiving particular acclaim for her work in Almodóvar's “Dark Habits” (1983), “High Heels” (1991), “The Flower of My Secret” (1995), “All About My Mother” (1999), and “The Skin I Live In” (2011).

Making her film debut in 1960's "Police Calling 091" by José María Forqué, she became a national teen idol. Also appearing briefly in the classic film "El Mundo Sigue" in 1965, she was initially better known for her stage work, which was her focus for many years.

Her performances in Almodóvar's movies made her an international star, but she also acted in the high-profile films "In a Glass Cage" (1986), "Life Is Beautiful" (1998), "Deep Crimson" (1996), and Guillermo del Toro's "The Devil's Backbone" (2001).

In all, she racked up well over 100 credits, earning the Spanish Ministry of Culture's National Film Award and presiding over the Academia de las Artes y la Ciencias Cinematográficas de España from 2000-2003.

Paredes is survived by her daughter with the late filmmaker Antonio Isasi-Isasmendi, and by her partner of 40 years Chema Prado, a former longtime director of the Spanish Film Library.