María Elena Velasco (Puebla, December 17, 1940 - Mexico City, May 1, 2015) was a Mexican television, theatre and film actress, comedian, singer-songwriter, dancer, screenwriter, film producer and film director.
Biography[]
Maria Elena Velasco was best known for creating and portraying La India María, a comical character based on indigenous Mexican women, in films and television programs. She was born in Puebla, to Tomás Velasco, a railway mechanic, and María Elena Fragoso. She had three siblings, Gloria, Tomás and Susana.
After the death of Tomás Velasco, the family moved to Mexico City, where she worked as a dancer at the Teatro Tívoli.[3][4] Later, she became one of the showgirls of the Teatro Blanquita, where she also participated in sketches starring comedians such as José "El Ojón" Jasso and Óscar Ortiz de Pinedo, among others.
In the early 1960s, Velasco met Russian-born Mexican film actor and choreographer Julián de Meriche (born Vladimir Lipkies Chazan) at the Teatro Blanquita. They married and had three children, producer-director Iván Lipkies, writer-actress Goretti Lipkies, and writer-producer Ivette Lipkies.
Her death was announced over Twitter by the Instituto Mexicano de Cinematografía on May 1, 2015. The cause of death was not made public, but it was known that she had been suffering from stomach cancer.
Filmography[]
Television roles[]
Telenovelas[]
| Year | Name | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Corazón indomable | María Nicolasa Cruz de Olivares |
TV series[]
| Year | Name | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | La familia P. Luche | María |
| 2003 | Mujer, casos de la vida real | María |
| 1998 | ¡Ay María qué puntería! | India Maria |
| 1988 | Papá soltero | María Nicolasa |
| 1972 | Revista musical Nescafe | / |
Movie roles[]
| Year | Name | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | La hija de Moctezuma | La India Maria |
| 2004 | Huapango | Dance Teacher |
| 1999 | Las delicias del poder | Maria |
| 1993 | Se equivoco la cigueña | La India Maria |
| 1988 | Ni de aqui, ni de alla | La India Maria |
| 1984 | Ni Chana, ni Juana | Juana / Emilia Falcón |
| 1983 | El coyote emplumado | Maria |
| 1982 | ¡El que no corre... vuela! | Maria Nicolasa |
| 1981 | Okey, Mister Pancho | Nicolasa Cruz |
| 1978 | La comadrita | La India Maria |
| 1978 | Duro pero seguro | La India Maria |
| 1977 | Sor tequila | La India Maria |
| 1976 | El miedo no anda en burro | La India Maria |
| 1975 | La presidenta municipal | La India Maria |
| 1975 | El infierno tan temido | / |
| 1974 | La madrecita | La India Maria |
| 1974 | Algo es algo dijo el diablo | La India Maria |
| 1973 | Pobre, pero honrada! | La India Maria |
| 1972 | Tonta, tonta pero no tanto | La India Maria |
| 1968 | El bastardo | La India Maria |
| 1967 | Los tres mosqueteros de Dios | Girl in a Club |
| 1966 | Los endemoniados del ring | Singer |
| 1964 | El revólver sangriento | Pedro's Wife |
| 1963 | Los derechos de los hijos | Maria |
| 1963 | México de mis recuerdos | Petra |
| 1963 | El rey del tomate | Client |
| 1962 | Ruletero a toda marcha | Nurse |