Mexican actress María Eugenia Ríos passed away this Thursday at the age of 88, as reported by her son, actor Andrés Bonfiglio, on his social media, with the cause of death currently unknown: “I sincerely appreciate your prayers; however, my mommy chose to leave us ten minutes ago to reunite with my beloved daddy. May they live happily in eternity,” he wrote on his Facebook account, where he is also a director and singer. Just on Tuesday, July 30, Bonfiglio had asked his followers to pray for his mother’s delicate health.
With her brilliant career, María Eugenia Ríos became a reference in acting in Mexico. Although she studied to become a bilingual secretary, she knew she was destined to shine on stage and in front of the spotlight. She studied acting at the Andrés Soler Academy and soon paved her way in theater, film, and telenovelas. She made her debut in 1954 on the country’s most important stage: the Palacio de Bellas Artes in a play by American playwright Arthur Miller.
The actress appeared in numerous films of Mexican cinema such as The Life of Chucho el Roto, But I Continue to Be the King, The Zodiac Signs, among others. And in the so-called small screen, in Mexican telenovelas, she participated in iconic shows like Rubí, María Mercedes, Carita de Ángel, Pablo and Elena and The Shadow of Sin, just to mention a few of the most relevant productions.
One of Ríos’ most notable facets was her philanthropic work. She dedicated years of her life to the Children’s Stay of the National Association of Actors (ANDA), an organization created in the 1970s by Dolores del Río to support actresses who had to work while raising their young children. She also participated in the women’s committee of the same association.
María Eugenia Ríos died just a few days before her 89th birthday. The actress was born on August 4, 1935, in Mexico City and was married to actor Óscar Morelli, who passed away in 2005, with whom she had four children. In 2014, she ended her half-century artistic career with her participation in the play Madame Curie, which paid tribute to her career.
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