Katy Jurado was an iconic Mexican-born actress who is credited by many with “planting the Mexican flag in the US film industry. Armed with stunning beauty and a vibrant personality, Jurado had a knack for portraying villainous “femme fatale” characters in Mexican films. After she went to Hollywood, the iconic actress effectively destroyed the cliché that Latino women in American films could only be cast as sex casts.
Jurado made her Hollywood film debut in 1951 with the film The Bullfighter and the Lady, after which she appeared in several western films, including High Noon (1952), Arrowhead (1953), Broken Lance (1954), One-Eyed Jacks (1960) and others. Katy Jurado was the first Latin American actress to be nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in “Broken Lance” and she was also the first to receive the Golden Globe Award for her work in “High Noon”. In 1992, Jurado was honored with a Golden Boot Award for her outstanding contributions to the genre of Western film.
Who is Katy Jurado?
María Cristina Estela Marcela Marcela Jurado García, better known as Katy Jurado, was born on 16 January 1924. Her father Luis Jurado Ochoa was a lawyer, her mother Vicenta Estela García de la Garza was a singer. She grew up alongside the brothers Luis Raúl and Óscar Sergio. Her godfather Pedro Armendáriz was also an actor but Katy Jurado’s parents didn’t support her acting career at first.
Jurado already got film roles as a teenager, but her family continued to reject this. To escape her control she got married to Víctor Velázquez who was also an aspiring actor. She made her film debut quickly in the drama No matarás in 1943 after which she took the Mexican film industry by storm. The talented actress worked equally as a film critic, radio reporter, and bullfighting analyst to support her family.
ALSO READ: Mike Pompeo Bio, Wife, Family, Height, Religion, Other Facts
In 1951, Katy Jurado was discovered during a bullfighting assignment at a bullfighting event by American filmmaker Budd Boetticher, who quickly cast her in the film Bullfighter and the Lady (1951). Jurado’s poor English hindered her performance in the film, but her strong screen personality brought her to the attention of Hollywood. Determined to succeed, Jurado began taking English lessons to overcome the obstacle. Her next film was the classic Western High Noon (1952), which won her the Golden Globe Award for supporting actress. She also received the 2nd nomination for the new star of the year – actress. While her Hollywood career flourished, Katy Jurado also remained active in the Mexican film scene.
For her role as Señora Devereaux in the western film Broken Lance from 1954, the producers were initially skeptical about giving the role to Katy Jurado because of her relatively young age. However, the iconic actress exceeded all expectations when she earned an Oscar nomination for the role. Jurado also appeared on Broadway and has also starred in many television series. Her Hollywood career ran at full speed for several years until she returned to her native Mexico in 1968. The iconic Mexican actress continued to move between Mexico and Hollywood until she appeared in her last living year, 2002, in her last film Un Secreto de Esperanza.
Who was her Spouse?
Katy Jurado was involved in 2 marriages during her lifetime. Her first husband was her Mexican actor colleague Victor Velázquez. According to reports, this marriage was mainly entered into by Jurado because she wanted to escape the control of her parents, who were against her acting career. There are different reports about the exact year in which they entered into the marriage, but they are said to have remained married for 4 years. Jurado and Velázquez had 2 children together; son Victor Hugo and daughter Sandra.
A few years after their first marriage, Katy Jurado had a second and last chance to marry. In 1954 Jurado met the American-born actor Ernest Borgnine, who was in Mexico for the shooting of the movie Vera Cruz. According to the beautiful actress, Ernest Borgnine courted her persistently for two years, followed by another two years of courtship between the two. On New Year’s Eve 1959 the couple finally made the marriage bond. However, the marriage broke up after only 4 years when the couple got divorced in 1963.
Katy Jurado’s Relationship Timeline
Apart from her well-known marriages, the phenomenal Mexican actress has also been involved in several other relationships within the industry. She had her earlier relationships with the American filmmaker Budd Boetticher from whom she got her first film role. Jurado is also said to have dated the late American actor Tyrone Power, who was a true Hollywood star at the time.
ALSO READ: Alice Cooper Wife, Real Name, Family, Height, Net Worth
Later in her career, Katy Jurado also had a love affair with the American actor and filmmaker Marlon Brando. The duo met in 1952, but it is unclear when they officially became a couple, as they continued to deny having had an affair. Their relationship lasted several years and culminated in their joint leading role in the film One-Eyed Jacks (1961).
Katy Jurado was also associated with several other Hollywood greats, including John Wayne, Burt Lancaster, Sam Peckinpah, Frank Sinatra, Alan Ladd, and Sammy Davis Jr. Ironically, of the many men with whom Katy Jurado was associated during her lifetime, none of them really had her heart. According to the iconic Mexican actress, her only true love was the late American writer and poet Louis L’Amour. It is unclear whether the two of them actually had a relationship. However, the actress claims that L’Amour sent her numerous love letters even from his deathbed.
