Angélica Espinoza Stransky (born 11 July 1953), known professionally as Angélica Aragón (Spanish pronunciation: [aŋˈxelika aɾaˈɣon]), is a Mexican film, television, and stage actress and singer. She is the daughter of Mexican composer José Ángel Espinoza ("Ferrusquilla"). Aragón is recognized for her performances in various Mexican films such as Cilantro y perejil (1997), Sexo, pudor y lágrimas (1999), and El crimen del Padre Amaro (2002), as well as in American productions like A Walk in the Clouds (1995) and Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2002). She is also well known for starring in two notable Mexican telenovelas: Vivir un poco (1985) and Mirada de mujer (1997).
Angelica Espinoza Stransky is the elder daughter of the Mexican actor and composer José Ángel Espinoza "Ferrusquilla" and Sonia Stransky. She had a younger sister named Vindia (deceased in 2008). On her mother's side, she has two half-siblings, Jacqueline and John. Her maternal grandfather, of Czech origin, was a soldier in the service of Emperor Franz Joseph of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and fought in the World War I. Her mother Sonia was the secretary of the musician Carlos Chávez. Her parents divorced when Angelica was three years old. She spent her childhood accompanying her father between television and film forums. Angelica lived with her mother and sister in a house in the Colonia del Valle of Mexico City, while also often living with her father.
Aragón wanted to study medicine. She studied at the Liceo Franco-Mexicano in Mexico City, where she met the Spanish actor Juan Ribó. Aragón joined the theatrical company led by Ribó, who was working on Federico García Lorca's works at the Teatro de la Alianza Francesa in Mexico City. In 1970, she also participated in a play by the director Antonio Pasi within the Festival Cervantino, in Guanajuato. With the support of her father, she played a small character in the telenovela El amor tiene cara de mujer in 1971, produced by Televisa and directed by German director Fernando Wagner. It was through Juan Ribó that Aragón met the actor, director and playwright Alejandro Jodorowsky, participating as an extra in the film La montaña sagrada (1973). Aragón took her artistic surname in tribute to her paternal grandmother, Fredesvinda Aragón, who died in childbirth at the age of 19.
A strike at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México led Aragón to emigrate to the United Kingdom. She studied theater, dance, and pantomime for seven years at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). Eventually, she also took courses at the London School of Contemporary Dance. Parallel to her theatrical training, Aragón also did other activities in London. She worked as a cook, performed in a hospital, and sold children's clothing at Harrods. She also enrolled at the University of London, where she studied the philosophy of India, history, and languages. Aragón speaks seven languages: Spanish, English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Bengali, and Japanese. As a theater student, Aragón also worked for five years as a room dresser at the National Theatre in London.
Aragón went to India with her then-husband Shajid. On the recommendation of a professor at the School of Contemporary Dance in London, Aragón was accepted into Kerala Kalamandalam, one of the most important ritual dance schools in South India. Although this institution accepted only male students, Aragón was able to receive training outside the institution's classrooms. In India, Aragón witnessed many works of the Kathakali theater and participated in some plays.
Returning to Mexico in 1980, Aragón joined the Mexican telenovelas of Televisa with the producer Valentín Pimstein, whom she met through the Greek director Dimitrio Sarrás. She started with a small role in the telenovela Sandra y Paulina (1980), starring Jacqueline Andere. In 1981 she acted in the telenovela El hogar que yo robé, with Angélica María. In 1982, she played the female antagonist role in the telenovela Vanessa, alongside Lucía Méndez. In 1983, she co-starred with Lucero in the popular children's telenovela Chispita. In 1984, she made two more telenovelas: La fiera, alongside Victoria Ruffo, and Principessa, a telenovela that ended shortly after she was offered her first leading role.
In 1985, Valentín Pimstein gave Aragón the starring role of the telenovela Vivir un poco, the first Mexican version of the Chilean telenovela La madrastra, by writer Arturo Moya Grau. In that telenovela, Aragón gave life to the persona of Andrea, a woman unjustly accused of murder and imprisoned for twenty years in Argentina. The telenovela gained a large following and it gave Aragón one of the most outstanding successes of her career.
In 1986, the producer and director Carlos Téllez offered Aragón the starring role in the hit telenovela Cuna de lobos, but she rejected it, being replaced by Diana Bracho. Aragón's increasing presence in movies caused her not to return to television until 1989, in La casa al final de la calle, a suspense and mystery telenovela co-starred by Héctor Bonilla and Leticia Calderón. The telenovela was produced by Juan Osorio and directed by Jorge Fons.
In 1990, Aragón starred in the telenovela Días sin luna alongside Sergio Goyri, where she interpreted a painter with a terminal illness. She also made a special appearance in the telenovela En carne propia, produced by Carlos Téllez, starring alongside Edith González and Gonzalo Vega.
In 1992, Aragón was invited to act as director of dialogue in the telenovela Madres egoístas, produced by Juan Osorio. In that same year, she played "Chole", an indigenous Zapotec woman in the telenovela De frente al sol, produced by Carla Estrada, costarring with the actress María Sorté. The telenovela was so successful, that in 1993 a sequel titled Más allá del puente was produced.
In 1996, Aragón appeared in the telenovela Cañaveral de pasiones, produced by Humberto Zurita and Christian Bach, and starring Daniela Castro and Juan Soler. In this telenovela, Aragón had her first opportunity to direct in television as a guest scene director. This would be the last telenovela performed to date by Aragón on Televisa.
In 1997, the company Argos Comunicación offered Aragón the starring role in the telenovela Mirada de mujer, a Mexican adaptation of the Colombian novel Señora Isabel by Bernardo Romero Pereiro. The telenovela was produced by TV Azteca. The story of María Inés Domínguez, a mature woman in love with a younger man, brought Aragón the greatest success of her television career in a telenovela that breaks contemporary stereotypes in Mexico. Aragón starred alongside Ari Telch, Fernando Luján, Margarita Gralia, Evangelina Elizondo, and an important cast of supporting actors.
After the success of Mirada de mujer, Aragón made only sporadic appearances on television, returning with a starring role in 2000 in the telenovela Todo por amor, a Mexican version of the Colombian telenovela La madre. In 2003, she returned to television for the sequel to Mirada de mujer: Mirada de mujer, el regreso. Although the telenovela had a good audience, it did not overtake the success of the first part. In 2005, Aragón appeared in her last significant television role in the miniseries Ni una vez más, about violence against women. She also directed some episodes of the TV Azteca program Lo que callamos las mujeres. It was not until 2011 that Aragón returned to television with a small role in the television series A corazón abierto, the Mexican version of the American series Gray's Anatomy.
In 1984, Aragón made her debut in films in The Evil That Men Do with Charles Bronson, produced by Pancho Kohner (son of Mexican actress Lupita Tovar) and J. Lee Thompson. This was followed by three other Hollywood productions: Toy Soldiers (1984), by David Fisher, alongside Jason Miller and Tim Robbins; Samson and Delilah (1984), made for television, alongside Max von Sydow and Victor Mature, and Dune (1984), by David Lynch, alongside Silvana Mangano, Jose Ferrer, and singer Sting, among others. Due to her participation in a Mexican telenovela, Aragón had to decline the actor and director Robert Redford's invitation to co-star with him in the film The Milagro Beanfield War. Her role was taken by the Brazilian actress Sonia Braga.