Ofelia Medina

Ofelia Medina is basically a legend in the Mexican arts scene—she does it all: acting, dancing, singing, writing, activism, you name it. Born in Mérida, Yucatán (back when people still called it Thor, wild right?), she moved to Mexico City pretty young and dove headfirst into dance at the Academia de la Danza Mexicana. She didn’t just study there; she actually graduated ready to both perform and teach classic, regional, and contemporary dance. By 11, she was already running with Alejandro Jodorowsky’s pantomime kids’ group—yeah, that Jodorowsky—doing these weird, fleeting shows called “Efímeros.” Fast forward to 1977, she packs her bags for LA to train at the Lee Strasberg Institute. But honestly, her film career was already rolling since ’68. She’s racked up over 75 movies and TV gigs, but if you’ve seen her anywhere, it’s probably as Frida Kahlo in “Frida, naturaleza viva” (1983), directed by Paul Leduc. That role totally cemented her as an icon. Off screen, Ofelia’s actually walked the talk—she’s been deep in student and human rights activism, even co-founding the first Mexican org defending Indigenous rights, the Comité de Solidaridad con grupos étnicos marginados. And apparently, she’s not done. She’s got her eye on directing now, planning this film called “Tortilla,” which she wants to be raw—think Dogma, think Cine Pobre. She’s pretty much a force of nature—no signs of slowing down.