The Most Famous

ACTORS from Mexico

This page contains a list of the greatest Mexican Actors. The pantheon dataset contains 13,578 Actors, 163 of which were born in Mexico. This makes Mexico the birth place of the 13th most number of Actors behind Spain, and Australia.

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Mexican Actors of all time. This list of famous Mexican Actors is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Mexican Actors.

1. Anthony Quinn (1915 - 2001)

With an HPI of 79.24, Anthony Quinn is the most famous Mexican Actor. His biography has been translated into 78 different languages on wikipedia.

Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known as Anthony Quinn, was an American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental virility" in over 100 film, television and stage roles between 1936 and 2002. He was a two-time Academy Award winner, and was also nominated for five Golden Globe Awards, two BAFTA Awards and a Tony Award. Quinn was born in Chihuahua City, Mexico, and was raised in El Paso, Texas and East Los Angeles. After stints as a boxer and an architect, he made his film debut in the Cecil B. DeMille Western The Plainsman in 1936. Initially typecast as a "heavy" and playing other minor parts as well, he was gradually cast in more substantial parts, including co-starring roles in Blood and Sand (1941) and The Ox-Bow Incident (1943). He won his first Oscar, for Best Supporting Actor, for his portrayal of Eufemio Zapata in Viva Zapata! (1952), becoming the first Mexican-born performer to win an Academy Award. He received his second Oscar in 1957 for Lust for Life. He would be nominated for Best Actor twice more, for his roles in Wild is the Wind (1958) and Zorba the Greek (1964). His other notable films included La Strada (1954), The Guns of Navarone (1961), Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Guns for San Sebastian (1968), The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968), Across 110th Street (1972), The Message (1976), Lion of the Desert (1980), Jungle Fever (1991) and Seven Servants (1996). He also starred in the Broadway plays A Streetcar Named Desire (replacing Marlon Brando), Becket (earning a Tony nomination for Best Actor in a Play), and Zorba (reprising his film role). Aside from his acting career, Quinn was also a civil rights activist, an avid painter, and the author of several autobiographical books. In 1987, he was presented with the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award. Through both his artistic endeavors and activism, he is considered a seminal figure of Latin-American representation in the media of the United States.

2. Salma Hayek (b. 1966)

With an HPI of 71.47, Salma Hayek is the 2nd most famous Mexican Actor. Her biography has been translated into 88 different languages.

Salma Valgarma Hayek Pinault ( HY-ek, Spanish: [ˈsalma ˈxaʝek]; née Hayek Jiménez; born September 2, 1966) is a Mexican and American actress and film producer. She began her career in Mexico with starring roles in the telenovela Teresa (1989–1991) as well as the romantic drama Midaq Alley (1995). She soon established herself in Hollywood with appearances in films such as Desperado (1995), From Dusk till Dawn (1996), Wild Wild West (1999), and Dogma (1999). Hayek's portrayal of painter Frida Kahlo in the biopic Frida (2002), which she also produced, made her the first Mexican actress to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. In subsequent years, Hayek focused more on producing while starring in the action-centered pictures Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), After the Sunset (2004) and Bandidas (2006). She achieved further commercial success with the comedies Grown Ups (2010), Grown Ups 2 (2013) and The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017), and lent her voice for the animated Puss in Boots (2011), Sausage Party (2016) and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022). She also earned critical acclaim for her performances in the dramas Tale of Tales (2015), Beatriz at Dinner (2017) and House of Gucci (2021). She played Ajak in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Eternals (2021), which emerged as her highest-grossing live action film. Hayek's directing, producing and acting work on television has earned her four Emmy Awards nominations. She won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing in a Children Special for The Maldonado Miracle (2004) and received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations, one for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series and the other for Outstanding Comedy Series, for her work on the ABC television comedy-drama Ugly Betty (2006–2010). She also produced and played Minerva Mirabal in the Showtime film In the Time of the Butterflies (2001) and guest-starred on the NBC comedy series 30 Rock (2009–2013). As a public figure, Hayek has been cited as one of Hollywood's most powerful and influential Latina actresses as well as one of the world's most beautiful women by various media outlets. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2023. In 2021, she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She is married to business magnate François-Henri Pinault, with whom she has a daughter.

3. Ramon Novarro (1899 - 1968)

With an HPI of 67.46, Ramon Novarro is the 3rd most famous Mexican Actor. His biography has been translated into 31 different languages.

Ramón Gil Samaniego (February 6, 1899 – October 30, 1968), known professionally as Ramon Novarro, was a Mexican actor. He began his career in American silent films in 1917 and eventually became a leading man and one of the top box-office attractions of the 1920s and early '30s. Novarro was promoted by MGM as a "Latin lover" and became known as a sex symbol after the death of Rudolph Valentino. He is recognized as the first Latin American actor to succeed in Hollywood.

4. Silvia Pinal (1931 - 2024)

With an HPI of 66.60, Silvia Pinal is the 4th most famous Mexican Actor. Her biography has been translated into 32 different languages.

Silvia Pinal Hidalgo (12 September 1931 – 28 November 2024) was a Mexican actress. She began her career in theatre before venturing into cinema in 1949. She became one of the greatest female stars of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema and, with her performance in Shark! (1969), part of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Her work in film and popularity in her native country led Pinal to work in Europe, particularly in Spain and Italy. Pinal achieved international recognition by starring in a trilogy of films directed by Luis Buñuel: Viridiana (1961), The Exterminating Angel (1962) and Simon of the Desert (1965). In addition to her film career, Pinal pioneered musical theatre in Mexico, had a successful career in television, and held a series of public roles and political offices, including First Lady of Tlaxcala in the 1980s and elected terms in the Chamber of Deputies, the Assembly of Representatives of the Federal District, and the Senate of the Republic. She was considered "the last diva" of the Golden Age of Mexican film.

5. Dolores del Río (1905 - 1983)

With an HPI of 66.29, Dolores del Río is the 5th most famous Mexican Actor. Her biography has been translated into 48 different languages.

María de los Dolores Asúnsolo y López Negrete (3 August 1904 – 11 April 1983), known professionally as Dolores del Río (Spanish pronunciation: [doˈloɾes del ˈri.o]), was a Mexican actress. With a career spanning more than 50 years, she is regarded as the first major female Latin American crossover star in Hollywood. Along with a notable career in American cinema during the 1920s and 1930s, she was also considered one of the most important female figures in the Golden Age of Mexican cinema, and one of the most beautiful actresses of her era. After being discovered in Mexico, she began her film career in Hollywood in 1925. She had roles in a string of successful films, including Resurrection (1927), Ramona (1928) and Evangeline (1929). Del Río came to be considered a sort of feminine version of Rudolph Valentino, a ‘female Latin Lover’, in her years during the American silent era. With the advent of sound, she acted in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to musical comedies and romantic dramas. Her most successful films of that decade include Bird of Paradise (1932), Flying Down to Rio (1933) and Madame Du Barry (1934). In the early 1940s, when her Hollywood career began to decline, Del Río returned to Mexico and joined the Mexican film industry, which at that time was at its peak, during the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema. When Del Río returned to her native country, she became one of the more important stars of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. A series of Mexican films starring Del Rio are considered classic masterpieces and helped boost Mexican cinema worldwide. Of them stands out the critically acclaimed María Candelaria (1943). Del Río remained active mainly in Mexican films throughout the 1950s. In 1960 she returned to Hollywood. During the next years she appeared in Mexican and American films. From the late 1950s until the early 1970s she also successfully ventured into theater in Mexico and appeared in some American TV series. Del Río is considered a quintessential representation of the female face of Mexico in the world.

6. Verónica Castro (b. 1952)

With an HPI of 63.45, Verónica Castro is the 6th most famous Mexican Actor. Her biography has been translated into 30 different languages.

Verónica Judith Sáinz Castro (Spanish pronunciation: [beˈɾonika ˈkastɾo]; born 19 October 1952) is a Mexican actress and television personality. She began her career in the late 1960s with roles in film and television before rising to prominence as the star of the telenovela Los ricos también lloran (1979), a success that established her as one of the leading figures of the genre. Throughout the 1980s, she continued to build her fame with El derecho de nacer (1981), Rosa salvaje (1987), and Mi pequeña Soledad (1990), the latter of which she also produced. Castro also achieved popularity as a talk show host, leading the late-night programs Mala noche… ¡no! (1988) and La movida (1991), both of which earned high ratings. She later expanded into reality television as the host of Big Brother VIP in the 2000s, another major ratings success. After a period of reduced on-screen activity, she returned to mainstream visibility with the Netflix series La casa de las flores (2018). Her accolades include eight TVyNovelas Awards (including two lifetime achievement awards) and the 2005 Spanish Emmy Award for her impact on Latin American television. She is the mother of singer Cristian Castro.

7. Chespirito (1929 - 2014)

With an HPI of 63.23, Chespirito is the 7th most famous Mexican Actor. His biography has been translated into 24 different languages.

Roberto Mario Gómez y Bolaños (21 February 1929 – 28 November 2014), more commonly known by his stage name Chespirito, or "Little Shakespeare", was a Mexican actor, comedian, screenwriter, humorist, director, producer, and author. He is widely regarded as one of the icons of Spanish-speaking humor and entertainment and one of the greatest comedians of all time. He is also one of the most loved and respected comedians in Latin America. He is mostly known by his acting role Chavo from the sitcom El Chavo del Ocho. He is recognized all over the planet for writing, directing, and starring in the Chespirito (1970–1973, 1980–1995), El Chavo del Ocho (1973–1980), and El Chapulín Colorado (1973–1979) television series. The character of El Chavo is one of the most iconic in the history of Latin American television, and El Chavo del Ocho continues to be immensely popular, with daily worldwide viewership averaging 91 million viewers as of 2014.

8. Laura Harring (b. 1964)

With an HPI of 62.89, Laura Harring is the 8th most famous Mexican Actor. Her biography has been translated into 36 different languages.

Laura Elena Harring (née Herring Martínez, formerly Gräfin von Bismarck-Schönhausen; born March 3, 1964) is an American actress and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss USA 1985 and later began acting in television and film. She is best known for her lead role as Rita in the 2001 movie Mulholland Drive. Her other films include The Forbidden Dance (1990), John Q (2002), Willard (2003), The Punisher (2004), The King (2005), Love in the Time of Cholera (2007), Ghost Son (2007), The Caller (2008), Drool (2009), Sex Ed (2014), and Inside (2016). She also played Carla Greco in General Hospital (1990–1991), Paula Stevens on Sunset Beach (1997), and Rebecca "Becca" Doyle in The Shield (2006).

9. Sara Ramirez (b. 1975)

With an HPI of 62.68, Sara Ramirez is the 9th most famous Mexican Actor. Her biography has been translated into 36 different languages.

Sara Elena Ramírez Vargas (Spanish: [ˈsaɾa eˈlena raˈmiɾes ˈbaɾɣas]; born August 31, 1975) is an American actor, singer and activist. Born in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Ramírez moved from Mexico to the United States at eight years old, eventually graduating with a fine arts degree from the Juilliard School. Ramírez began acting in Broadway productions, making their debut in Paul Simon's The Capeman, and later ventured into film and television roles. Ramírez's breakthrough came with their portrayal of the original Lady of the Lake in the 2005 Broadway musical Spamalot, winning the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. On Grey's Anatomy, they portrayed Dr. Callie Torres, one of the longest-running LGBT characters in US television history, appearing in 11 seasons and 239 episodes. Ramírez's volunteered addition of the character's bisexuality marked one of the earliest series regular queer roles on primetime television. After departing from the series, Ramírez came out as bisexual and later non-binary, using they/them pronouns. They later portrayed the bisexual and non-binary roles of Kat Sandoval on Madam Secretary and Che Díaz on And Just Like That.... Ramírez debuted as a voice actor in the 1999 PlayStation video game Um Jammer Lammy, where they voiced its title character Lammy in a spin-off to PaRappa The Rapper. They also voiced Queen Miranda in the Disney Junior animated series Sofia the First (2012–2018). Ramírez released their first single "Silent Night" in 2009. Their self-titled EP debuted at number 37 on the Billboard 200 in 2011. Ramírez's extensive campaigns for LGBT rights won the Ally for Equality Award from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation in 2015. In addition to the Tony Award, Ramírez has also been the recipient of a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Satellite Award, among other accolades.

10. Edith González (1964 - 2019)

With an HPI of 62.33, Edith González is the 10th most famous Mexican Actor. Her biography has been translated into 42 different languages.

Edith González Fuentes (Spanish pronunciation: [eˈðit gonˈsales]; 10 December 1964 – 13 June 2019) was a Mexican actress, regarded as a blonde bombshell and one of the most beautiful actresses in Mexican cinema. She is best remembered for working on multiple telenovelas produced by three different multimedia companies, which included Televisa, TV Azteca and Telemundo. González made her acting debut on the telenovela produced by Televisa Cosa juzgada in 1970. She would later start a prominent career on multiple telenovelas produced by the same company, with her most famous works including Los ricos también lloran (1979–1980), Bianca Vidal (1982–1983), Corazón salvaje (1993–1994), Salomé (2001–2002), Mundo de fieras (2006–2007), Palabra de mujer (2007–2008) and Camaleones (2009–2010). In 2011, she moved to TV Azteca, the second best-known multimedia company in Mexico, where she starred in the telenovelas Cielo rojo (2011–2012), Vivir a destiempo (2013) and Las Bravo (2014–2015). She also starred in the telenovelas produced by Telemundo Doña Bárbara (2008–2009) and Eva la Trailera in 2016, with the latter being her last leading acting role. Her last televised work was in 2019 as judge on the fashion program produced by TV Azteca, Este es mi estilo. In film, she made her debut in the television film Un cuento de Navidad (1974). Beginning in films, she had little roles as an uncredited or extra actress in movies such as Alucarda, la hija de las tinieblas (1977), Cyclone (1978) and Guyana: Crime of the Century (1979). Continuing her career in films her most famous works included Trampa Infernal (1989), Salón México (1996), Señorita Justice (2004), Poquita Ropa (2011) and Deseo (2013). As well as being actress of television and films, she also participated on plays such as Aventurera (theatrical adaptation of the film with the same name) produced by Carmen Salinas. For her work as an actress in films and telenovelas, she was nominated and awarded with prizes such as the Diosas de Plata and Heraldo de México.

People

Pantheon has 164 people classified as Mexican actors born between 1895 and 2003. Of these 164, 127 (77.44%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Mexican actors include Salma Hayek, Verónica Castro, and Laura Harring. The most famous deceased Mexican actors include Anthony Quinn, Ramon Novarro, and Silvia Pinal. As of April 2024, 24 new Mexican actors have been added to Pantheon including Arturo Peniche, Michael Ronda, and Eduardo Yáñez.