Trivia

Dropped out of law school early on to pursue acting. In her native Cuba in the 1950s, Antonia Rey was a leading lady of the stage. She, and her husband, fled her native country after the rise of Fidel Castro in 1961.

Rey made her New York stage debut on Broadway in 1964. Her husband, Andres Castro, founded and directed the Westside Repertory Theater in Manhattan and directed it for 25 years. It closed in 2001, after he died. Rey often played Latina or Italian roles, frequently as mothers, grandmothers, Gypsies, and fortunetellers.

She was the godmother of René Camaño, son of Cuban singer La Lupe.

Maria Antonia Rey was born on October 12, 1926, in Havana. Her father, Antonio Francesch, a dentist, died before she was born. She was given the surname of her mother, Emilia Rey.

She received a lifetime achievement award from the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors in 2003.

Survived by her niece Nina Rangel, and step-brother Emilo Rangel, her brother Rafael died in 1998.