Rosa María Almirall Martínez (25 June 1954 – 15 February 2012), known by the stage name Lina Romay, was a Spanish actress and filmmaker. She often appeared in films directed by her long-time companion, and later husband, Jesús Franco. She appeared in approximately 109 Franco films made over a 30-year period, from 1973 to 2010. She sometimes used the pseudonyms Candy Coster and Lulu Laverne.
Early life Romay was born Rosa María Almirall Martínez in Barcelona on June 25, 1954. She attended high school at Lope de Vega between 1964 to 1970. After graduating high school, she enrolled in the Massana Art School, where she met and married actor/photographer Ramon Ardid (aka Raymond Hardy). She began acting in amateur stage productions.
Romay first met Franco when he and a friend came to see her troupe's performance of Terra Baixa. After the play ended, Franco offered her a role in one of his films. Her husband at the time, Ramon Ardid, was working for Franco as a still photographer. Her first film with Franco was Relax Baby, but the movie was never released.
Career She began appearing in Jesús Franco's films when they met in 1972, adopting the stage name Lina Romay after an actress and jazz artist from the 1940s. She also used the stage names, Candy Coster and Lulu Laverne, stating, "I'm Lina Romay when I have brown hair, Candy Coster when I have blonde hair, and Lulu Laveme when I have red hair." Franco cast her in her first lead role in his 1973 film The Female Vampire.
She acted in over a hundred feature films, most directed by Franco. A self-confessed exhibitionist, the majority of their films together were in the erotic film genre (including many X titles featuring unsimulated sex scenes; she had unsimulated sex with Franco in one of this movies),Ward, Glenn: Journeys into Perversion: Vision, Desire and Economies of Transgression in the Films of Jess Franco. University of Sussex, May 2011. p. 200.FRANCO McBastard's Mausoleum: FEBRUARY! THE SADIST OF NOTRE DAME (1979) but she also appeared in many of his horror, comedy, and action/adventure films as well. Among the better known of her horror films are The Bare Breasted Countess (1973), Barbed Wire Dolls (1975) and Jack the Ripper (1976). Ardid co-starred with her in several of Franco's films until he realized she was having an affair with him in 1975. The divorce of Romay and Ardid was finalized in 1978, and Ardid stopped working with Franco after 1980.
Although Romay was listed in the credits of several of Franco's films as a co-director, actor Antonio Mayans stated in a 2019 interview that Franco used to credit her in that manner for business reasons, and that she never actually co-directed any of the films. However, she contributed occasional plot ideas and assisted in the editing room.
Personal life and death Romay was a polyglot, speaking Spanish, Catalan, French, Portuguese, Italian, and English.
Lina Romay and Jesús Franco lived as a couple for almost four decades but only officially married on 25 April 2008.Jess Franco and Lina Romay Interview About Soledad Miranda She died from cancer at the age of 57 on 15 February 2012 in Málaga, Spain. Franco died a little over a year later, in April 2013.
Selected filmography Feature films
+ Film performances Year Title Role Notes1973Esmeralda, the gypsy1974How to Seduce a Virgin Davey's girlfriend1974 Yuka, the priestess1974 ExorcismAnna1974 Lorna the ExorcistLinda Barielle1974 Countess Perverse Sylvia Aguado1974 Night of the SkullRita Derian, Lord Marian's daughter1974 Célestine, An All Round Maid Célestine 1974 Loulou1975 Female VampireIrina, Countess of Karlstein1975 Bianca1975 Les ChatouilleusesLoulou1975 Pina1975 Olivia RadeckCalled Olivia Steiner in the French prints1975 Barbed Wire DollsMaria da Guerra, prisoner1975 Marie1976 Julietta 69Justine1976 Midnight PartySylvia Sanders, a stripperCharacter named Laura in the Spanish version1976 DowntownCynthia Ramos' aka "Annette"; stage name ‘Cynthia La Belle”1976 Jack the RipperMarika Hoffman1976 Lady Doriana Gray and her twin sister1977 Ilsa the Wicked WardenJuana Marez, prisoner no. 101977 Women Behind BarsShirley Fields, Perry Mendoza’s love1977 Madame, Princess Arminda1977 Kiss Me KillerMoira Ray, a stripper1978 Wicked WomanMargerita Martin1978 Tender and Perverse EmanuelleGreta Douglas, Gordon's sister1978 Adéle1979 Elles font toutNini la fesse, a porno star1980 Sinfonia EróticaMartine De BressacCredited as Candice Coster1980 Opalo de fuego (Mercaderes del sexo)Cécile Le PenCredited as Candy Coster1981 Eugénie Historia de una perversionSultana aka Princess Irina Von KarlsteinCredited as Candy Coster1981 Aberraciones sexuales de una mujer casadaGeorge's Mother1981 Lia, Hans's seductress1981 Anne1981 Pick-up GirlsBijouCharacters name is "Pussy" in UK prints.1981 Anna/Diana, Jeremy’s nurseCredited as Candy Coster1981 Marcia/Ms. Fonseca/ CookieCredited as Candy Coster1982 Moira1982 Botas negras, látigo de cueroLina DanielCredited as Candy Coster1982 Macumba SexualAlice BrooksCredited as Candy Coster1983 Eva BombónCredited as Candy Coster1983 La casa de las mujeres perdidasDesdemona PontecorvoCredited as Candy Coster1983 Maria, Usher's housekeeper and mistress1983 Confesiones íntimas de una exhibicionista Candy aka 'Velvet Tongue'Credited as Candy Coster1983 Gemidos de placerJulia1983 Night Has a Thousand DesiresIrina1983 Mansion of the Living DeadCandyCredited as Candy Coster1983Diamonds of KilamandjaroHermione De Winter, Diana's mother1983 Kurt's wife1983 Camino solitarioEva Raden/Adriana EstebaCredited as Candy Coster1984 Ana1984 Lilian (la virgen pervertida)Irina, nightclub ownerCredited as Candy Coster1984 Agent 69/89?Credited as Lulu La Verne1985 Lulu, a porn starCredited as Lulu Laverne1985 LulúCredited as Lulú Laverne1985 Entre pitos anda el juegoCandyCredited as Candy Coster1985 LulúCredited as Lulú Laverne1986 The exhibitionistCredited as Lulu Laverne1986Para las nenas... leche calentitaChelo CucufateCredited as Lulu Laverne1986Furia en el trópicoMarga Lopez1986 LuluCredited as Lulu Laverne1986 Sangre en mis zapatosPaquita la FinaCredited as Candy Coster1986 Sola ante el terrorMelissa CalvoCredited as Candy Coster1987 PhollastiaBarbara Carrington1988 FacelessMme. Orloff1988 Phalo crestMaggie ChanningCredited as Brenda Haven1995Downtown HeatMelissa1996Mari1998Tender FleshGorgona Radek2001 Lust for FrankensteinMoira Frankenstein2001 Mari-Cookie and the Killer Tarantula in 8 Legs to Love YouMari-Cookie/Tarantula2002Dr. Wong's Virtual HellNelly Smith & Tsai MingCredited as Candice Coster2002Vampire BluesMarga, a Gypsy Fortune-teller2002Red SilkTinaCredited as Lulu Laverne2002Blind TargetTora2002 Vampire JunctionAlice Brown2002 IncubusRosa Harker2002 Killer Barbys vs. DraculaComrade Irina von Karstein2002 Kárate a muerte en TorremolinosUnknown acting role2004Broken DollsTona Martin2004Helter SkelterMadame Champville2005 The voyeur's ex girlfriend2005 Flores de perversiónMadame Augustina Villeblanche2005 SnakewomanDr. Van Helsing2008 Voice-over2011 Paula-paulaAlmaRolls Royce BabyLove Letters of a NunGenara Winston, aka ButterflyBahia blancaMariaCecilia MuroAlso an assistant director as R.M. AlmirallEsclavas del crimenTsai Chin, Fu Manchu's daughterEsmeralda BayLoletta, brothel madamAlso the film editor, credited as Rosy AlmirallRossa venezia
+ Film credits Title Shooting Years Release Year Credited as Notes Assistant director WriterEditor OtherCamino solitario19831983Credited as Rosa M. AlmiralUna rajita para dos19831984Credited as Aldo PajiniUn pito para tres1983-19841985Uncredited19841984Credited as Rosa Almirall19851985Credited as Candy CosterEntre pitos anda el juego19851985Credited as Lulu Laverne19851985Credited as Lulu Laverne19851986Credited as Lulu LavernePara las nenas... leche calentita19851986Credited as Candy Coster1982-19841986Credited as Candy Coster1982-19841987Credited as Candy CosterViaje a Bangkok, ataúd includido 19841987Credited as Rosa Ma. AlmirallPhollastia19871987Credited as L.L. LavernePhalo Crest19871988Credited as Preston QuaidDark Mission19871988Credited as Rosa M. AlmirallKiller Barbys19961996Also credited as script supervisor. Credited as Rosa Ma. AlmirallTender Flesh19961998Credited as Rosa María AlmirallIncubus19992004Credited as the 1st assistant directorBlind Target20002002Credited as the "blood-wrangler".Helter Skelter20002004Credited as the 1st assistant director as Rosa AlmirallVampire Junction20012002Credited as the 1st assistant directorIncubus20022002Credited as the 1st assistant director 20022005Credited as the 1st assistant director as Rosa AlmirallFlores de perversión 20022005Credited as the 1st assistant director as Rosa AlmirallSnakewoman 20052005Credited as Rosa Amirall 2007-20082008Credited as the art director, make-up, and second-unit directorPaula-paula20092011Credited for story, dialogue and make-up as Rosa Maria Almirall1984Credited as R.M. AlmirallEsmeralda Bay1988Credited as Rosy Almirall
+ Short films Title Shooting Year Release Year Credited as Notes Director Screenwriter1982 Credited as Rosa M. Almiral1982 Credited as Rosa M. Almiral
References
Sources
External links
Mexican horror film index