Mexican actress Ana Luisa Peluffo, a key figure in the Golden Age of national cinema, died at 96 in her ranch in Tepatitlán de Morelos, Jalisco. Her family confirmed she passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, with intimate funeral services. Peluffo is remembered for her over 70-year career and for starring in the first nude scene in Mexican cinema in 1955.
Ana Luisa Peluffo, born Ana Luisa de Jesús Quintana Paz Peluffo on October 9, 1929, in Querétaro, Mexico, was a prominent actress from the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. Her career spanned over 70 years, featuring in more than 200 films and television productions. She debuted on the big screen in 1948 with the American film Tarzan and the Mermaids and soon entered national cinema with La venenosa in 1949. Throughout her career, she explored genres such as melodramas, comedies, and action films, as well as international productions. She also shone on television in popular telenovelas and series, receiving awards like the Diosa de Plata for her acting and career. Beyond acting, she ventured into dance and painting, and even directed the aquatic ballet at Club Deportivo Chapultepec in her youth.
One of the most remembered milestones in her career was her role in La fuerza del deseo (1955), directed by Miguel M. Delgado. In the film, she played Silvia, a model who sparks conflict between two friends, Ricardo (Abel Salazar) and a teacher (Armando Calvo). The movie is a drama exploring attraction and the protagonists' internal dilemmas.
Peluffo starred in the first nude scene in Mexican cinema, where Silvia poses topless for art students. The sequence, lasting just a few seconds, was filmed respectfully: as a static image, without movements or explicit close-ups, with defined frames, brief duration, and limited personnel on set. The technical team and actors covered her immediately after each take.
In an interview with Cristina Pacheco, Peluffo explained her decision: “I read the script, but I didn't take it too seriously until the moment I said: ‘Well, what do I do now? I can't back out’. Many people thought I was forced; maybe by my dad or mom. No, I decided it”. She added: “I didn't imagine that movie would open markets abroad and that it would truly be a bomb, because I was the first woman to really get naked in Mexican cinema”.
The scene sparked controversy upon release, with divided reactions. Journalists criticized her initially, but some apologized years later. The public admired her, sending poems and praising her bravery. Her family also criticized the decision at first but later validated it. Peluffo recounted: “I had three or four journalists who came to apologize to me after about 2 years, saying: ‘Well, we really behaved very badly’. They attacked me a lot and then became great friends of mine”.
The film's impact was significant: it opened foreign markets and helped break prejudices in Mexico. La fuerza del deseo remains a reference in mid-20th-century Mexican cinema for its narrative structure and formal care.
Peluffo's family confirmed her death in a statement: “She passed away in peace, at her ranch in Tepatitlán de Morelos, Jalisco, accompanied by her loved ones. In her last years, she lived serenely, surrounded by care and close to her son. The funeral services were held intimately and privately, in accordance with her wishes”. No details were provided on the circumstances of her death, but they thanked the expressions of affection and requested respect during this time.”},
