Anita Linda, considered by many to be the country’s oldest active actor, died at the age of 95 early Wednesday morning.
Her death was announced by director Adolf B. Alix, Jr. via a Facebook post and was subsequently confirmed via text message from Ms. Linda’s daughter, Francesca Legaspi, to The Philippine Star.
“She passed away this morning at home. [She had] difficulty breathing,” Ms. Legaspi said in the text message.
Mr. Alix, who worked with the actress in the films Adela (2008) and Circa (2019) mourned her passing by posting, “This is a very sad day for me. I am trembling as I am gathering my thoughts.”
He added that Ms. Linda was like a grandmother to him.
Anita Linda (real name: Alice Buenaflor Lake) was born on Nov. 23, 1924 in Pasay City. Her father was an American mining engineer and her mother hailed from Iloilo.
Her acting career started shortly before the Second World War when she was called backstage by director Lamberto V. Avellana after he saw her watching a show at the Avenue Theater in Manila. Mr. Avellana asked if she wanted to be an actress and she declined as she couldn’t speak Tagalog, but Mr. Avellana insisted that she come to the rehearsals for the next show and even had her fetched from home when she didn’t show up.
Mr. Avellana was the one who gave her the stage name Anita Linda.
In 1943, Mr. Avellana cast Ms. Linda in her first movie acting role in Tiya Juana. Her first leading role was in 1947 in Moises A. Caguin’s Alyas Sakim.
She was cast as the titular Sisa in the 1951 film by Gerardo de Leon, based on the mother who went mad searching for her sons in Jose P. Rizal’s novel Noli Me Tangere.
Throughout the 1950s, she was Premiere Productions’ top actress and was often paired with Ramon D’Salva, Jose Padilla, Jr., Fred Santos, and Eddie del Mar.
In the 1970s, Ms. Linda saw a career resurgence after taking a years-long hiatus from lead roles in the 1960s after her contract with Premiere Productions expired. She worked with Lino Brocka on Tatlo, Dalawa, Isa (1974) for which she won a Best Supporting Actress Award from FAMAS (Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences). She also starred in several of Mr. Brocka’s critically acclaimed and award-winning films including Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang (1974), Mortal (1976), Jaguar (1979), Dalaga si Misis, Binata si Mister (1981), Mother Dear (1982), Experience (1984), and Pasan Ko ang Daigdig (1987).
In 1982, Gawad Urian gave her a Lifetime Achievement Award. Four years later, she won the Gawad Urian award for Best Supporting Actress for Takaw Tukso by William Pascual.
Her IMDb page lists 398 acting credits. Her most recent film was in Mr. Alix’s Circa, which tells the story of a celebrated film producer celebrating her 100th birthday whose wish is to see the people she worked with over the years.
She became the oldest actress to win a FAMAS when she bagged the Best Supporting Actress award in Mario O’Hara’s Ang Babae sa Bubungang Lata (1998).
“The industry is blessed to have you. Thank you for being an inspiration to all of us. Your words will forever be in my heart,” Mary Liza Dino-Seguerra, chairman and CEO of the Film Development Council of the Philippines said in a Facebook post mourning Ms. Linda’s passing.
She recounted a conversation she had with the veteran actress who said that life has been good to her and that she didn’t want to leave life because it feels nice to live.
“It was such a humbling experience to have been able to spend a moment with one of our country’s living treasures,” Ms. Dino-Seguerra said.
Ms. Linda is survived by her children Francesca Legaspi and Fred Osburn. — Z.B. Chua
