María Elena Velasco
| María Elena Velasco | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | María Elena Velasco-Fragoso |
| Born |
17 December 1940 Puebla, Puebla, Mexico |
| Died | 1 May 2015 (aged 74) Mexico City, Mexico |
| Medium | Film, television, music, theatre |
| Nationality | Mexican |
| Years active | 1962–2015 |
| Genres | Character comedy, slapstick |
| Subject(s) | Indigenous Mexican women |
| Spouse | Julián de Meriche (married 19??–27 July 1974; his death); 3 children |
María Elena Velasco-Fragoso (17 December 1940 – 1 May 2015) was a Mexican actress, comedian, singer-songwriter, dancer, screenwriter, film producer, and one of Mexico's few major female film directors.
She is best known for creating and portraying La India María, a comical character based on indigenous Mexican women, in films and television programs.
Velasco was born in Puebla, to Tomás Velasco, a railway mechanic, and María Elena Fragoso. She had three siblings, Gloria, Tomás and Susana.
After the death of Tomás Velasco, the family moved to Mexico City, where she worked as a dancer at the Teatro Tívoli. Later, she became one of the showgirls of the Teatro Blanquita, where she also participated in sketches starring comedians such as José "El Ojón" Jasso and Óscar Ortiz de Pinedo, among others.
In 1962, her popularity at the Teatro Blanquita attracted the attention of producer Miguel Morayta, who cast her in her first film role in the drama Los derechos de los hijos (1963), starring Elvira Quintana and Carlos Agostí. Juan Bustillo Oro gave her the small part of Petra, a maid, in México de mis recuerdos (1963). In 1964, she began to include comedic material to her appearances in sketches and, in the meantime, played servants in television programs. She soon developed a comedy character named Elena María, a rural Mexican woman. Her breakthrough came when director Fernando Cortés recommended her to portray an indigenous woman named "María" in one of Mantequilla's sketches. The character was dressed in traditional garb consisting of traditionally braided and ribboned hair and colorful native-type blouses and skirts. In an effort to make her portrayal more authentic, she observed the gestures and mannerisms of indigenous women; her own mother made dresses for the character. She later appeared in the western El bastardo (1968), where she was credited for the first time as "María Elena Velasco 'La India María'".
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