Moria Casán | |
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Casán in 2016
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Born |
Ana María Casanova August 16, 1946 Buenos Aires, Argentina |
Residence | Parque Leloir, Ituzaingó, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina |
Occupation | Actress, presenter, theatre producer, TV personality, talent manager |
Years active | 1970–present |
Spouse(s) | Mario Castiglione (m. 1986; div. 1990) |
Children | 1 |
Signature | |
Ana María Casanova (born August 16, 1946), known by her stage name Moria Casán, is an Argentine actress and TV personality. Casán made her theatre debut in 1970, and quickly became one of the country's leading vedettes during Argentina's Golden Age of revue. Her sex symbol status was further cemented during the late 1970s and 1980s, as she starred in various sexual comedy films alongside Alberto Olmedo, Jorge Porcel and Susana Giménez. Since the mid-1980s, Casán has also established herself as an important TV personality, hosting various sketch comedy programs and talk shows throughout the years. Most recently, Casán has been a judge in the popular TV competition, Bailando por un Sueño, and continues starring in several theatrical productions.
Casán remains a popular figure in Argentine showbusiness. Her insult comedy and off-color humor, popularized through her usual feuds with other media personalities, has generated various phrases that are now part of the national lexicon — the press has nicknamed her "karateka tongue". In 2013, the Buenos Aires Herald wrote that "[her] larger than life persona is a pop icon as much for her stage performances as for her bold, daring public statements." Casán is also "the great gay icon of the country", and a fixture in national LGBT culture; as the community sees "her as an icon of liberation and transgression." Her only daughter, Sofía Gala, is also an actress.
Casán was born in Buenos Aires. Following in the footsteps of Argentine revue diva Nélida Roca, Moria Casán became a stage sex symbol and chorus girl. She started as a dancer but immediately acquired major roles due to her versatility, powerful voice and on-screen presence. She worked with outstanding revue actors during the 1970s, such as Adolfo Stray, Don Pelele, Pablo Barbieri, Juan Verdaguer, and José Marrone. She was the first revue girl to demand to leave sexual comments directed at her person off the stage, and to be placed at an equal level with a man. This significant change revolutionized the revue genre locally, and numerous prospective female stars took their cues from Casán in subsequent years.