Happy 70th Birthday Monica Randall

Aurora Julià Sarasa was born in Barcelona, Spain on November 18, 1942, she is known to film- goers as Monica Randall and is an actress and TV presenter. She pursued studies of Dramatic Arts in Barcelona and debuted shortly after in the theater, with comedies like Cena de Matrimonios” and  “Pisito de soltero” then joined the Theatre Company of Alejandro Ulloa. After thirty years away from the stage she returned in 2009 to play in a Spanish comedy by Yasmina Reza, directed by Silvia Munt. Shortly after her stage debut she appeared in the cinema, debuting in “La Revoltosa” (1963) directed by Jose Diaz Morales. In those early years she was involved in numerous Euro- westerns, such as “Heroes of the West (1963) and “Five Giants from Texas” (1967), in all she appeared in eleven Euro-westerns from 1965-1974. Since 1968, her film career focused on comedies, where she often played a prototype cosmopolitan and sophisticated woman. Monica appeared in such titles as “Cristina Guzmán” (1968), “Verano 70”, “Abuelo”, “Made in Spain”, “Carola de día, Carola de noche” “Un adulterio decente” (all 1969).

During the seventies she was offered the chance to play more complex roles in films regarded as classics of the Spanish cinema such as “Mi querida señorita” (1972), “Cría cuervos” (1976), “Retrato de familia “ (1976), “La escopeta nacional” (1978) and in 1986, under the direction of Carlos Serrano, “Calé” with Rosario Flores. In 1987, and again under the direction of Jaime de Armiñán, Monica played the female lead in the film “Mi General”, accompanying Fernando Rey Fernando Fernan Gomez, Hector Alterio, José Luis López Vázquez and Rafael Alonso. This film won the Grand Jury Prize at the Montreal Film Festival in 1987.

She has also worked intensively on television in which she debuted in 1964, and developed both a role as presenter and actress. In dramas, as in “Estudio 1, Novela, Teatro de siempre” and “Teatro de familia” all on Spanish Television, Monica has had the opportunity to perform works by William Shakespeare, Jean Racine, Ladislas Fodor, J.M. Barrie. After playing the role of Nuri, the Spanish alter ego of Blanche (Rue McClanahan) “Juntas, pero no revueltas” (1994-1995), between 2002 and 2004 she was part of the cast of “Ana y los siete”, playing Rosa, the mother of Alexia (Silvia Marso). Still active today we celebrate Monica Randall’s 70^th birthday.