# Patricia Reyes Spíndola

Patricia Verónica Núñez Reyes Spíndola (born 11 July 1953) is a Mexican actress, director, and producer. She has received four Ariel Awards, two for Best Actress (Los Motivos de Luz in 1985 and The Queen of the Night in 1994), and two for Supporting Actress (Letters from Marusia in 1975 and El otro crimen in 1988).

## Life and career

Spíndola studied to become an actress in several ateliers in Mexico and London. She made her movie début in 1972, with El señor de Osanto, and two years later she started working in the Teatro Fru Fru. As an actress, she has worked with directors like Nancy Cárdenas and Arturo Ripstein.
Spíndola has appeared in more than 70 Mexican movies during her career. She received four Ariel Awards and two additional nominations for her film performances. In 2002, she played Frida Kahlo's mother, Matilde, in the American film Frida.
Spíndola has worked in Mexican telenovelas as of early 1980s, playing mostly antagonists. In early 2000s, she also began working as a director. Her directing credits include Salomé (2001), La intrusa (2001), and 85 episodes of La mujer del Vendaval (2012–13).
Spíndola has an acting school she runs with her sister, Marta Reyes Spíndola, in the Colonia Juárez neighborhood of Mexico City called M & M Studio, where she also teaches.
On American television, Spíndola guest-starred in four episodes in the first season of AMC's Fear the Walking Dead as Griselda Salazar in 2015 and later made two guest appearances in the second season in 2016. In 2019, she starred opposite Kate del Castillo in the second season of Telemundo/Netflix series La Reina del Sur playing Carmen Martínez.
Spíndola is a cancer survivor. In 2011, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and came through mastectomy. In April 2015, she released her book called La vuelta da muchas vidas.

## Filmography
### Films

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1974 | El señor de Osanto | | Film debut |
| 1974 | Llanto, risas y nocaut | | |
| 1975 | La otra virginidad | Flora | |
| 1975 | La casa del Sur | María | |
| 1976 | México, México, ra, ra, ra | | |
| 1976 | Actas de Marusia | Rosa | Ariel Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 1976 | La venganza de un hombre llamado Caballo | Gray Thorn | |
| 1976 | Las poquianchis | Graciela | |
| 1977 | El elegido | Virgen Maria | |
| 1977 | Caminando pasos, caminando | | |
| 1977 | Las cenizas del diputado | Ana Maria Godinez | |
| 1977 | Los iracundos | | Short film |
| 1978 | Pedro Páramo | Eduviges Dyada | |
| 1978 | The Children of Sanchez | Paula's sister | |
| 1979 | México Norte | | |
| 1981 | Ora sí tenemos que ganar | | |
| 1982 | Retrato de una mujer casada | Luisa | |
| 1985 | Los motivos de Luz | Luz | Ariel Award for Best Actress Mexican Cinema Journalists Award for Best Actress |
| 1985 | El rey de la vecindad | Esposa de Marcos | |
| 1986 | Va de Nuez | | |
| 1986 | La rebelión de los colgados | | |
| 1987 | Nocturno amor que te vas | | |
| 1987 | Los confines | Esposa | Nominated — Ariel Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 1987 | Asesinato en la plaza Garibaldi | | |
| 1988 | La envidia | | Short film |
| 1988 | El gran relajo mexicano | | Ariel Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 1988 | El otro crimen | | |
| 1989 | La isla de las garzas | | Short film |
| 1989 | Mentiras piadosas | | |
| 1989 | Goitia, un dios para sí mismo | | |
| 1990 | Espejismos y ceremonias | | Short film |
| 1991 | Woman of the Port | Tomasa | |
| 1992 | Nocturno a Rosario | Soledad | |
| 1992 | Lucky Break | | |
| 1992 | Golpe de suerte | | |
| 1993 | ¡Aquí espaantan! | Remedios | |
| 1994 | The Queen of the Night | Lucha Reyes | Ariel Award for Best Actress |
| 1995 | Mujeres insumisas | Ema | Nominated — Ariel Award for Best Actress |
| 1996 | Profundo carmesí | Sra. Ruelas | |
| 1998 | Noche de paz | | Short film |
| 1998 | El evangelio de las Maravillas | Micaela | |
| 1998 | Fuera de la ley | | |
| 1999 | El coronel no tiene quien le escriba | Jacinta | |
| 1999 | Del otro lado | | |
| 2000 | Before Night Falls | María Teresa Freye de Andrade | |
| 2000 | Such Is Life | Adela, The Godmother | |
| 2000 | La perdición de los hombres | Axe Face | |
| 2001 | El sueño del caimán | Madre Caimán | |
| 2002 | Acosada | Licenciada Ortiz | |
| 2002 | eXXXorcismo | | |
| 2002 | Frida | Matilde Kahlo | |
| 2002 | La virgen de la lujuria | Raquel | |
| 2002 | Solamente una vez | | |
| 2003 | La mudanza | Sara | |
| 2003 | Popis | La abuela | Short film |
| 2004 | El edén | Victoria | |
| 2005 | Between | Mrs. Gonzalez | |
| 2006 | Mujeres en el Acto | | |
| 2006 | El carnaval de Sodoma | Eréndira | |
| 2007 | Malos hábitos | Madre Superiora | |
| 2008 | Amor letra por letra | La Juez | |
| 2008 | El patio de mi cárcel | Aurora | |
| 2008 | Solo quiero caminar | Madre de Félix | |
| 2008 | Todos hemos pecado | La Doñita | |
| 2009 | El jardín que se seca | Estela | Short film |
| 2009 | Un mexicano más | Viuda | |
| 2010 | Chicogrande | La Sandoval | |
| 2011 | Chabela Querida | Chabela | Short film |
| 2011 | Las razones del corazón | Doña Ruti | |
| 2014 | Todos están muertos | Doña Rosario | |
| 2015 | Estar o no estar | Veronica | |
| 2015 | La teta de Botero | Sofa | |
| 2015 | El viaje de Keta | Elena | Nominated – Mexican Cinema Journalists Award for Best Supporting Actress |
| 2015 | Being or Not Being | Veronica | |
| 2015 | Bleak Street | | |
| 2018 | Eres mi pasión | Madre Furia | |
| 2018 | A ti te quería encontrar | Lola | |
| 2018 | Mi Mariachi | Susana | |
| 2019 | Vagoneros | Covarrubias | |
| 2019 | Devil Between the Legs | Isabel | |
| 2020 | Ánima | Danae | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1982 | Bianca Vidal | Cirila | Television debut |
| 1983 | El maleficio | Teodora | |
| 1984 | La traición | Lidia | |
| 1985 | Esperándote | Refugio | |
| 1988 | El extraño retorno de Diana Salazar | Jordana | |
| 1989 | Hora marcada | Esperanza | Episode: "Noche de paz" |
| 1989 | Teresa | Josefina Martínez | TVyNovelas Award for Best Leading Actress |
| 1990 | En carne propia | Tota de Ortega | |
| 1992 | Triángulo | Virginia Granados | |
| 1994 | El vuelo del águila | Petrona Mori | TVyNovelas for Best Co-star Actress |
| 1994–2004 | Mujer, casos de la vida real | Various roles | 6 episodes |
| 1995 | Azul | Martha | |
| 1996 | La antorcha encendida | Doña Juana de Foncerrada | |
| 1997 | María Isabel | Manuela | Nominated — TVyNovelas Award for Best Leading Actress |
| 1997 | La santa | | Television film |
| 1997 | Pueblo chico, infierno grande | Martina | |
| 1999 | El niño que vino del mar | Alberta Gómez | |
| 2001 | La intrusa | Renata de Velarde | |
| 2001 | Salomé | Manola | Nominated — TVyNovelas Award for Best Leading Actress |
| 2003 | De pocas, pocas pulgas | Griselda | |
| 2003–2004 | Mariana de la noche | María Lola | Nominated — TVyNovelas Award for Best Leading Actress |
| 2004 | Inocente de ti | Clotilde | |
| 2005 | La madrastra | Venturina García | |
| 2006 | La fea más bella | Tomasa Mora | |
| 2007 | S.O.S.: Sexo y otros secretos | Invitada | "Recuerdos y secretos" (Season 1, Episode 6) |
| 2007 | Trece miedos | Vecina | "Nuevo comienzo" (Season 1, Episode 7) |
| 2007 | XHDRbZ | Mamá de Exelsa | "Los padres de Exelsa" (Season 1, Episode 16) |
| 2008 | Fuego en la sangre | Quintina | TVyNovelas for Best Co-star Actress |
| 2008 | Terminales | Abuela | "Verdades" (Season 1, Episode 3) "Transplantes" (Season 1, Episode 11) |
| 2008–2010 | Mujeres asesinas | Sagrario / Ernestina "Tita" Garza / Carmen | "Cándida, esperanzada" (Season 1, Episode 8) "Tita Garza, estafadora" (Season 2, Episode 6) "Las Cotuchas, Empresarias" (Season 3, Episode 14) |
| 2009 | Adictos | | "Cocaina" (Season 1, Episode 20) |
| 2010 | Zacatillo, un lugar en tu corazón | Fredesvinda Carretas | |
| 2010–2011 | Los héroes del norte | Doña Olegaria | |
| 2011 | Rafaela | Caridad | 118 episodes Nominated — TVyNovelas Award for Best Leading Actress |
| 2014 | El color de la pasión | Trinidad | 38 episodes Nominated — TVyNovelas Award for Best Leading Actress |
| 2015–2016 | Fear the Walking Dead | Griselda Salazar | Season 1 (Recurring role; 4 episodes) Season 2 (Guest Star; 2 episodes) |
| 2016 | Un camino hacia el destino | Blanca Elizalde Contreras | 103 episodes Nominated — TVyNovelas Award for Best Leading Actress |
| 2018 | Atrapada | Marcela | 13 episodes |
| 2019 | La Reina del Sur | Carmen Martínez | 23 episodes (season 2) |
| 2020 | La Doña | Florencia Molina | 75 episodes (season 2) |
| 2020 | Imperio de mentiras | Sara Rodríguez de Velasco | |
| 2023 | Está libre | Concepción | |
| 2024 | La mujer de mi vida | Antonia de Oribe | |