Lina Romay
Romay was born in Barcelona in 1954. Following graduation from high school, she studied the arts, married actor/photographer Ramon Ardid/ Raymond Hardy (they later divorced in 1978), and began acting in stage productions. She began appearing in Jesús Franco's films from the time that they met in 1972. She appeared in more than a hundred feature films, most of them directed by Franco. Among the better known of her horror films are The Bare Breasted Countess (a.k.a. Female Vampire) (1973), Barbed Wire Dolls (1975) and Jack the Ripper (1976).
She took the name Lina Romay from the actress and jazz artist from the 1940s. Although Romay was listed in the credits of several of Franco's films as a co-director, actor Antonio Mayans stated in a recent interview that Franco used to credit her in that manner for business reasons, although she never actually co-directed any of their films together. She did however contribute occasional story ideas and assist in the editing of some films and trailers.
Lina Romay and Jesús Franco lived as a couple for close to four decades, but only officially married on April 25, 2008. She died from cancer at the age of 57 on 15 February 2012, in Málaga, Spain. Franco died soon after in 2013.
Acting
Movie
Greta, the Mad Butcher
as Juana
1977
Movie
The Hot Nights of Linda
as Olivia Steiner
1975
Movie
Female Vampire
as Countess Irina Karlstein
1975
Movie
Barbed Wire Dolls
as Maria da Guerra
1976
Movie
Faceless
as Mme Orloff
1988
Movie
Jack the Ripper
as Marika Stevenson
1976
Movie
Countess Perverse
as Silvia Aguado
1975
Movie
Macumba Sexual
as Alice Brooks
1983
Movie
Mansion of the Living Dead
as Candy
1982
Movie
Downtown
as Cynthia
1975
Movie
Doriana Grey
as Doriana Gray/Doriana's Twin Sister
1976
Movie
White Cannibal Queen
as Ana
1980
Movie
The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein
as Esmeralda
1973
Movie
Erotic Symphony
as Martine de Bressac
1980
Movie
Exorcism
as Anne
1975
Movie
Diamonds of Kilimandjaro
as Hermine
1983
Movie
Golden Temple Amazons
as Cameo
1986
Movie
Lorna, the Exorcist
as Linda Mariel
1974
Movie
Cecilia
as Cabaret Owner/Performer
1983
Movie
Two Female Spies with Flowered Panties
as Cecile
1980
Movie
Women Behind Bars
as Shirley Fields
1975
Movie
Celestine
as Célestine
1974
Movie
The Other Side of the Mirror
as Marie Madeleine Whitman (French version only)
1973
Movie
Sex Is Crazy
as Mrs. Foncesca
1981
Crew
Movie
Bloody Moon
Assistant Director
1981
Movie
Sadomania
Assistant Director
1981
Movie
Devil Hunter
Assistant Director
1980
Movie
Macumba Sexual
Assistant Director
1983
Movie
Don Quixote
Editor
1992
Movie
Vampire Killer Barbys
Editor
1996
Movie
The Story of Linda
Assistant Director
1981
Movie
The Inconfessable Orgies of Emmanuelle
Editor
1982
Movie
Lust for Frankenstein
Editor
1998
Movie
Bahia Blanca
Assistant Director
1984
Movie
The Sexual Story of O
Editor
1984
Movie
Cries of Pleasure
Editor
1983