Rafaela Aparicio was born in 1906, the daughter of a merchant ship pilot. She began her career on stage in 1931 at age 23 in the play "El conflicto de Mercedes" after having worked for a few years as a teacher. She is a symbol for the Andalusian woman, smart and happy. With El mar y el tiempo (1989) she won the Goya award as Best Actress. In total she has made more than 100 movies.