The charismatic Carmen Salinas was born in Torreón, Coahuila, on Oct. 5, 1939. Her arrival to acting was thanks to her abilities as an imitator, and then as she cemented herself as a star in theater, cinema, and television.

Salinas, who died on Thursday, Dec. 9 at 82 years-old, was recognized not only in Mexico, but also in the rest of Latin America, and even Hollywood thanks to the important and endearing characters she embodied.

To commemorate the life and extraordinary career of a woman who left her entire self on the screen and in the different roles she stepped, here are 10 things to prove the importance of the actress for the Spanish-American world of film.

• The multifaceted actress, with an extensive legacy that includes 115 films, 70 plays, 23 "telenovelas" and nine television series, in addition to having conducted her own talk show, was also known in the world of acting as 'Carmelita.'

• At the beginning of her career, she was more known for her dramatic roles in films as La vida inútil de Pito Pérez and El Rincón de las vírgenes, and she also became a star in comedy thanks to her special way of speaking. It's one of her unique skills she took advantage of to become more popular and multifaceted.
• Thanks to her respected talent and recognition in the Hispanic community, Hollywood contracted her talents. Salinas became part of big productions such as Man on Fire (2004), directed by Tony Scott and starring Denzel Washington, as well as La misma Luna (2007), starring the star of Latin comedy, Eugenio Derbez.

• In her role as a producer, 'Carmelita' stood out for the play Aventurera, a show that lasted for several years and featured important actresses, such as Niurka, Cantoral Itatí and Edith González.
• One of the facets with which she generated more controversy in life was not entirely artistic. The political side of Carmen became especially visible between 2014 and 2015, when she was appointed as ambassador of Education of the National Union of Education Workers, and then became a deputy for the revolutionary party.
• Salinas, an extroverted and transparent woman, was also a renowned football fan and a fervent follower of the Chivas de Guadalajara, whose shirt she always wore throughout her life.

• Hasta en las mejores familias was perhaps one of the only controversies in Salinas' whole career. The controversial talk show on Televisa aired between 1999 and 2000, and staged "real dramas" that occurred in a sensationalist manner and came to do numbers. The program was canceled after receiving a rash of criticism.
• Salinas only attended elementary school. This was used against her when she was appointed a government deputy, a role where she presented more than 35 initiatives with 11 getting approved. In a press conference, the actress declared that although she accepted the challenge, she actually did not want the job.
• Last year, Carmen was supposedly contacted by the renowned Mexican Narco Rafael Caro Quintero, founder of the Guadalajara Cartel, who thought the actress was familiar with Carlos Salinas, a former President of Mexico, and with whom she has no link.
• In addition to her roles in telenovelas like La Vecindad, María Mercedes and María La del Barrio, Salinas was especially recognized for her multiple roles in the series Mujer, casos de la vida real (1990-1997) and La Rosa de Guadalupe (2009).