Fernando Cortés

Fernando "Papi" Cortés (October 4, 1909 – 1979) was a Puerto Rican film actor, writer and director. He was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, but he spent most of his adult life in Mexico City, where he died. On 1932, while in New York City, Fernando Cortés married Puerto Rican childhood friend María del Pilar Cordero, who adopted the stage name of Mapy Cortés. The couple soon traveled to Spain with a Cuban theatrical troupe. They worked on the Spanish stage, radio and film until the outbreak of the Civil War in 1936. Fernando progressively began to take a backseat as actor and baritone and focused on promoting the career of his wife Mapy, who became a noted vedette (showgirl with star status) in Barcelona. After the Spanish Civil War interrupted their careers, the couple worked in New York, San Juan, Buenos Aires, Havana and Caracas, occasionally starring in movies. They arrived to Mexico City in late 1940 and made their stage debut at the Teatro Follies, in a show headlined by the popular Mexican comedian Cantinflas. Despite early struggles to become household names, Mapy achieved Mexican film stardom in late 1941 and the couple settled in Mexico City. Initially, Fernando Cortés played supporting roles in his wife's films. He then made a successful debut as director with ... ()