Thanks to her films alongside Pedro Almodóvar or her iconic television roles, such as in the series Aquí no hay quien viva, Loles León has earned a reputation as one of our most charismatic. Far from the cameras, she has also shown that she does not stay silent in the face of injustices, earning a reputation as a rebellious woman with a firm character who defends her principles to the hilt. These principles she has wanted to pass on to Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo following the overwhelming success of her second feature film: La bola negra.
In an interview on the SER network podcast A la cara, hosted by Xavier Sardá and Frank Blanco, Loles León confessed that she still hasn’t gone to the cinema to see the film. But that did not stop her from appreciating “the amazing talent” of her directors. “I think they are the creators of this new generation. I think they are doing a very good job. That’s why I have to go see La bola negra; the thing is, of course, since I have been working, I couldn’t go see it when it premiered.”
And when the podcast hosts asked her about the message she would send to Los Javis based on all her decades of experience in cinema, Loles León was clear: “I would recommend caution. Do not lower the bar and keep making cinema that is more loyal, more honest, and more pure possible, as they have been doing until now. Don’t sell out.”
Loles León at Her Most Viral
Beyond her advice to young filmmakers, she also highlighted the moment when the actress revealed the problems she personally faced in finding a rental apartment despite being a well-known figure. During the interview, Loles León recounted that, when trying to rent a flat, private landlords offered it to her “because it’s you”.
A favoured deal that, far from pleasing her, caused deep indignation at the thought of the difficulties endured by the most vulnerable, such as the elderly. And all the more so given the current housing crisis in Spain.
“Here, housing has to be available to everyone. We all need a roof, we all need a home to live in, and on top of that with the rents you’re pushing… But are you renting it to me because I’m a famous person and maybe a 74-year-old woman who also needs it and you won’t rent it to her because you don’t want old people in houses? Well, go to hell. And I left,” the actress said in a forceful message that has gone viral rapidly, generating a multitude of reactions.
Loles León and Her Singleness
After discussing cinema and the housing market during a podcast that aims to tell it to her “to her face”—what no one dares to say to a well-known figure—the star of ¡Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios! also spoke about her love life and her enduring single status. Something that, as she acknowledges, she has never wanted to change.
Loles León, during the interview,
“At seven years old I already planned at home that I wasn’t going to get married. I was very clear about it because I used to say: ‘My sisters are crying all day, they have a boyfriend and they’re going to get married,'” explained Loles León in an interview with SER. And she added that she has always been clear that she would not follow those paths, as she has always had “many things to do.”
The actress became a single mother in 1975 and now has a 14-year-old grandson who, she says, “is better than the father.” And she added that her goal from a young age of becoming an actress did not go well with a stable romantic relationship. “I started to understand the concept of possession. I saw it on the street. Every woman who was somewhat down and troubled had a big guy by her side who didn’t let her live, and I said: ‘I will slip away from this’.”
Her Emotional Memory of Rosa María Sardà
Loles León also spoke about her close friendship with the late Catalan actress Rosa María Sardà. “We were like sisters, an authentic friendship,” she recalled about her before describing her as “a genius with incredible talent.”
And she compared the two-time Goya Award winner with another of her great late friends, the Italian Raffaella Carrà.
“The same thing happened with Raffaella Carrà, who were talented, incredibly intelligent artists. And when they saw someone who was worth it, they kept them,” said Loles León with admiration and nostalgia about Rosa María Sardà, who was one of the people who influenced her early days in the world of television.
