Lyn May

Lyn May, born Lilia Mendiola de Chi in Acapulco, Guerrero, is a Mexican actress, exotic dancer and acrobat of Chinese descent. She was very well known in the 70s, when she was a central figure in the Mexican exploitation genre known as "cine de ficheras".

Early years

As a young child, at six years old, she sold necklaces, sun tan oil, and other products on the beaches of Acapulco. Unable to attend school since she needed to make money for her family, she taught herself to read. According to interviews, she also suffered sexual abuse during her childhood. At age 14, she ran away from home with a boyfriend, and had two daughters. When her boyfriend left her, she became a go-go dancer to support her daughters. After she was discovered and taken to Mexico City, where she was introduced to television presenter Raúl Velasco, who signed her to a one-year contract at a cabaret, she changed name to Lyn May. She sent her children to live at a private boarding school in the United States leaving her in Mexico City to focus on her career. She became an exotic dancer with an unusual act that consisted of her singing on a pedestal, afterwards she would hold her right leg straight up tight to her body and would pivot around the pedestal on the other foot, never losing her balance. She began working in the Iris Theater, later she starred a The Capri night club located in the Hotel Regis that was destroyed after the 1985 earthquake in Mexico City. She also made tours throughout Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries. She invested in real estate both in Mexico and the United States in order to provide for her family.

Acting

The Iris Theater was frequented by many celebrities, and she was romantically involved with several, resulting in her appearance on the cover of gossip magazines. At age 20, she was noticed by movie director Alberto Isaac, who hired her for a role in his movie "Tívoli", which went on to become a success. In her own words, she "didn't act much, but mostly danced well and looked sexy."

After the success of "Tívoli", she became synonymous with the Mexican exploitation sub-genre "cine de ficheras", which was widely popular in the late 70s and early 80s.

Later career

While not having acted since the 90s, she remains a popular and well-known figure in Mexico, appearing frequently in interviews, gossip magazines, and she is a favorite of Raul "El Gordo" Molina the star of the talk show "El Gordo y La Flaca." In 2008, her husband, Antonio Chi Su, died of stomach cancer after four years of illness.

References

* [http://www.oem.com.mx/esto/notas/n167685.htm Spanish-language interview with biographical information]
* [http://www.esmas.com/espectaculos/farandula/290337.html Spanish-language interview where she describes being abused as a child, and being a prostitute]

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0562041/ Lyn May] at the Internet Movie Database