Chus Lampreave

María Jesús Lampreave Pérez (11 December 1930 – 4 April 2016), known professionally as Chus Lampreave, was a Spanish character actress who starred in more than 70 films. She is known internationally for her roles in films by Pedro Almodóvar.

Career
Lampreave was born in Madrid. She planned on being a painter and studied at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, after which she worked as an illustrator for the Aguilar (publishing) publishing firm.

It had not been her intention to become an actress, but was discovered by Jaime de Armiñán and began appearing in films in 1959.

Her first work with Pedro Almodóvar was in Entre tinieblas (1983). In total, Lampreave appeared in eight of his films. Almodóvar is known for his recurring use of certain actresses; they are referred to as the "Almodóvar girls".

While Lampreave never played a leading role, she would come to be known as Spain's most popular supporting actress. She was known for playing old ladies, usually eccentric relatives, that sported extremely thick glasses. She was recognized for the humor and humanity she contributed to her characters.

Among Lampreave's last roles was as the face of three advertising campaigns for Campofrío embutido sausages.

Personal life
Lampreave married in 1960. She had a son, who is a biologist,  and a daughter who died in the 1990s after an illness.

She spent the last few years of her life away from the spotlight in Almería in the south of Spain. She died in 2016 the age of 85.

Television

 * Lo+Plus (1997)
 * Hermanas (1998)

Awards

 * Premio Goya (1992)
 * Fotogramas de Plata (2005)
 * Spanish Actors Union Awards (2006)
 * Cannes Film Festival (2006): Best actress together with the rest of female cast of Volver

List of awards and nominations

 * Cannes Film Festival
 * Goya Awards
 * Fotogramas de Plata
 * Spanish Actors Union Awards


 * Awards by the Ministry of Culture


 * Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts, 2001