Norma Daniela Candal Penedo (April 10, 1927 – February 5, 2006), was a Puerto Rican

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

and comedian who was best known for her role as Petunia on ''La criada malcriada''.

Early years

Norma Daniela Candal Penedo was born in 1927 in

Fajardo, Puerto Rico Fajardo (, ) is a town and municipality -Fajardo Combined Statistical Area. Fajardo is the hub of much of the recreational boating in Puerto Rico and a popular launching port to Culebra, Vieques, and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands. It is ...

to Eladio José Candal and María Isabel Penedo.Profile
familysearch.org; accessed March 19, 2015. She lived with her family on the Fajardo Sugar Company's sugar plantation, where her father was an accountant. She attended the Colegio del Sagrado Corazon (Sacred Heart School) in her hometown, where she obtained her primary and secondary education. When she was 9 years old, she participated in her first

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

school play. Candal enrolled in the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, where she earned a

Bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

in Humanities. She was planning on a political career and was going to study

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...

s, however after she was granted a

scholarship A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need. Scholars ...

The Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by U.S. ...

(CUA) in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, she changed her goals and went on to earn her

Master's Degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

in Theater. Candal returned to Puerto Rico upon her graduation. Candal was also a literature and acting teacher.

"Petunia"

In 1965, she was hired by Rafael Perez Perry as the host of the

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

show ''En Alas de la Imaginacion'' (On the Wings of the Imagination) which aired on WKVM TV Channel 11. Shortly thereafter, she joined Tommy Muñiz Productions in Channel 4 WAPA TV.Puerto Rico Popular Culture
/ref> It was during this period of time that Candal garnered fame in Puerto Rico. She worked in the shows ''Aquí con Norma'' (''Here with Norma''); ''El Show del Mediodía'' (''The Midday Show''), and ''La Criada Malcriada'' (''The Rude Maid''), in which she played the comical role of Petunia, a simple-minded maid. This is the role which garnered her the most fame of her career. She also hosted or co-hosted talk shows. In 1970, there was a strike against Tommy Muñiz Productions, which forced Candal to leave the show and join ASTRA Productions, for which she did a couple of shows. Candal stopped working in television for several years after undergoing

open heart surgery Cardiac surgery, or cardiovascular surgery, is surgery on the heart or great vessels performed by cardiac surgeons. It is often used to treat complications of ischemic heart disease (for example, with coronary artery bypass grafting); to c ...

in which she had a valve replacement. In 1980, Candal went to work for Cardinal

Luis Aponte Martínez Luis Aponte Martínez (August 4, 1922 – April 10, 2012) was a Puerto Rican Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of San Juan from 1965 to 1999. He is the only Puerto Rican to have been named a cardinal of the Catholic Church. He participat ...

at the Cathedral of San Juan. In 1985, she returned to television and starred as Doña Tere in ''La Pensión de Doña Tere'' (Mrs. Tere's Boarding House). She participated in the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

-language version of the play '' Steel Magnolias''; ''The Letters of Mozart''; ''The Old Maids of San Sebastian Street'', and ''Kisses on the Forehead''.

Later years

She played different roles in the films '' Díos los Cría 1'' and its sequel, (''God Creates Them, parts 1 & 2''). The first part was filmed and released in 1979, the second in 2004. In between she also appeared in '' La Guagua Aérea'' (''Flight of Dreams'') in 1993.

Death

On Friday, February 3, 2006, Candal suffered a fall in her home in

Trujillo Alto Trujillo Alto (, ) is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Northern Coastal Plain, on the boundary between the karst zone and Sierra de Luquillo, north of Caguas, and Gurabo; southeast of San Juan, and west of Carolina. Truji ...

, hitting her head on the floor. She was hospitalized at the Pavia Hospital in San Juan where she suffered additional complications from the loss of blood. Candal died on Sunday, February 5, 2006, aged 78. She was buried alongside her mother at

Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery __NOTOC__ The Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery is a colonial-era cemetery located in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. It is the final resting place of many of Puerto Rico's most prominent natives and residents. Construction began in 1863 under ...

Old San Juan, Puerto Rico Old San Juan ( es, Viejo San Juan) is a historic district located at the "northwest triangle" of the islet of San Juan. Its area roughly correlates to the Ballajá, Catedral, Marina, Mercado, San Cristóbal, and San Francisco sub-barrios ( ...

. Candal was survived by her two children, Norma and Andres Jr.Norma Candal profile
prpop.org; accessed March 18, 2015.

References

External links