Antonia Rey

Maria Antonia Rey was born on October 12, 1927, in Camajuaní, Cuba, and died on February 21, 2019. She was the only child of Emilia Rey and Antonio Francesch, a dentist whose early death resulted in Rey receiving her mother's surname. Rey was educated in Havana. Her mother later remarried banker Rafael Rangel, and Rey acquired two stepbrothers through that union.

In 1958, Rey married theatre director Andres Castro during the intermission of a play. The couple fled Cuba in 1961, leaving behind opportunities in their respective fields rather than remain under communist rule.

Rey built a Broadway career spanning more than three decades, from 1964 to 1995. Her stage credits include Bajour (1964), Mike Downstairs (1968), Camino Real (1970), The Engagement Baby (1970), A Streetcar Named Desire (1973), 42 Seconds from Broadway (1973), The Ritz (1975), and The Rose Tattoo (1995).

Beyond the stage, Rey appeared in several films, among them King of the Gypsies, Jacob's Ladder, and Kiss Me, Guido (1997). Her television work included a role in The Marcus-Nelson Murders, the pilot for the series Kojak, as well as appearances on Who's the Boss?, Third Watch, Law & Order, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

Rey's final screen role was Assunta Bianchi in the television series Happy!. Her character dies in the second-to-last episode of the series, which aired three months after Rey's own death in February 2019. That episode included a closing dedication in her memory.