Actress Carmen Machi received the Málaga-SUR Award this Saturday, 15 March, in recognition of an extraordinary career as one of the most beloved actresses in Spanish cinema. The Madrid-based performer received the award at a gala presented by actress Melani Olivares, her co-star in the popular series 'Aída', and the actor Pepón Nieto, with whom she starred in the film 'Un efecto óptico'.

She was accompanied on stage at the Cervantes Theatre by actor and director Paco León, director and playwright Miguel del Arco, casting director Luis San Narciso, director Nacho García Velilla and Laura Fernández Espeso, CEO of The MediaPro Studio, who presented an emotional Carmen Machi with this award which, in the words of Melani Olivares, "recognises the talent, work capacity and human quality of a mighty actress".

Carmen Machi thanked the Festival de Málaga for an award which, for her, is another expression of the affection she has received the public for decades, "an affection with which I feel very comfortable" and which she perceives "as something very beautiful". Winning this place in the public's heart comes, according to the actress, from having had the opportunity to "play characters that are very close to people". Specifically, Aida García in the series '7 vidas' and 'Aida', and Merche from 'Ocho apellidos vascos', for which she won the Goya award for Best Supporting Actress.

In a meeting with the director of the Festival de Málaga, Juan Antonio Vigar, held a few hours before the Malaga-SUR Award Gala, Machi dissected what these works have meant for her career. "Television is a way of getting into people's homes and that gives you popularity, but the phenomenon of 'Ocho apellidos vascos' was so huge that it was like having made a series for five years", she recalled.

In this meeting, the actress reviewed her career in theatre, film and television. "Contrary to what it may seem, I haven't done as much television as I appear to have", said the actress, who explained that '7 vidas' and 'Aida' were sitcoms that "were recorded in one go and with an audience at each episode; it's as close to theatre as you can imagine, which is my natural habitat". Regarding her latest roles in 'La mesías' or 'Celeste' for Movistar+, Machi considers them "closer to cinema than to television". However, she acknowledged that in theatre "you have an enormous responsibility, it gives you rigour and discipline; it connects you with reality and with life".

The tribute to Carmen Machi began on Saturday with the unveiling of the monolith featuring her handprint on the Antonio Banderas promenade, an event attended by the Mayor of Malaga, Francisco de la Torre; the Councillor for Culture and Historical Heritage, Mariana Pineda; the editor-in-chief of Diario SUR, Ana Pérez-Bryan; and the director of the Festival de Málaga, Juan Antonio Vigar.

Carmen Machi began her theatrical career at the age of 17 in the company Taormina de Getafe and, at thirty, she joined La Abadía, where she made a name for herself in plays such as 'Retablo de la avaricia, la lujuria y la muerte' (Altarpiece of greed, lust and death). After leaving the series 'Aida' in 2008, Machi consolidated her career in film and theatre, appearing in 'Los abrazos rotos' (2009) and securing prominent roles in films such as 'Pájaros de papel' (2010) and 'Ocho apellidos vascos' (2014).
 
Over the years, Carmen Machi continued to alternate between film, theatre and television, with roles in films such as 'Villaviciosa de al lado' (2016) and 'Ocho apellidos catalanes' (2015), and excelling in theatrical productions such as 'Antígona' (2015-2017). In 2017 she received the Gold Medal of the City of Madrid, and went on to appear in films such as 'La tribu' (2018) and 'El Cover' (2021). On television, she appeared in 'Criminal: España’ (2019) and ‘Vida perfecta’ (2020), as well as starring in 'Mother Love' (2022). In 2023, she appeared in the series 'La mesías' and in 2024 she played the lead role in the miniseries 'Celeste' for Movistar Plus+.