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

The Madrid-born actress was supported on the stage of the Teatro Cervantes 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, General Director of GRUP MEDIAPRO, who presented an emotional Carmen Machi with this award which, in the words of Melani Olivares, "recognizes the talent, work capacity, and human quality of an immense actress."

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

Specifically, during a meeting with the director of the Málaga Film Festival, Juan Antonio Vigar, held a few hours before the Málaga-SUR Awards Gala, Machi analyzed what these works meant for her career. "Television is a way to enter people's homes, and that gives you popularity, but the phenomenon of 'Ocho apellidos vascos' was so massive that it was like making a five-year-long series," she recalled.

In this interview, the actress reviewed her career in theater, film, and television. “Contrary to what it may seem, I haven't done as much television as it seems,” the actress noted, explaining that '7 vidas' and 'Aida' were sitcoms that “were filmed in one go and with an audience for each episode; it's the closest thing to theater you can imagine, which is my natural habitat.” Regarding her recent work in 'La mesías' and 'Celeste' for Movistar+, Machi considers them "closer to cinema than to television." However, she acknowledged that in theater "you have an enormous responsibility, it gives you rigor and discipline; it connects you with reality and with life."

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

Carmen Machi began her theatrical career at 17 with the Taormina company in Getafe, and at 30 joined La Abadía, where she excelled in plays such as ‘Retablo de la avaricia, la lujuria y la muerte’ (The Altarpiece of Greed, Lust, and Death). After leaving the series ‘Aida’ in 2008, Machi consolidated her career in film and theater, participating in ‘Los abrazos rotos’ (2009) and obtaining prominent roles in films such as ‘Pájaros de papel’ (2010) and ‘Ocho apellidos vascos’ (Eight Basque Surnames) (2014).

Over the years, Carmen Machi continued to alternate between film, theater, and television, with roles in films such as 'Villaviciosa de al lado' (2016) and 'Ocho apellidos catalanes' (2015), and standing out in theatrical productions such as 'Antígona' (2015-2017). In 2017, she received the Gold Medal from the city of Madrid and continued with film projects such as 'La tribu' (2018) and 'El Cover' (2021). On television, she participated in 'Criminal: España' (2019) and 'Vida perfecta' (2020), in addition to starring in 'Amor de madre' (2022). In 2023, she was part of the series 'La mesías' and in 2024, she played the lead role in the miniseries 'Celeste' for Movistar Plus+.