Lyn May

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lyn May, born Lilia Mendiola de Chi in Acapulco, Guerrero, is a Mexican actress, burlesque dancer, and ex-stripper and prostitute of Chinese descent. She was very well known in the 70s, when she was a central figure in the Mexican exploitation genre known as "cine de ficheras".

1 Early years
2 Acting
3 Later career
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Early years

As a young child, at six years old, she sold necklaces, sun tan oil, and other products on the beaches of Acapulco. Unable to attend school since she needed to make money for her family, she taught herself to read. According to interviews, she also suffered sexual abuse during her childhood. At age 14, she ran away from home with a boyfriend, and had two daughters. When her boyfriend left her, she became a go-go dancer to support her daughters, and was discovered and taken to Mexico City, where she was introduced to television presenter Raúl Velasco, who signed her to a one-year contract at a cabaret. After finishing her contract, she became a stripper, working at the Iris Theater, where she changed her name to "Lyn May".

[edit] Acting

The Iris Theater was frequented by many celebrities, and she was romantically involved with several, resulting in her appearance on the cover of gossip magazines. At age 20, she was noticed by movie director Alberto Isaac, who hired her for a role in his movie "Tívoli", which went on to become a success. In her own words, she "didn't act much, but mostly danced well and looked sexy."

After the success of "Tívoli", she became synonymous with the Mexican exploitation sub-genre "cine de ficheras", which was widely popular in the late 70s and early 80s.

[edit] Later career

While not having acted since the 90s, she remains a popular and well-known figure in Mexico, appearing frequently in interviews and gossip magazines. In 2008, her husband, Antonio Chi Su, died of stomach cancer after four years of illness.