Born: 18 April 1905, Liechtenstein
Died: 1 November 2001
Country most active: Mexico
Also known as: Hermine Kindle
Medea de Novara was a renowned Mexican-Liechtenstein actress, best known for her roles in the Emperor Maximilian Trilogy. Noted for her resemblance to Empress Carlota of Mexico, she played the monarch on screen in four films.
Born Hermine Kindle in Triesen, Liechtenstein, she moved to Hollywood in 1925 to pursue acting. In Hollywood, she crossed paths with Mexican director Miguel Contreras Torres, whom she married in 1936. Moving to Mexico in the 1930s, her portrayal of Empress Carlota in Juárez y Maximiliano (1933) and subsequent films earned her international acclaim as well as a place in Mexican cinema history.
In 1951, her husband acquired Gutenberg Castle in Balzers, Liechtenstein, realizing de Novaras’s dreams. She travelled between Mexico and Liechtenstein, residing in her castle for extended periods. In 1979, Liechtenstein purchased the castle, allowing her to stay. After her husband’s death in 1981, she managed the family’s film business and later married Boris Reynolds García in 1983.
Her films included:
María Magdalena: Pecadora de Magdala (1945)
Caballería del imperio (1942)
Hombre o demonio (Don Juan Manuel) (1940)
The Mad Empress (1939)
La golondrina (1938)
La paloma (1937)
Tribu (1934)
Juárez y Maximiliano (1933)
La noche del pecado (1933)
Zítari (1931)
Soñadores de gloria (1930)