María Rosa Gallo

Born of a Calabrian father and Spanish mother on 20 December 1921,[2] Gallo studied at the Conservatorio Nacional de Música y Arte Dramático (National Conservatory of Music and Performing Arts) under Antonio Cunill Cabanellas. She graduated in 1943 with a gold medal and made her debut the same year in Eva Franco's El Carnaval del Diablo ("The Carnival of the Devil").[3] She received rave reviews and compared favorably to Margarita Xirgu.[4]

In 1947, following the election of Juan Perón, Gallo left Argentina for Chile and, eventually, Italy. In Rome she studied at the Silvio D'Amico Academy of Dramatic Arts with the director Silvio D'Amico, director, and Orazio Costa. After graduating in 1952, she appeared in Dialogues of the Carmelites at the Piccolo Teatro Della Città Di Roma and starred in the world premiere of Diego Fabbri's Processo a Gesù ("The Trial of Jesus") at the Piccolo Teatro di Milano.

Returning to Argentina in 1958, she performed in many successful plays including The Dog in the Manger, with Alfredo Alcón and Osvaldo Bonet, and Les Troyens, which received the Critics Award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Television performances include Romeo y Julieta, Perla Negra ("The Black Pearl") (for both of which she received two separate Martin Fierro Awards for her performances), and, more recently, 22 El Loco alongside Adrián Suar, where she played the grandmother of the protagonist. Her film credits include The Hand in the Trap, winner of the FIPRESCI Prize at the 1961 Cannes Film Festival.

She has been honored at the Sea Star Awards (Premios Estrella de Mar), at the Silver Condor Awards, received the Diamond Konex Award in 1991,[5] and was presented with the ACE Gold Award at the 1995 ACE Awards for her performance in the Three Tall Women.

Maria Rosa Gallo was married to actor Camilo Da Passano and had two children, Alejandra Da Passano and Claudio Da Passano, both actors.

She was active in the labor and democratic movements, particularly during and after the military dictatorship of the National Reorganization Process. In 2002 she participated in the cycle Teatro por la Identidad ("Theater for Identity"), organized by Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo (Asociación Civil Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo), in support of children stolen and illegally adopted during the Argentine Dirty War.[6]

She died at age 82 on December 7, 2004.