Trivia

She appeared in at least 100 stage plays and about 50 films, from classics to comedy.

Took part in the Guerrillas of Theater groups set up by the Spanish Republican government. When Franco's fascist regime came to power, she fled to Mexico.

In the epic TV series La antorcha encendida (1996), she took the role of Doña Macaria, mother-in-law of Don Pedro de Soto, played by her real-life son, actor Juan Ferrara.

Her maternal grandfather, don Ernesto Guilmain Serantes, was a colonel in the General Staff of His Majesty, King Alfonso XIII of Spain. Her maternal grandmother, doña María Guerrero, was the daughter of a magistrate.

Her maternal surname, Guilmain, is of French origin. In her memoirs, she stated that it is actually spelled without an accented "a" (á).

She made her film debut in 1940 but shortly after left her career to become a wife and mother.

In 1956, at age 35, she resumed her career and achieved her first great success with the role of Victoria in the stage play Miércoles de ceniza, for which she won an award for best actress. When the production ran for more than 100 performances, María Félix was invited to unveil a celebratory plaque. Also present at the event were producer Gregorio Walerstein and director Roberto Gavaldón, who offered Guilmain the supporting role of Rosa in the film version, Ash Wednesday (1958), which would star Félix in the leading role. Guilmain refused and instead suggested that Félix should play the supporting role. Félix, somewhat sardonically, caressed Guilmain's face and told her: "Oh, Ofelia, you are so great... you are going to unveil a lot of plaques in your life!".