Born in
Montijo, Spain, Quintana and her family migrated to
Mexico when she was 5 years old. She began her career working in theatre and later participated in films as an
extra. Her first important role was as Carmen Ochoa in "Una solución inesperada", a segment of the drama film
Canasta de cuentos mexicanos (1956). She then enrolled in the
National Association of Actors' theatre and film institute (Instituto Teatral y Cinematográfico). She was given her first starring role in
El buen ladrón (1957) before her breakthrough in
Bolero inmortal (1958), in which she debuted as a singer; the film's soundtrack album, for which she recorded songs, was a commercial success throughout
Hispanic America. She starred opposite
Pedro Armendáriz, her favorite actor, in
Dos hijos desobedientes (1960). Greatly admired by audiences for her beauty and talent, she became one of the most popular Mexican performers of the 1960s. Her last appearances were in the
telenovelas
El dolor de amar (1966), in which she played a villain for the first time, and
Felipa Sánchez, la soldadera (1967), in which the press declared she created "an unforgettable character" as the title role. ==Death and legacy==