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Norma Candal
Norma Candal
Norma Candal
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Norma Daniela Candal Penedo (April 10, 1927[1] – February 5, 2006), was a Puerto Rican actress and comedian who was best known for her role as Petunia on La criada malcriada.

Key Information

Early years

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Norma Daniela Candal Penedo was born in 1927 in Fajardo, Puerto Rico to Eladio José Candal and María Isabel Penedo.[1] She lived with her family on the Fajardo Sugar Company's sugar plantation, where her father was an accountant. She attended the Colegio del Sagrado Corazon (Sacred Heart School) in her hometown, where she obtained her primary and secondary education. When she was 9 years old, she participated in her first Christmas school play.[2]

Candal enrolled in the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, where she earned a Bachelor's degree in Humanities. She was planning on a political career and was going to study political sciences, however after she was granted a scholarship to The Catholic University of America (CUA) in Washington, D.C., she changed her goals and went on to earn her Master's Degree in Theater. Candal returned to Puerto Rico upon her graduation.[2]

Candal was also a literature and acting teacher.[3]

"Petunia"

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In 1965, she was hired by Rafael Perez Perry as the host of the television show En Alas de la Imaginacion (On the Wings of the Imagination) which aired on WKVM TV Channel 11. Shortly thereafter, she joined Tommy Muñiz Productions in Channel 4 WAPA TV.[4]

It was during this period of time that Candal garnered fame in Puerto Rico. She worked in the shows Aquí con Norma (Here with Norma); El Show del Mediodía (The Midday Show), and La Criada Malcriada (The Rude Maid), in which she played the comical role of Petunia, a simple-minded maid. This is the role which garnered her the most fame of her career. She also hosted or co-hosted talk shows.[5]

In 1970, there was a strike against Tommy Muñiz Productions, which forced Candal to leave the show and join ASTRA Productions, for which she did a couple of shows. Candal stopped working in television for several years after undergoing open heart surgery in which she had a valve replacement.[4]

In 1980, Candal went to work for Cardinal Luis Aponte Martínez at the Cathedral of San Juan. In 1985, she returned to television and starred as Doña Tere in La Pensión de Doña Tere (Mrs. Tere's Boarding House).[2] She participated in the Spanish-language version of the play Steel Magnolias; The Letters of Mozart; The Old Maids of San Sebastian Street, and Kisses on the Forehead.[6]

Later years

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She played different roles in the films Díos los Cría 1 and its sequel, (God Creates Them, parts 1 & 2). The first part was filmed and released in 1979, the second in 2004. In between she also appeared in La Guagua Aérea (Flight of Dreams) in 1993.[6]

Death

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On Friday, February 3, 2006, Candal suffered a fall in her home in Trujillo Alto, hitting her head on the floor. She was hospitalized at the Pavia Hospital in San Juan where she suffered additional complications from the loss of blood. Candal died on Sunday, February 5, 2006, aged 78. She was buried alongside her mother at Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. Candal was survived by her two children, Norma and Andres Jr.[7]

See also

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References

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Norma Candal

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Norma Candal was a Puerto Rican actress and comedian known for her extensive contributions to television, film, and theater in Puerto Rico over several decades. She was best known for her role as Petunia Pérez in the sitcom ''La criada malcriada''. She gained recognition for her versatile performances, often blending humor and warmth in roles that resonated with local audiences. Born on April 10, 1927, in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, Candal appeared in notable films including Dios los cría (1979), where she played Josefina in one segment, La guagua aérea (1993) as Miguelina, and Dios los cría 2 (2004) as Doña Rosa. Her television work featured prominently in series such as El Show de Norma y Freddy (1977–1979), alongside other appearances in Puerto Rican productions. Candal passed away on February 5, 2006, in Santurce, Puerto Rico. She is remembered as a beloved figure in Puerto Rican entertainment for her enduring presence across media formats.

Early life and education

Childhood and family background

Norma Candal was born Norma Daniela Candal Penedo on April 10, 1927, in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. She was the youngest of seven siblings, born to father Eladio José Candal, an accountant and contralor at the Fajardo Sugar Company, and mother María Isabel Penedo. The family resided in the Fajardo Sugar Company community, where her father's position placed them within the plantation's residential area. Candal grew up in this environment, which was shaped by the sugar industry's operations in eastern Puerto Rico. Her earliest involvement with performance occurred at age nine, when she appeared in Christmas school plays at Colegio Sagrado Corazón in Fajardo. This amateur experience marked her initial exposure to acting during her childhood in her hometown.

Education and early teaching career

Norma Candal completed her primary and secondary education at the Colegio Sagrado Corazón in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, where her early exposure to theater began through participation in school nativity plays at the age of nine. She then attended the Colegio Universitario del Sagrado Corazón, earning a bachelor's degree in humanities after initially considering a career in diplomacy. Recognizing her talent, dramatist Emilio S. Belaval helped arrange a government scholarship for her to pursue advanced studies abroad, leading to a master's degree in theater from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Upon returning to Puerto Rico, Candal began her professional career in education as a professor of literature and dramatic art at the Colegio Universitario del Sagrado Corazón. It was at this institution that she met her future husband, Andrés Quiñones Vizcarrondo, who was directing theatrical productions for the school during her time there.

Theater career

Professional debut and early stage work

Norma Candal made her professional stage debut in the role of Genoveva in Alejandro Casona's Los árboles mueren de pie, directed by Leopoldo Santiago Lavandero. This production marked her entry into Puerto Rican professional theater during the early 1950s, following her academic preparation in the field. In the years immediately following her debut, Candal appeared in a series of notable productions that established her presence in Puerto Rico's theater scene. These included roles in T.S. Eliot's El cocktail party, Anton Chekhov's El oso, O casi el alma, La cena de los tres reyes, René Marqués's La carreta, El aniversario, El retablo, El guiñol, and La casa sin reloj. She collaborated closely with influential directors of the era, including Emilio Belaval, Piri Fernández, Cipriano Rivas, Pablo Cabrera, Alberto Zayas, and Andrés Quiñones Vizcarrondo, in addition to Lavandero. These early engagements allowed Candal to develop her craft across a range of dramatic styles, from classical works to contemporary Puerto Rican drama, laying the foundation for her subsequent contributions to theater.

Major performances and directing credits

Norma Candal continued to make significant contributions to Puerto Rican theater through her work as both a performer and director in later years. She directed several notable productions, including Dios dirá, La chica del gato, Cuando llegue la noche, and El diario de Ana Frank. Her onstage performances in the late 1970s and beyond earned consistent acclaim from critics and audiences. In 1978, she presented her successful monologue Yo, ella y la otra. She received the Best Actress award from the Círculo de Críticos de Teatro de Puerto Rico for her performance in Magnolias de acero. Candal also garnered applause for her roles in De repente el verano (1985), Las cartas de Mozart (1986), Las solteronas de la calle San Sebastián (1990), Alivio Cómico 90, Teatruras de gala (1993), and Besos en la frente (1997). These works highlighted her enduring versatility and commitment to the stage in her mature career.

Television career

Entry into television and early programs

Norma Candal transitioned to television in 1965, beginning her work at WIPR-TV. She served as the host of the program En alas de la imaginación that year. Concurrently, she contributed as a writer for La hora del niño. In addition, she participated in the morning show Su alegre despertar, collaborating with comedian José Miguel Agrelot and Rafael Pérez Durán. Building on her established experience in theater, Candal's early television roles showcased her versatility in hosting, writing, and on-air collaboration. Shortly after her initial work at WIPR, she joined Tommy Muñiz Productions at WAPA-TV, marking her entry into the channel's comedy programming.

Breakthrough role as Petunia

Norma Candal achieved her breakthrough and widest recognition portraying Petunia in the popular Puerto Rican comedy program La criada malcriada, produced by Tommy Muñiz for WAPA-TV. In 1967 she replaced Velda González in the show's maid role, with Muñiz creating the new character of Petunia specifically for Candal after actor Paco Cabañas recommended her for the vacancy. Petunia is an authentic jíbara—a rural Puerto Rican woman—who is naive, well-meaning, and excessively eager to help, yet her innocence and lack of understanding of modern psychology often lead her to create chaos despite her good intentions. Candal herself described the character in 1967 interviews as “una jíbara auténtica, que vive en ‘otro mundo’, que quiere ayudar tanto que se sobra. No entiende mucho de la sicología moderna y tiene un equipo de valores fundamentales que no se los cambia nadie. Su ignorancia y su ingenuidad, junto a su exagerado deseo de ayudar, la lleva a armar innumerables enredos. Pero no se le puede culpar porque Petunia siempre actúa de buena fe”. Beyond performing, Candal personally wrote many of the librettos for the Petunia segments, shaping the character's voice and scenarios. Critics lauded her portrayal for its nuance; in 1969 educator and literary critic Margot Arce de Vázquez wrote that “su encarnación del personaje se mantiene en un delicado y justo equilibrio de gracia e ironía que nunca cae en la bufonada”. Candal continued in the role until 1974, when she resigned after joining a strike by artists against the producer in front of WAPA-TV's gates, aligning with her colleagues' demands.

Later television projects

Following the 1974 artists' strike against producer Tommy Muñiz, Norma Candal resigned from his productions and co-founded Producciones Astra alongside fellow performers including Awilda Carbia, Jacobo Morales, and Otilio Warrington “Bizcocho”. Through this initiative, she starred in the short-lived programs Ahí va eso on Canal 7 and Sin ton ni son on Canal 11, noted for their creative humor despite their brief runs. In the late 1970s, Candal appeared in comedy segments on Carmita Jiménez's musical variety program and headlined the sitcom Norma y Freddy with Dominican actor Freddy Veras Goyco on Canal 11. She also hosted two regular segments on the same channel: the cooking feature Recetas de la A a la Z and the lifestyle-oriented Tú y yo con Norma. Beginning in 1984, Candal starred in the long-running comedy La pensión de Doña Tere, which continued into the early 1990s. In 1991, Paquito Cordero recruited her to lead the segment Petunia la mentá in El show de las 12, a reprisal of her celebrated character Petunia in a new comedic variation. Her final major television role came in 1999, when she portrayed Celia—a woman described as born to be a mother but childless—in the miniseries Después del adiós.

Film career

Appearances in film

Norma Candal made limited but memorable contributions to Puerto Rican cinema, with her film roles complementing her extensive work in theater and television. Her cinematic debut came in the educational short Las noches de don Manuel (1963), produced by the División de Educación de la Comunidad (DIVEDCO) with a script by renowned playwright René Marqués. She later appeared in Jacobo Morales' acclaimed anthology film Dios los cría (1979), a critically praised work consisting of five interconnected stories that examine human nature and social dynamics. She also appeared in The Sun and the Moon (1987). In 1993, Candal featured in La guagua aérea, directed by Luis Molina Casanova, a comedy reflecting Puerto Rican migration experiences. Her film credits also included Dios los cría II (2004), another anthology directed by Jacobo Morales, presented as a television film that revisited themes of solidarity and human conflict, as well as Pa' eso estamos (2005).

Personal life

Marriage, family, and community involvement

Norma Candal was married for 43 years to the theater director Andrés Quiñones Vizcarrondo, whom she met while working as a professor of literature and dramatic art at the Colegio Universitario del Sagrado Corazón, where he directed theatrical productions for the institution. The couple had two children, a daughter named Norma and a son named Andrés. They also had seven grandchildren: Rodrigo, Andrés, Marisabel, María Rebecca, Marisol, Mariana, and Andresito III. In 1980, Candal took a temporary break from acting to work with Cardinal Luis Aponte Martínez at the Arquidiócesis de San Juan, reflecting her involvement in community and religious service. In 2000, she underwent surgical intervention for a cardiac condition.

Death and legacy

Final years, health challenges, and passing

In her later years, Norma Candal faced significant health challenges, including open heart surgery in 2000 to address a cardiac condition. On February 3, 2006, she fell at her home in Trujillo Alto, striking her head and sustaining a serious injury that caused persistent bleeding, complicated by anticoagulant medication prescribed following her prior heart valve replacement. She remained conscious initially while paramedics assisted her, and initial tests including CT scans and X-rays showed no major abnormalities. She was hospitalized at Pavia Hospital in San Juan, where her condition deteriorated with respiratory difficulties requiring intubation on February 4. Candal died in the early morning of February 5, 2006, in Santurce at the age of 78 due to complications from the head injury and resulting blood loss. Her passing occurred one day before the death of fellow Puerto Rican actress Esther Sandoval. Candal was buried at Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery in Old San Juan, beside her mother.

Recognition and contributions

Norma Candal remains best known for her iconic character Petunia, who became a cultural icon in Puerto Rican comedy by authentically portraying the jíbara archetype with humor, simplicity, and depth, resonating deeply with audiences and influencing local perceptions of rural Puerto Rican identity. Her contributions extended beyond performance to include writing librettos for Petunia sketches, directing, teaching literature and acting, and pioneering comedic styles in Puerto Rican television during its formative years. Candal received the Best Actress award from the Círculo de Críticos de Teatro de Puerto Rico for her role in the Spanish-language production of Magnolias de acero. Existing coverage of her career remains incomplete regarding full episodic credits and minor roles across television and theater, as primary sources consistently prioritize her most notable works and cultural impact over comprehensive credit lists.
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