Olga San Juan


Olga San Juan was a Nuyorican actress, dancer and comedian, mainly active in films during the 1940s.

Early years

San Juan was born in Brooklyn, New York to Puerto Rican parents. When she was 3 years old, her family moved back to Puerto Rico, then moved back to the US mainland a few years later.

Career

San Juan was dubbed the "Puerto Rican Pepperpot" or "Beauty Siren" for singing and dancing roles alongside Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire and many others.
After talent scouts found her at the Copacabana nightclub in New York City, she signed a contract with Paramount Pictures in 1943. In 1951, she starred on Broadway in the Lerner and Loewe musical, Paint Your Wagon.

Personal life

San Juan was married to actor Edmond O'Brien. They met at a publicity luncheon for Fox studios, and married in 1948. San Juan retired in the 1950s to raise her children. They had three children: television producer and actors Brendan O'Brien, Maria O'Brien, and Bridget O'Brien, who is married to Barry Adelman, executive producer of the Golden Globe Awards. O'Brien and San Juan were married 28 years, until their divorce in 1976.
San Juan's health began to fail after a stroke in the 1970s, but she lived to enjoy her family for decades to come. She died on January 3, 2009, of kidney failure stemming from a long-term illness, at age 81, at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center, in Burbank, California. She was buried at San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Mission Hills, Los Angeles, California.

Awards