Actress, singer, dancer and comic Olga San Juan died Jan. 4 after a long illness. She was 81.
Born and raised in Brooklyn of Puerto Rican descent, San Juan began her career in New York in theater and on radio. She made her feature film debut in the mid-1940s, and co-starred opposite Fred Astaire in the film “Blue Skies,” where she danced with him to Irving Berlin’s “Heat Wave.”
Dubbed the “Puerto Rican Pepperpot,” San Juan co-starred with Ava Gardner, Betty Grable and Sonia Henie. Among her other appearances are both the radio and film version of “Duffy’s Tavern,” “Variety Girl,” “One Touch of Venus” and “The Beautiful Blond from Bashful Bend.” She also starred on Broadway in the original production of musical “Paint Your Wagon.”
As a young girl, she danced and sang with Latin percussionist and vocalist Tito Puente.
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She was married to the late Oscar-winning actor Edmond O’Brien in 1948 and they divorced in 1976. San Juan had three children with O’Brien, including producer Bridget O’Brien Adelman and actors Maria O’Brien and Brendan O’Brien.
In her later years, she was honored for her contributions to Latinos in entertainment and received the SAG/AFTRA Heritage Award.
San Juan is survived by her children, a sister and three grandchildren.
Memorial services will be held at the San Fernando Mission Cemetery on Friday, Jan. 9.
Donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
