She took the name Lina Romay from the actress and jazz artist from the 1940s (who only died in 2010).
Although Romay was listed in the credits of several of Franco's films as a co-director, actor Antonio Mayans stated in a recent interview that Franco used to credit her in that manner for business reasons, and that she never actually co-directed any of the films.
However, she contributed occasional plot ideas and assisted in editing some of the films' trailers.
1954
Lina Romay (born Rosa María Almirall Martínez; 25 June 1954 – 15 February 2012), a.k.a. Candy Coster and Lulu Laverne, was a Spanish actress who often appeared in films directed by her long-time companion (and later husband) Jesús Franco.
She appeared in approximately 109 Jesus Franco films made over 30 years.
Romay was born in Barcelona in 1954.
After graduating high school, she studied the arts, married actor/photographer Ramon Ardid (aka Raymond Hardy), and began acting in stage productions.
1972
She began appearing in Jesús Franco's films when they met in 1972.
Her husband Ramon was working for Franco as a still photographer at the time, and she met Franco through him.
She acted in over a hundred feature films, most directed by Franco.
The majority of their films together were in the erotic film genre (including many X titles featuring unsimulated sex scenes with Franco and other actors), but she also appeared in many of his horror, comedy, and action/adventure films as well.
1973
Among the better known of her horror films are The Bare Breasted Countess (a.k.a. Female Vampire) (1973), Barbed Wire Dolls (1975) and Jack the Ripper (1976).
1975
Ramon co-starred with her in several of Franco's films until he realized she was having an affair with Franco in 1975.
1978
Lina and Ramon legally divorced in 1978, and Ramon stopped working with Franco after 1980.
2008
Lina Romay and Jesús Franco lived as a couple for almost four decades but only officially married on 25 April 2008.
2012
She died from cancer at the age of 57 on 15 February 2012 in Málaga, Spain.
