Romay was born in Barcelona in 1954. Following graduation from high school, she studied the arts, married actor/photographer Ramon Ardid/ Raymond Hardy (they later divorced in 1978), and began acting in stage productions. She began appearing in Jesús Franco's films from the time that they met in 1972. She appeared in more than a hundred feature films, most of them directed by Franco. The majority of their films together were in the erotic film genre, but she was also featured in many horror, comedy and action/adventure films as well. 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).
She took the name Lina Romay from the actress and jazz artist from the 1940s. 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, although she never actually co-directed any of their films together. She did however contribute occasional story ideas and assist in the editing of some films and trailers.
Lina Romay and Jesús Franco lived as a couple for close to four decades, but only officially married on April 25, 2008. She died from cancer at the age of 57 on 15 February 2012, in Málaga, Spain. Franco died soon after in 2013.
Known For
Barbed Wire Dolls
(1976)
Maria da Guerra
Celestine
(1974)
Célestine
The Perverse Countess
(1975)
Silvia Aguado
Greta, the Mad Butcher
(1977)
Juana
Faceless
(1988)
Mrs. Orloff
Female Vampire
(1973)
Countess Irina Karlstein
Jack the Ripper
(1976)
Marika Stevenson
Macumba Sexual
(1983)
Alice Brooks
Erotic Symphony
(1980)
Martine de Bressac
Slaves
(1977)
Madame Arminda
Lorna, the Exorcist
(1974)
Linda Mariel
Full Filmography
Acting
The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein
(1973)
Esmeralda
Female Vampire
(1973)
Countess Irina Karlstein
Tender and Perverse Emmanuelle
(1973)
Greta Douglas
The Sinister Eyes of Dr. Orloff
(1973)
Sweet Davey Brown's Girlfriend
Lovers of Devil's Island
(1973)
The Obscene Mirror
(1973)
Marie Madeleine Whitman (French version only)
El misterio del castillo rojo
(1973)
Night of the Skull
(1974)
Rita Derian
Les Gloutonnes
(1974)
Alba / Bianca
Lorna, the Exorcist
(1974)
Linda Mariel
Celestine
(1974)
Célestine
The Lustful Amazons
(1974)
Yuka
How to Seduce a Virgin
(1974)
Adèle
Sexy Erotic Job
(1975)
Loulou Laverne
Downtown
(1975)
Cynthia
Women Behind Bars
(1975)
Shirley Fields
Rolls-Royce Baby
(1975)
Rolls-Royce Baby
The Perverse Countess
(1975)
Silvia Aguado
The Hot Nights of Linda
(1975)
Olivia Steiner
Les chatouilleuses
(1975)
Loulou
Exorcism
(1975)
Anne (as Rosa Almirall)
Barbed Wire Dolls
(1976)
Maria da Guerra
Jack the Ripper
(1976)
Marika Stevenson
Midnight Party
(1976)
Sylvia
Doriana Gray
(1976)
Doriana Gray/Doriana's Twin Sister
Les emmerdeuses
(1976)
Pina
Shining Sex
(1976)
Cynthia
The Erotic Adventures of Robinson Crusoe
(1976)
Kiss Me Killer
(1977)
Moira Ray
Slaves
(1977)
Madame Arminda
Greta, the Mad Butcher
(1977)
Juana
Women Without Innocence
(1978)
Margarita Martin
Cocktail spécial
(1978)
Martine
Love Letters of a Nun
(1978)
María
They Do Everything
(1979)
Nini
The Sadist of Notre Dame
(1979)
Anne
Justine and the Whip
(1979)
Justine
Erotic Symphony
(1980)
Martine de Bressac
White Cannibal Queen
(1980)
Ana
Wicked Memoirs of Eugenie
(1980)
Sultana
Two Female Spies with Flowered Panties
(1980)
Cecile (as Candy Coster)
What a Honeymoon
(1980)
Yolanda
Jailhouse Wardress
(1981)
Maria
Sex Is Crazy
(1981)
Mrs. Foncesca
El fontanero, su mujer... y otras cosas de meter
(1981)
Julia
The Girls of the Copacabana
(1981)
Lia
Pick-Up Girls
(1981)
Suzy
Sexual Perversions of a Married Woman
(1981)
George's Mother
Sex Apocalypse
(1982)
Ruth
My Pussy is the Best
(1982)
Elisa
Mansion of the Living Dead
(1982)
Candy
Revenge in the House of Usher
(1983)
Helen
Diamonds of Kilimandjaro
(1983)
Hermine
Cries of Pleasure
(1983)
Julia
Cecilia
(1983)
Cabaret Owner/Performer
The Blues of Pop Street
(1983)
Genara Johnny Walker 'Butterfly'
Blood on My Shoes
(1983)
Paquita la Fina
Macumba Sexual
(1983)
Alice Brooks
The Night Of Open Sex
(1983)
Moira
Fury in the Tropics
(1983)
Marga
Black Boots, Leather Whip
(1983)
Lina
The Hotel of Love Affairs
(1983)
Eva Bombón
The House of Lost Women
(1983)
Desdémona
Intimate Confessions of an Exhibitionist
(1983)
Candy
Lilian, the Perverted Virgin
(1984)
Irina
A Crack for Two
(1984)
Agent 69
How Much for a Spy?
(1984)
Ana
Night Has a Thousand Desires
(1984)
Irina
Camino solitario
(1984)
Eva / Adriana
Bahia Blanca
(1984)
María
White Jungle Slave
(1985)
Karate Student
Bangkok, City of the Dead
(1985)
Aminia
Judoka Shadow versus Doctor Wong
(1985)
Maggie
Dirty Game in Casablanca
(1985)
Woman Asking for Autograph
Un pito para tres
(1985)
Alone Against Terror
(1986)
Melissa
Golden Temple Amazons
(1986)
Cameo
Lulu's Talking Ass
(1986)
Lulú
The Last from Philippines
(1986)
Cecilia Muro
Girl with the Red Lips
(1986)
Terry Morgan
Entre pitos anda el juego
(1986)
Candy
Sida, la peste del siglo XX
(1986)
The Voyeur and the Exhibitionist
(1986)
The Exhibitionist
Para las nenas, leche calentita
(1986)
Chelo Cucufate
Bragueta historia
(1986)
Mujeres Ancorraladas
(1986)
Marga Lopez
Thong Girls
(1987)
Lola Clavijo
Slave of Crime
(1987)
Tsai Chin
Phollastía
(1987)
Barbara
Falo Crest
(1987)
Melissa
Faceless
(1988)
Mrs. Orloff
Esmeralda Bay
(1989)
Hotelier
El abuelo, la condesa y Escarlata la traviesa
(1992)
Jungle of Fear
(1993)
Downtown Heat
(1994)
Angela
Tender Flesh
(1997)
Mrs. Radeck
Lust for Frankenstein
(1998)
Moira Frankenstein
Mari-Cookie and the Killer Tarantula
(1998)
Mari Cookie / Tarantula
Vampire Blues
(1999)
Marga
Dr. Wong's Virtual Hell
(1999)
Nelly Smith / Tsai Ming
Red Silk
(1999)
Gina
Broken Dolls
(1999)
Tona
Blind Target
(2000)
Tora
Helter Skelter
(2000)
Call Him Jess
(2000)
Herself
Vampire Junction
(2001)
Mados
Journey into Perversion
(2001)
Herself
Antena Criminal: Making a Jess Franco Movie
(2002)
Herself
Incubus
(2002)
Rosa Harker
Killer Barbys vs. Dracula
(2002)
Irina von Karstein
On the Threshold to Another World
(2003)
Herself
Death Karate in Torremolinos
(2003)
Red Venice
(2003)
See you later Cowabunga: La maldición del cenachero diabólico!
(2004)
Jess Franco's Passion
(2005)
Jess Franco's Perversion
(2005)
Mme Villeblanche
Snakewoman
(2005)
Dr. Van Helsing
Angel of Death 2: The Prison Island Massacre
(2007)
Mrs. Steele
Triple X Selects: The Best of Lezsploitation
(2007)
(archive)
Paula-Paula
(2010)
Alma Pereira
La última película de Jess Franco
(2013)
Self
Call Me Jess Redux
(2014)
Herself
Queridos monstruos
(2014)
Self
Falks Frauen
(2014)
(archive footage)
Miss Lina und ihr Chauffeur
(2014)
Self (archive footage)
Directing
Devil Hunter
(1980)
Assistant Director
Bloody Moon
(1981)
Assistant Director
Sadomania
(1981)
Assistant Director
The Story of Linda
(1981)
Assistant Director
Express Train
(1982)
Director
El huésped de la niebla
(1982)
Director
Emmanuelle Exposed
(1982)
Assistant Director
Cries of Pleasure
(1983)
Director
Intimate Confessions of an Exhibitionist
(1983)
Director
Macumba Sexual
(1983)
Assistant Director
The Hotel of Love Affairs
(1983)
Assistant Director
A Crack for Two
(1984)
Director
Camino solitario
(1984)
Assistant Director
Bahia Blanca
(1984)
Assistant Director
Trip to Bangkok, Coffin included
(1985)
Assistant Director
Dirty Game in Casablanca
(1985)
Assistant Director
White Jungle Slave
(1985)
Assistant Director
Un pito para tres
(1985)
Director
The Voyeur and the Exhibitionist
(1986)
Director
Entre pitos anda el juego
(1986)
Director
Para las nenas, leche calentita
(1986)
Director
Falo Crest
(1987)
Director
Thong Girls
(1987)
Director
Phollastía
(1987)
Director
Broken Dolls
(1999)
Assistant Director
Blind Target
(2000)
Director and Assistant Director
Vampire Junction
(2001)
Director
La cripta de las condenadas
(2012)
Assistant Director
La cripta de las condenadas: Parte II
(2012)
Assistant Director
Editing
Sadomania
(1981)
Assistant Editor
Emmanuelle Exposed
(1982)
Editor
Express Train
(1982)
Editor
Cries of Pleasure
(1983)
Editor
Intimate Confessions of an Exhibitionist
(1983)
Assistant Editor
The Hotel of Love Affairs
(1983)
Assistant Editor
The Sexual Story of O
(1984)
Editor
Bahia Blanca
(1984)
Assistant Editor
Trip to Bangkok, Coffin included
(1985)
Editor
Sida, la peste del siglo XX
(1986)
Editor
Falo Crest
(1987)
Editor
Esmeralda Bay
(1989)
Editor
Don Quixote
(1992)
Editor
Vampire Killer Barbys
(1996)
Editor
Lust for Frankenstein
(1998)
Editor
Writing
El huésped de la niebla
(1982)
Screenplay
A Crack for Two
(1984)
Screenplay
The Voyeur and the Exhibitionist
(1986)
Writer
Killer Barbys vs. Dracula
(2002)
Screenplay
Snakewoman
(2005)
Writer
Camera
Art
Take-Away Spirit
(2009)
Set Decoration
La cripta de las condenadas
(2012)
Art Direction
La cripta de las condenadas: Parte II
(2012)
Art Direction
Crew
Production
Take-Away Spirit
(2009)
Production Manager
La cripta de las condenadas: Parte II
(2012)
Production Manager
La cripta de las condenadas
(2012)
Production Manager
Costume & Make-Up