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
Faceless
(1988)
Mrs. Orloff
Greta, the Mad Butcher
(1977)
Juana
The Perverse Countess
(1975)
Silvia Aguado
Female Vampire
(1973)
Countess Irina Karlstein
Downtown Heat
(1994)
Angela
Erotic Symphony
(1980)
Martine de Bressac
Celestine
(1974)
Célestine
Macumba Sexual
(1983)
Alice Brooks
The Hot Nights of Linda
(1975)
Olivia Steiner
Paula-Paula
(2010)
Alma Pereira
Full Filmography
Acting
The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein
(1973)
Esmeralda
The Sinister Eyes of Dr. Orloff
(1973)
Sweet Davey Brown's Girlfriend
Tender and Perverse Emmanuelle
(1973)
Greta Douglas
Lovers of Devil's Island
(1973)
El misterio del castillo rojo
(1973)
The Obscene Mirror
(1973)
Marie Madeleine Whitman (French version only)
Female Vampire
(1973)
Countess Irina Karlstein
Celestine
(1974)
Célestine
Les Gloutonnes
(1974)
Alba / Bianca
Lorna, the Exorcist
(1974)
Linda Mariel
How to Seduce a Virgin
(1974)
Adèle
Night of the Skull
(1974)
Rita Derian
The Lustful Amazons
(1974)
Yuka
The Perverse Countess
(1975)
Silvia Aguado
Rolls-Royce Baby
(1975)
Rolls-Royce Baby
Downtown
(1975)
Cynthia
The Hot Nights of Linda
(1975)
Olivia Steiner
Les chatouilleuses
(1975)
Loulou
Sexy Erotic Job
(1975)
Loulou Laverne
Exorcism
(1975)
Anne (as Rosa Almirall)
Women Behind Bars
(1975)
Shirley Fields
The Erotic Adventures of Robinson Crusoe
(1976)
Les emmerdeuses
(1976)
Pina
Midnight Party
(1976)
Sylvia
Barbed Wire Dolls
(1976)
Maria da Guerra
Doriana Gray
(1976)
Doriana Gray/Doriana's Twin Sister
Jack the Ripper
(1976)
Marika Stevenson
Shining Sex
(1976)
Cynthia
Slaves
(1977)
Madame Arminda
Kiss Me Killer
(1977)
Moira Ray
Greta, the Mad Butcher
(1977)
Juana
Cocktail spécial
(1978)
Martine
Love Letters of a Nun
(1978)
María
Women Without Innocence
(1978)
Margarita Martin
The Sadist of Notre Dame
(1979)
Anne
Justine and the Whip
(1979)
Justine
They Do Everything
(1979)
Nini
Wicked Memoirs of Eugenie
(1980)
Sultana
White Cannibal Queen
(1980)
Ana
Erotic Symphony
(1980)
Martine de Bressac
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
Sexual Perversions of a Married Woman
(1981)
George's Mother
El fontanero, su mujer... y otras cosas de meter
(1981)
Julia
The Girls of the Copacabana
(1981)
Lia
Pick-Up Girls
(1981)
Suzy
My Pussy is the Best
(1982)
Elisa
Sex Apocalypse
(1982)
Ruth
Mansion of the Living Dead
(1982)
Candy
Cecilia
(1983)
Cabaret Owner/Performer
Diamonds of Kilimandjaro
(1983)
Hermine
Cries of Pleasure
(1983)
Julia
Blood on My Shoes
(1983)
Paquita la Fina
The Hotel of Love Affairs
(1983)
Eva Bombón
Revenge in the House of Usher
(1983)
Helen
Intimate Confessions of an Exhibitionist
(1983)
Candy
The House of Lost Women
(1983)
Desdémona
Fury in the Tropics
(1983)
Marga
The Night Of Open Sex
(1983)
Moira
The Blues of Pop Street
(1983)
Genara Johnny Walker 'Butterfly'
Black Boots, Leather Whip
(1983)
Lina
Macumba Sexual
(1983)
Alice Brooks
A Crack for Two
(1984)
Agent 69
Night Has a Thousand Desires
(1984)
Irina
Lilian, the Perverted Virgin
(1984)
Irina
Bahia Blanca
(1984)
María
Camino solitario
(1984)
Eva / Adriana
How Much for a Spy?
(1984)
Ana
Judoka Shadow versus Doctor Wong
(1985)
Maggie
White Jungle Slave
(1985)
Karate Student
Dirty Game in Casablanca
(1985)
Woman Asking for Autograph
Bangkok, City of the Dead
(1985)
Aminia
Un pito para tres
(1985)
Sida, la peste del siglo XX
(1986)
Mujeres Ancorraladas
(1986)
Marga Lopez
Bragueta historia
(1986)
Para las nenas, leche calentita
(1986)
Chelo Cucufate
Golden Temple Amazons
(1986)
Cameo
Alone Against Terror
(1986)
Melissa
Lulu's Talking Ass
(1986)
Lulú
The Voyeur and the Exhibitionist
(1986)
The Exhibitionist
Entre pitos anda el juego
(1986)
Candy
The Last from Philippines
(1986)
Cecilia Muro
Girl with the Red Lips
(1986)
Terry Morgan
Thong Girls
(1987)
Lola Clavijo
Falo Crest
(1987)
Melissa
Phollastía
(1987)
Barbara
Slave of Crime
(1987)
Tsai Chin
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
Mari-Cookie and the Killer Tarantula
(1998)
Mari Cookie / Tarantula
Lust for Frankenstein
(1998)
Moira Frankenstein
Red Silk
(1999)
Gina
Broken Dolls
(1999)
Tona
Dr. Wong's Virtual Hell
(1999)
Nelly Smith / Tsai Ming
Vampire Blues
(1999)
Marga
Call Him Jess
(2000)
Herself
Helter Skelter
(2000)
Blind Target
(2000)
Tora
Vampire Junction
(2001)
Mados
Journey into Perversion
(2001)
Herself
Killer Barbys vs. Dracula
(2002)
Irina von Karstein
Incubus
(2002)
Rosa Harker
Antena Criminal: Making a Jess Franco Movie
(2002)
Herself
Red Venice
(2003)
Death Karate in Torremolinos
(2003)
On the Threshold to Another World
(2003)
Herself
See you later Cowabunga: La maldición del cenachero diabólico!
(2004)
Jess Franco's Perversion
(2005)
Mme Villeblanche
Jess Franco's Passion
(2005)
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
Falks Frauen
(2014)
(archive footage)
Queridos monstruos
(2014)
Self
Miss Lina und ihr Chauffeur
(2014)
Self (archive footage)
Call Me Jess Redux
(2014)
Herself
Directing
Devil Hunter
(1980)
Assistant Director
Bloody Moon
(1981)
Assistant Director
Sadomania
(1981)
Assistant Director
The Story of Linda
(1981)
Assistant Director
Emmanuelle Exposed
(1982)
Assistant Director
El huésped de la niebla
(1982)
Director
Express Train
(1982)
Director
Cries of Pleasure
(1983)
Director
The Hotel of Love Affairs
(1983)
Assistant Director
Macumba Sexual
(1983)
Assistant Director
Intimate Confessions of an Exhibitionist
(1983)
Director
Bahia Blanca
(1984)
Assistant Director
A Crack for Two
(1984)
Director
Camino solitario
(1984)
Assistant Director
Trip to Bangkok, Coffin included
(1985)
Assistant Director
White Jungle Slave
(1985)
Assistant Director
Dirty Game in Casablanca
(1985)
Assistant Director
Un pito para tres
(1985)
Director
Entre pitos anda el juego
(1986)
Director
Para las nenas, leche calentita
(1986)
Director
The Voyeur and the Exhibitionist
(1986)
Director
Thong Girls
(1987)
Director
Falo Crest
(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: Parte II
(2012)
Assistant Director
La cripta de las condenadas
(2012)
Assistant Director
Editing
Sadomania
(1981)
Assistant Editor
Express Train
(1982)
Editor
Emmanuelle Exposed
(1982)
Editor
Intimate Confessions of an Exhibitionist
(1983)
Assistant Editor
The Hotel of Love Affairs
(1983)
Assistant Editor
Cries of Pleasure
(1983)
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
Crew
Art
Take-Away Spirit
(2009)
Set Decoration
La cripta de las condenadas: Parte II
(2012)
Art Direction
La cripta de las condenadas
(2012)
Art Direction
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