Actress Lollie Mara passed away on 19 October and several newspapers published her obituary. Most write-ups described her simply as “a veteran actress.”

While Mara was 86 at the time of her passing, she wasn’t exactly a “veteran” in the same way we refer to someone like Gloria Romero. In fact, Mara began her acting career relatively late — in 1984, at the age of 41. Very little is known about her personal life, so let’s take a moment to revisit her story.

Born Gloria Pichel in 1939, she came from a rather prominent family. Their home was located on General Solano Street in San Miguel, Manila — just a stone’s throw from Malacañang Palace. The family spoke Spanish and were unmistakably mestizos, with fair skin and sharp features. Her younger brother, Manny Pichel, was for many years the entertainment editor of Daily Express, the official newspaper during Martial Law.

In the 1970s, Mara was widowed and left to raise several children, one of whom was actor Lorenzo “Tata” Mara. During this difficult time, her brother Manny stepped in to support her.

By 1981, Mara — who had settled into the role of housewife after getting married — decided it was time to rejoin the workforce. She was fortunate to land a job as the public relations manager at the now-defunct Hotel Mirador, which was owned by the Cobarrubias family.

Mara proved to be highly effective in her role. Despite her mestiza appearance, she made an effort to blend in with the rest of the staff. At lunchtime, she would join them at a nearby carinderia they jokingly called “Le Garage” — a literal garage converted into a hole-in-the-wall eatery.

During her stint at Mirador, the hotel began producing musical dinner shows, including a local adaptation of Cabaret starring Cynthia Patag and the late Ric Segreto. Being constantly surrounded by entertainers, it wasn’t long before Mara herself was discovered for television.

Her first role was in the beloved drama Flor de Luna. From there, she gradually entered the film industry, often cast in aristocratic roles. She became known for playing the quintessential donya — an image that stuck with her throughout her acting career.

During the administration of President Fidel Ramos, Lollie served in government as the head of Malacañang Radio-TV.

But her most iconic role — at least in the public eye — came from an unexpected place: a TV commercial. She was cast, once again, as a donya in an advertisement for Neozep. The ad made her instantly recognizable. After its release, she could hardly go out in public without being stopped by fans — even children — who knew her as the “aristokrata” from TV.

In her later years, Mara suffered a stroke before the pandemic and was mostly confined to her home due to her condition. And now, she is gone —and we miss her dearly.

In person, she may have seemed intimidating due to her refined appearance, but Mara was one of the kindest and most approachable people in the entertainment industry. There have been many donyas on the local screen — but none ever played the role quite like Lollie Mara.