Linda Cristal

Marta Victoria Moya Peggo Burges, known professionally as Linda Cristal, was born on 1931-02-24 in Rosario, Santa Fe Province, Argentina, to a French publisher father and an Italian mother named Rosario Pego. Her family relocated to Montevideo, Uruguay, where she received formal training at the Conservatorio Franklin, laying a solid foundation for her future in performance arts. Cristal began her acting career in Argentine and Mexican cinema before making her English‑language debut as Margarita in the 1956 Western Comanche, quickly establishing herself as a striking presence in the burgeoning Western genre of the 1950s. Her early work included roles in films such as Cry Tough (1959) and Legions of the Nile (1959), and she earned the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year for her performance in the comedy The Perfect Furlough (1958), a accolade that propelled her into Hollywood’s spotlight. By the early 1960s she appeared alongside John Wayne in The Alamo (1960) and continued to build a diverse résumé that showcased both dramatic depth and charismatic charm.

From 1967 to 1971 Cristal achieved iconic status as Victoria Cannon on NBC’s popular series The High Chaparral, a role that earned her a Golden Globe for Best Actress – Television Series Drama in 1970 and two Emmy nominations, confirming her talent in the small‑screen arena. After a brief semi‑retirement to raise her two children, she returned to acting with selected film and television projects, including Mr. Majestyk (1974) and the miniseries Condominium (1980), before concluding her on‑screen appearances with the Argentine series Rossé (1985). Cristal’s personal life featured two marriages—first to businessman Robert W. Champion (1958‑1959) and later to former actor turned real‑estate professional Yale Wexler (1960‑1966)—and she remained a beloved figure until her death in Beverly Hills, California, on 2020-06-27. Her legacy endures as a trailblazing Argentine‑American actress who left an indelible mark on both film and television.