Isabel Apolonia García Hernández, better known as Chelo Alonso, was a Cuban-born actress, dancer, and model who gained international recognition in the 1950s and 1960s for her roles in Italian sword and sandal films.
Born on April 10, 1933, in Central Lugareño, Camagüey, Cuba, to a Cuban father and Mexican mother, Alonso began her career as a dancer in Havana at the age of 17. She soon gained notoriety for her sensual and exotic style, which earned her the nickname "Cuban H-Bomb".
Alonso's talents took her to Paris, where she became a star of the Folies Bergère, and later to Italy, where she began her film career in the late 1950s. She quickly became known for her fiery temperament, distinctive cheekbones, and wild mane of dark hair.
Throughout the 1960s, Alonso appeared in a string of "peplum" films, including "Sign of the Gladiator", "The Pirate and the Slave Girl", "Goliath and the Barbarians", "Son of Samson", "Terror of the Red Mask", "The Huns", and "Morgan the Pirate". She often played the role of the evil queen or seductive dancer, and her performances earned her cult status and the title of "Italian Cinema's Female Discovery".
In 1960, Alonso met her future husband, Aldo Pomilia, while working on the production of "Morgan the Pirate". They married in 1961 and had a son, Aldino, in 1962. Pomilia executive-produced Alonso's comeback film, "Run, Man, Run", in which she played opposite Tomas Milian.
After her husband's death in 1986, Alonso moved to Tuscany, Italy, where she focused on breeding cats and operating a hotel/restaurant. She passed away in 2019 at the age of 85, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most iconic actresses of the Italian sword and sandal genre.
