Susana Giménez

Lore & Background

Susana Giménez had a hard childhood marked by her parents' separation. She studied in Quilmes and graduated as a primary school teacher, a profession she never practiced. Before fame, she worked as an executive secretary for a large factory. At 19, she became a model and made her name in a TV commercial for Cadum, a brand of French soap. Most of her subsequent film career was in adult-oriented comedies, acting opposite Alberto Olmedo, Jorge Porcel, Ante Garmaz, and fellow vedette Moria Casán. She has acted in over 30 films, including the cult film La Mary, and 10 plays. In 2008, she launched her own magazine called Susana, published by La Nación, and she is featured on the cover of every issue. She also had her own fashion doll and endorsed two fragrances.

In her personal life, she married businessman Mario Sarabayrouse in 1962 and gave birth to her only daughter, Mercedes, a year later. She later had a two-year relationship with boxer Carlos Monzón, whom she met while filming La Mary. For nine years she was in a relationship with actor Ricardo Darín, ending on good terms. In 1988 she married polo player Huberto Roviralta, divorcing in 1998 after a public incident where she threw an ashtray at him, resulting in a ten-million-dollar settlement. Since 2020, she lives in Uruguay.

Reader's Guide

Susana Giménez is a central figure in Argentine television, known for her long-running variety show that has drawn comparisons to international formats. Her career spans modeling, film, theater, and business, including her own magazine and fragrances. She has received numerous awards, including the Golden Martín Fierro Award in 1997 and the INTE Award for TV Hostess of the Year in 2002. Her show has been recognized with multiple Martín Fierro awards for best entertainment program and best female host. Her personal life, including high-profile relationships and a contentious divorce, has kept her in the public eye. She remains a cultural icon in Argentina, and her move to Uruguay in 2020 marks a later chapter in her life. Her legacy is tied to her enduring presence on Argentine television and her ability to reinvent herself across media.

Did You Know?

• She was born María Susana Giménez-Aubert on 29 January 1944.
• She worked as an executive secretary before becoming famous.
• In 1998, she threw an ashtray at her then-husband Huberto Roviralta during an argument.
• She has two grandchildren, Lucía and Manuel, from her only daughter Mercedes.

Career & Achievements

Susana Giménez entered the public eye at nineteen through a modeling gig for Cadum, a French soap brand, and a single television commercial that put her face on Argentine screens. She went on to appear in more than thirty films and ten stage productions, much of it in the raucous adult comedies of local cinema alongside Alberto Olmedo, Jorge Porcel, Ante Garmaz, and fellow vedette Moria Casán. The 1974 cult film La Mary stands out in that catalogue. Her hosting career proved equally commanding. The variety show bearing her name became a fixture of Argentine television, often compared to Raffaella Carrà's programs in Italy and Spain or Oprah Winfrey's in the United States. The awards followed in steady succession: a Golden Martín Fierro in 1997, the INTE Award for TV Hostess of the Year in 2002, and a career Silver Condor in 2014. In 2008 she launched her own magazine, Susana, published by La Nación, with her image on every cover. She also released a fashion doll and endorsed two fragrances. By 2012, the media firm behind her magazine had declared her the biggest celebrity in Argentine television.

Defining Moments

Several episodes in Giménez's life crystallized her public image. In 1974, while filming the comedy La Mary under director Daniel Tinayre, she met boxer Carlos Monzón; their relationship lasted two years and became a minor cultural footnote in Argentina. Far more dramatic was the January 1998 divorce from polo player Huberto Roviralta. After agreeing to terms in Miami, Giménez returned home on February 11 only to find Roviralta still in the house. An argument erupted, and he left with a cut nose and blood on his face. At a press conference the next day, she explained that he had pushed her and tried to attack her, and that she had defended herself by throwing an ashtray. The image of a television icon hurling an ashtray at her ex-husband became one of the most talked-about episodes of Argentine celebrity culture. On the professional side, 2012 marked a milestone: the Martín Fierro jury honored the twenty-five-year run of her program with a special trajectory award, and the media firm publishing her magazine named her the biggest celebrity in Argentine television that same year.

Legacy & Impact

Giménez's cultural footprint extends well beyond the screen. Her variety show has been likened to the Italian and Spanish programs of Raffaella Carrà and to Oprah Winfrey's American talk show, placing her in a global conversation about female-led entertainment. In 2008, the Latin Grammy organization recognized her with a presidency award for her role in promoting and spreading the music of Latino artists. She also served as godmother of the Favaloro Foundation in 2009 and of the National Festival of the Sun across 2009 and 2010. Her commercial longevity is remarkable: she graced the cover of Caras magazine two hundred and ten times and topped Gente magazine's star list one hundred and twenty-eight times. The Konex institution named her musical actress of the decade in 1991, and the Silver Condor jury presented her with a career award in 2014. Keys to Puerto Rico, Punta del Este, and Bal Harbour acknowledged her international reach. Even after relocating to Uruguay in 2020, her presence in Argentine popular culture remained unmistakable.

Personal Life & Relationships

Behind the glamorous public persona, Giménez grew up in Quilmes as the daughter of María Luisa Sanders, of Irish descent, and Augusto Giménez Aubert, of Spanish descent. Her childhood was marked by her parents' separation, a hardship she carried into adulthood. She graduated from La Anunciata Collegiate as a primary school teacher—a profession she never practiced—and spent a couple of years as an executive secretary for a large factory before her modeling career took off. In 1962, at eighteen, she married businessman Mario Sarabayrouse; their only child, Mercedes, was born the following year. After that marriage ended, she had a two-year relationship with boxer Carlos Monzón and a nine-year romance with actor Ricardo Darín, thirteen years her junior. The two parted on warm terms and remain close friends; Giménez made it tradition to invite Darín as the first guest on her show every year. She married polo player Huberto Roviralta in 1988 and divorced him in 1998, paying a ten-million-dollar settlement. From her daughter Mercedes she has two grandchildren, Lucía and Manuel. In private, family and friends call her "Su," a nickname her fans have since adopted. Since 2020 she has lived in Uruguay.

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