Born in Villanueva, Zacatecas, to Jesús Aguilar y Aguilar and Ángela Márquez Barraza Valle, Antonio Aguilar is one of the most iconic actor-singers of Mexican cinema. He began his singing career in the 1940's and then debuted in national Mexican cinema in 1952, during its Golden era. Later in his acting career, Aguilar was noted for his brilliant portrayals of revolutionary and folk-song heroes in historical films. He won the "Premio ACE" Award for Best Actor for his performance in Il était une fois Zapata (1970). Aguilar married frequent co-star Flor Silvestre in 1959.
