She Was a Beloved Figure of Cuban Stage and Screen for More Than Six Decades. On Monday, popular Cuban television, film, radio and theater actress Paula Ali died in Havana at the age of 90, according to the National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC). “Her face became familiar to several generations of Cubans through her roles in soap operas, comedy programs, feature films and theatrical productions. Ali entered the entertainment world in 1959 as a television model, and in 1965 she began her association with Teatro Marti before joining the Teatro Estudio company in 1970. The Cuban actress also brought her art to international stages through tours in Portugal, Yugoslavia, Spain, Ecuador, Venezuela and Colombia.