Roxana Billini Santamaría: The Private Life And Short Fame of Eric del Castillo’s Ex-wife

She left behind an estimated net worth of $300,000, mostly earned from her work in Mexican cinema during the 1960s and 1970s. Not a fortune by today’s standards, but respectable for a supporting actress and producer of her era. Born in Santo Domingo, she moved to Mexico chasing fame.

 She found it briefly through her marriage to legendary actor Eric del Castillo. Her story is not about wealth, but about a woman who crossed borders to leave her mark on Latin American film. This article uncovers her life, career, and lasting legacy in simple words.

Quick Bio

Attribute	Details
Full birth name	Niobe Altagracia Billini Santamaría
Known as	Roxana Billini Santamaría
Birthday	July 12, 1936
Birthplace	Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Died	April 9, 2005 (age 68)
Cause of death	Cardiac arrest
Nationality	Dominican
Occupation	Actress, producer
Years active	1960–1973 (acting); 1997 (producing)
Famous for	Mexican horror and luchador films
Spouse	Eric del Castillo (1964–1967)
Children	One son (Esteban)
Net worth (2026 estimate)	$300,000

Who Is Roxana Billini Santamaría?

She was a Dominican-born actress and producer who built her entire career inside Mexico’s booming film industry. Most people today remember her as the ex-wife of Eric del Castillo, a giant of Mexican telenovelas. 

But she also left behind a real body of work, including cult horror films like The Brainiac. Her fame was short, but her connection to the del Castillo acting dynasty keeps her name alive among classic cinema fans.

Life & background

She came into the world on July 12, 1936, in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. Her parents gave her the unusual name Niobe Altagracia Billini Santamaría, which she later shortened for the screen. 

Very little is known about her childhood or family background. What we do know is that she left her home country around 1960. She moved to Mexico, a bold choice for a young Dominican woman seeking acting work in a foreign land.

Beginnings

Her first screen appearances date back to 1960, with small roles in Mexican comedies like Las canciones unidas. She quickly moved into genre films, landing a part in the horror classic The Brainiac (1962) as María de Pantoja.

 The following year, she appeared in Santo in the Wax Museum, a famous luchador film featuring the masked wrestling icon. These early roles placed her inside two of Mexico’s most popular genres at the time: horror and wrestling pictures. She worked steadily throughout the 1960s, building a filmography of 23 acting credits.

Who Is Roxana Billini Santamaría’s Ex-husband?

Her ex-husband is Eric del Castillo, one of Mexico’s most respected and long-lasting actors. He has appeared in over 200 telenovelas and films, including major hits like La madrastra and María la del Barrio. The couple married in 1964, but their relationship lasted only three years, ending in divorce in 1967. 

Despite the short marriage, he remained a famous figure, and she became forever linked to his celebrated name. He is also the father of famous actress Kate del Castillo, making Roxana a part of that acting family tree.

Roxana Billini Santamaría’s Physical Appearance

She possessed the classic beauty of 1960s Latin American cinema, with dark hair and striking facial features. Her exact height and weight are not recorded in any public document, but film stills show a woman of average build.

 On screen, she carried herself with elegance and confidence, often wearing fashionable dresses of the period. Directors clearly valued her look, casting her in roles that demanded both charm and strength. Her presence added visual appeal to every film she appeared in, even in small supporting parts.

Roxana Billini Santamaría Net Worth 2026

As of 2026, her estimated net worth stands at approximately $300,000, adjusted for inflation. She earned this money primarily from her acting work on 23 films and her producing credits on shows like Mamá x 2. 

Unlike modern celebrities, she did not have endorsement deals, social media income, or streaming residuals. Most of her wealth came from salaries paid by Mexican production companies during the 1960s and 1970s. After her death in 2005, whatever remained likely passed to her only son, Esteban.

Roxana Billini Santamaría Legacy

Her legacy lives on mainly among fans of vintage Mexican horror and luchador films from the 1960s. She represents a generation of Dominican and Latin American actors who crossed borders to find work in Mexico’s golden age of cinema. 

Modern researchers studying the del Castillo family often mention her as the first wife of Eric and the mother of his first child. Though she never became a household name, her small body of work remains visible on streaming platforms and DVD collections. She proved that a short career can still leave a lasting mark on film history.

Roxana Billini Santamaría Family

She came from a Dominican family, though their names and occupations remain undocumented in public records. Her own family consisted of her former husband, Eric del Castillo, and their one son together.

 That son, Esteban Eduardo Ponciano del Castillo-Negrete Billini, grew up to become a lawyer, not an actor. He studied at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and has kept a very low public profile. Unlike his famous half-sister Kate del Castillo, Esteban has avoided the spotlight entirely.

Roxana Billini Santamaría social media accounts

She has no official social media accounts on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or TikTok, simply because she died in 2005. Social media platforms did not exist during her lifetime, so she never had a chance to build an online following.

 Today, fan pages and tribute accounts occasionally post her photos or film clips, but none are official. Any account claiming to be her is certainly fake, as she passed away long before the social media era. For authentic information, stick to IMDb and reputable cinema history websites.

Roxana Billini Santamaría future prospects

She obviously has no future career prospects, since she passed away on April 9, 2005, from cardiac arrest in Mexico City. However, interest in her life may grow as more people discover classic Mexican horror and wrestling films online. 

Streaming services are slowly digitizing movies like The Brainiac and Santo in the Wax Museum, introducing her to new audiences. Film historians may also publish deeper research about supporting actresses of her era. Her legacy, therefore, has a quiet but real future, even if she does not.

Conclusion 

Roxana Billini Santamaría lived a short but interesting life. She left her home in the Dominican Republic to chase acting dreams in Mexico. She never became a huge star, but she worked steadily for over a decade. 

Her marriage to Eric del Castillo brought her temporary fame, and her son carried her bloodline forward. Today, her net worth of $300,000 seems small, but it does not define her. She was a pioneer, a working actress, and a producer at a time when few Dominican women worked in Mexican film. Her story reminds us that fame does not have to last forever to matter. Rest in peace, Roxana. Your films still have fans.

FAQs

1. Was Roxana Billini Santamaría related to Kate del Castillo?
Yes, she was Kate del Castillo’s stepmother through marriage. She married Kate’s father, Eric del Castillo, in 1964, years before Kate was born.

2. What caused Roxana Billini Santamaría death?
She died from cardiac arrest on April 9, 2005, in Mexico City. She was 68 years old at the time of her passing.

3. How many movies did Roxana Billini Santamaría act in?
She appeared in 23 films between 1960 and 1973. Her most famous titles include The Brainiac, Santo in the Wax Museum, and Suicide Mission.

4. Did Roxana Billini Santamaría have any children?
Yes, she had one son named Esteban Eduardo Ponciano del Castillo-Negrete Billini. He became a lawyer and stays far away from the entertainment industry.

5. What was Roxana Billini Santamaría net worth?
Her estimated net worth at death was around $300,000. She earned this money from her acting and producing work in Mexican cinema.