Spanish actress Marisa Paredes dies aged 78

Spanish actress Marisa Paredes has died at the age of 78.

The screen star, best known for starring in several films by director and screenwriter Pedro Almodóvar, has died at the age of 87, the Spanish Academy of Cinema announced on Tuesday.

The cause of her death has not yet been revealed.

"Spanish cinema is left without one of its most iconic actresses, Marisa Paredes," the Academy said in a statement. "Strong, ambivalent, heartbroken, passionate, enigmatic and ultimately very human women made up the acting work of the woman from Madrid.

Paredes began her acting career at the age of 14 and went on to appear in more than 75 films, including Almodóvar's High Heels, All About My Mother, The Flower of My Secret and The Skin I Live In.

Almodóvar's regular collaborators Antonio Banderas and Penélope Cruz paid tribute to Paredes.

"You've left us too soon, dear friend," Banderas said, reports The Guardian, adding that he was deeply saddened by the death of one of the "great women of acting".

Spanish actress Cruz, who worked with Paredes in All About My Mother, stated, "My dear Marisa, you've left us too soon. I love you. Safe journey."

Paredes's international career took off when she first worked with Almodóvar in 1983's comedy/drama Dark Habits.

Her last film, the road movie Emergency Exit, was directed by Lluis Miñarro and is yet to be released.

Paredes was also president of the Spanish Film Academy from 2000 to 2003.

The star is survived by her partner of decades, José María Prado, and her actress daughter, María Isasi.