Sara Montiel (also Sarita Montiel or Saritisima) (born March 10, 1928) is a Spanish singer, and actress. She is still a much-loved and internationally known name in the Spanish-speaking movie and music industries.

She was born in Campo de Criptana in the region of Castile-La Mancha in 1928 as Maria Antonia Abad (complete name Maria Antonia Alejandra Vicenta Elpidia Isidora Abad Fernandez). After her unprecedented international hit in Juan de Orduea's El ultimo Cuple in 1957, Montiel achieved the status of mega-star in Europe and Latin America. She was the first woman to distill sex openly in Spanish cinema at a time when even a low cut dress was not acceptable.

Montiel was the most commercially successful Spanish actress during the mid twentieth century in much of the world. Miss Montiel's film "Varietes" was banned in Beijing in 1973. Her films "El ultimo Cuple" and "La Violetera" netted the highest gross revenues ever recorded for films made in the Spanish speaking movie industry during the 50s and 60s. She also played the role of Antonia, the niece of Don Quixote, in the 1947 Spanish film version of Cervantes's great novel.

She was recently portrayed in the Pedro Almodovar film Bad Education by a male actor in drag (Gael Garcia Bernal) as the transsexual character Zahara, and a film clip from one of her movies was used as well.