Lupe Ontiveros

Last updated

Lupe Ontiveros
Lupe Ontiveros.jpg
Ontiveros in 2008
Born
Guadalupe Moreno

(1942-09-17)September 17, 1942
DiedJuly 26, 2012(2012-07-26) (aged 69)
Resting place Rose Hills Memorial Park
OccupationActress
Years active1968–2012
Spouse
Elías Ontiveros
(m. 1966)
Children3

Guadalupe Ontiveros ( née Moreno; September 17, 1942 – July 26, 2012) was an American actress best known for portraying Rosalita in The Goonies , and Yolanda Saldívar in the film Selena . She acted in numerous films and television shows, often playing a maid or, near the end of her career, an all-knowing grandmother. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for her work on Desperate Housewives and received critical acclaim for her role in Chuck & Buck , for which she won the National Board of Review award for Best Supporting Actress, and was also nominated for an Independent Spirit Award. [1]

Contents

Early life

Ontiveros was born in El Paso, Texas, the daughter of Luz "Lucita" Castañón and Juan Moreno, middle-class Mexican immigrants who overcame a lack of formal education to become owners of a tortilla factory and two restaurants in El Paso. [2] [3] She graduated from El Paso High School and went on to study at Texas Woman's University in Denton, Texas, where she received a bachelor's degree in social work. [3] She was raised Roman Catholic. [4]

After her marriage, she and her husband moved to California to realize his dream of starting an automotive business. During a period of dissatisfaction with her career as a social worker, Ontiveros was trying to decide whether to go back to school for a nursing degree when she saw an article about a need for local film extras. With her husband's encouragement, she took the job and parlayed it into a long stage and screen career. Prior to acting, she had worked for 18 years as a social worker, and she continued as an activist with many of the same causes with which she worked in that profession, such as domestic violence prevention and AIDS awareness and prevention. [5]

Career

Film

Ontiveros once estimated that she had played a maid at least 150 times on stage and screen; [2] she wanted to see more diverse roles available to Latina actors, noting "I'm proud to represent those hands that labor in this country. I've given every maid I've ever portrayed soul and heart." [6] In part because of her history in this role, she was chosen as the narrator for the documentary Maid in America. [7]

One of Ontiveros' most prominent early movie roles was in the 1983 Gregory Nava film El Norte , in which she played a seamstress and maid who acts as mentor to a newly arrived immigrant girl from Guatemala. In a 2004 interview with the Dominican newspaper Listin Diario , she called El Norte "the film that always will remain in me... [it] tells the immigrants' story" when asked to name her favorite film from her long career. [8] She played the housekeeper, Rosalita, a Spanish maid hired to assist in the packing and moving of the Walsh family in the hit adventure film The Goonies (1985) and a housekeeper in Dolly Dearest (1992). She also had a cameo appearance in Blood In Blood Out (1993) as Carmen, a drug dealer who Paco (Benjamin Bratt) busts in an undercover cop sting while pretending to be a drug dealer.

Ontiveros worked with Nava in subsequent films, including My Family/Mi Familia (1995) and Selena (1997). In the latter film she portrayed Yolanda Saldívar, the murderer of Tejano superstar Selena. Long after film was released, she would still reportedly be "hissed" at by Selena fans when she was out in public. [9] She also appeared in the Academy Award-winning film As Good as It Gets . [10]

In 2000 she was featured in the film Chuck & Buck , in which she played Beverly, a tough theater director who puts on a play written by one of the film's main characters. She said in multiple interviews that she accepted the role even before seeing the script, solely on the basis of being asked to play a character who was not defined by Hispanic ethnicity. For that role, she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture at the 2000 Independent Spirit Awards.

Ontiveros, during her acting career participated in the web series Los Americans (2011), which is characterized by having a multigenerational focus, a middle-class family living in Los Angeles. During the series, she participated with Esai Morales, Tony Plana, Yvonne DeLaRosa, JC Gonzalez, Raymond Cruz and Ana Villafañe.

She co-starred with America Ferrera in the 2002 film Real Women Have Curves , as the overbearing mother of Ferrera's character. Her performance received excellent reviews and earned her and her co-star a Special Jury Prize at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival. She and Ferrera appeared together again in the family comedy Our Family Wedding . She continued to work in the studio and independent films, such as This Christmas in 2007 and My Uncle Rafael in 2012.

Television

Ontiveros had a recurring role in the 2004–05 season of American prime time soap opera series Desperate Housewives as Juanita Solis, Gabrielle's suspicious mother-in-law. She received an Emmy nomination as Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for this role. In 2004 she also began a role as Abuela Elena, the grandmother of the title characters in the animated PBS children's series Maya & Miguel . The multicultural and bilingual series later introduced a deaf character, Marco, after a sign language-themed episode was suggested by the actress, who had two deaf adult sons. [11]

She was a star of the short-lived the WB's Greetings from Tucson , playing the grandmother in an upwardly mobile family of mixed Irish and Mexican heritage. She also had recurring guest roles in the series Veronica's Closet , for which she won an ALMA Award in 1998, and in the short-lived soap opera Pasadena . She was a guest star in Hill Street Blues , Red Shoe Diaries , Resurrection Blvd. , Cory in the House and King of the Hill , among many other series.

Stage

After deciding she wanted an acting career, Ontiveros began in earnest, following up full-day sessions at her first career with evening work at Nosotros, a community theater in Los Angeles. [12] In 1978 she was cast as Dolores in Luis Valdez's historic play Zoot Suit in her first major theatrical role. She went on to reprise the role on Broadway—it was the first Mexican American theatrical production ever to play there—and in the 1982 film version. She was a founding member of the Latino Theater Company. [13] [14]

Charity work

In August 2006, the Kaiser Permanente insurance company announced that Ontiveros would be the featured presenter in a new health-education DVD to be available in English and Spanish. [15] She promoted higher education for Latinos, through advertisements for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund in 2002 and through participation in a 2003 campaign to increase access to the 2004 Hispanic Scholarships Directory across southern California.

Personal life

Ontiveros and her husband, Elías Ontiveros, had three sons, Alejandro, Elias, and Nicholas. They resided in Pico Rivera, California. [3]

Death

Ontiveros died on July 26, 2012, at Presbyterian Hospital in Whittier, California [3] at the age of 69 after a battle with liver cancer. [16] Her memorial was on August 2, 2012, which was attended by her co-actors Eva Longoria, Edward James Olmos and Wilmer Valderrama. Her funeral was the following day, where her casket was transported and buried at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1977 The World's Greatest Lover
1978The Boss' SonMaria
1978 The Big Fix Marie
1978 California Suite Mary
1980 Cheech & Chong's Next Movie Lupeas Lupe M. Ontiveros
1981 Zoot Suit Dolores
1982 The Border Lupe
1983 El Norte Nacha
1985 Little Treasure Ellen, Market Voice #1
1985 The Goonies Rosalita
1987 The Rosary Murders Sophie
1987 Born in East L.A. Ruby
1990 A Show of Force Pepita
1991 Dolly Dearest Camilla
1991How Else Am I Supposed to Know I'm Still Alive?LupeShort
1991La PastorelaChelsea
1992 Universal Soldier Bev
1993 Blood In Blood Out Carmen
1993La carpaBev
1995 My Family Irene
1995...And The Earth Did Not Swallow HimDoña Rosa
1997 Selena Yolanda Saldívar
1997 As Good as It Gets Nora
1999 The Brave Maria
1999 Candyman: Day of the Dead AbuelaDirect-to-Video
2000The Egg Plant LadyConnie
2000 Chuck & Buck Beverly Franco
2000LuminariasTia Tonia
2000 Picking Up the Pieces Constancia
2000StrippersCredit Message
2001 Gabriela Grandma Josie
2001 Storytelling ConsueloSegment "Non-Fiction"
2001La olla
2002 Real Women Have Curves Carmen Garcia
2002 Passionada Angelica Amonte
2007 Tortilla Heaven Adelfa
2007 Dark Mirror Grace
2007 This Christmas Rosie
2007 Universal Signs Claire
2008 Days of Wrath Anita Terrazas
2009Hacia la vidaSoledadShort
2009CrawlspaceShort
2010 Our Family Wedding Momma Cecilia
2011 Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 Mrs. CortezDirect-to-Video

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1976 Charlie's Angels Mary the MaidEpisode: "The Killing Kind"
1977 Eight Is Enough MarianaEpisode: "All's Fair in Love and War"
1977–1978 Alice Maria Fernanadez2 episodes
1978 Soap Connie10 episodes
1978–1980 The White Shadow Mrs. Gomez3 episodes
1980 B. J. and the Bear AmeliaEpisode: "The Girls of Hollywood High"
1981–1984 Hill Street Blues Mrs. Uribe3 episodes
1982 American Playhouse DanielleEpisode: "Seguin"
1982 ABC Afterschool Special Mrs. Jane NunezEpisode: "But It's Not My Fault"
1984 a.k.a. Pablo Mrs.Jane AlvarezEpisode: "The Whole Enchilada"
1984 Jessie Mary VelascoEpisode: "Pilot"
1986 Fame Mrs. Avery CastilloEpisode: "The Inheritance"
1986 When the Bough Breaks CruzTV Movie
1987 I Married Dora Marie2 episodes
1988 Who's the Boss? MargaritaEpisode: "Housekeepers Unite"
1988 CBS Schoolbreak Special Mrs. Jane RojasEpisode: "Gangs"
1988 Punky Brewster Mrs. Jane AragonEpisode: "What's Your Sign?"
1988 Hallmark Hall of Fame JaneMinor role
1989 Those She Left Behind RosaTV movie
1990Grand SlamGrandma Gomez4 episodes
1991 Great Performances Parranda (pastore)Episode: "La pastorela"
1992 Tales from the Crypt Madame LeonaEpisode: "Seance"
1993Rio DiabloDucnaTV movie
1993 Dudley Marta5 episodes
1996 Red Shoe Diaries LupeEpisode: "Juarez"
1996 Caroline in the City RosaEpisode: "Caroline and the Kid"
1997 Dave's World MarthaEpisode: "Tropical Depression"
1997 Veronica's Closet Louisa4 episodes
2000–2002 The Brothers García Abuelita Maria3 episodes
2001–2002 Pasadena Pilar4 episodes
2002 King of the Hill AnneVoice, Episode: "The Substitute Spanish Prisoner"
2002 Leap of Faith LupeEpisode: "The Balls Game"
2002 Resurrection Blvd. LupeEpisode: "La Guera de Bibi"
2002–2003 Greetings from Tucson Magdalena Tiant22 episodes
2002 Mr. St. Nick Tia SophiaTV movie
200430 Days Until I'm FamousRosa MorenoTV movie
2004–2007 Maya & Miguel Abuela ElenaVoice, Episode: "Rhymes with Gato"
2004, 2012 Desperate Housewives Juanita 'Mama' Solis8 episodes
2005 Reba PennyEpisode: "Reba and the Nanny"
2005Testing BobSecretaryTV movie
2005 Mind of Mencia Carlos's Mom
2006 A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story MamiTV movie
2008El Superstar: The Unlikely Rise of Juan FrancesNena
2008 Weeds Sister HelenEpisode: Little Boats"
2009 Family Guy LupeEpisode: "We Love You Conrad"
2009 Southland Marta RuizEpisode: "Derailed"
2009 Reaper Grandma Ellen2 episodes
2010 Party Down Mrs. Madge GomezEpisode: "Steve Guttenberg's Birthday"
2011 Los Americans Lucia Valenzuela8 episodes
2012 Rob Abuelita Dana8 episodes
2012 Common Law Margie LopezEpisode: "Ride-Along"

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Selena</span> American Tejano singer (1971–1995)

Selena Quintanilla Pérez, known mononymously as Selena, was an American Tejano singer. Called the "Queen of Tejano music", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most celebrated Mexican-American entertainers of the late 20th century. In 2020, Billboard magazine put her in third place on their list of "Greatest Latino Artists of All Time", based on both Latin albums and Latin songs chart. Media outlets called her the "Tejano Madonna" for her clothing choices. She also ranks among the most influential Latin artists of all time and is credited for catapulting the Tejano genre into the mainstream market.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward James Olmos</span> Mexican-American actor and director (born 1947)

Edward James Olmos is an American actor, director, producer, and activist. He is best known for his roles as Lieutenant Martin "Marty" Castillo in Miami Vice (1984–1989), American Me (1992), William Adama in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica (2004–2009), teacher Jaime Escalante in Stand and Deliver (1988), Detective Gaff in Blade Runner (1982) and its sequel Blade Runner 2049 (2017) and the English dub voice of Mito in the 2005 Disney dub of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. In 2018 through 2022, he has played the father of two members of an outlaw motorcycle club in the FX series Mayans MC.

Yolanda Saldívar is an American former nurse who was convicted of the murder of singer Selena in 1995. Saldívar had been the president of Selena's fan club and the manager of her boutiques, but she lost both positions a short time before the murder, when the singer's family discovered that she had been embezzling money from both organizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lupe Vélez</span> Mexican actress (1908–1944)

María Guadalupe Villalobos Vélez, known professionally as Lupe Vélez, was a Mexican actress, singer and dancer during the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema.

<i>Selena</i> (film) 1997 film by Gregory Nava

Selena is a 1997 American biographical musical drama film written and directed by Gregory Nava. It is based on the true story of Tejano music star Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, chronicling her rise to fame and tragic death when she was murdered by Yolanda Saldívar at the age of 23. The film stars Jennifer Lopez, Edward James Olmos, Jon Seda, Constance Marie, Jacob Vargas, Lupe Ontiveros, and Jackie Guerra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Pérez</span> American guitarist (born 1969)

Christopher Gilbert Pérez is an American guitarist, best known as lead guitarist for the Tejano band Selena y Los Dinos. He married the frontwoman of the group, Selena, on April 2, 1992. Pérez grew up in San Antonio, Texas as one of two children of Gilbert Pérez and Carmen Medina. In 1986, he began his tenure by joining Shelly Lares' band. By the late 1980s, Pérez was respected among Tejano musicians for his guitar skills. This caught A.B. Quintanilla's attention; at the time, A.B. was seeking another guitarist for the band he produced, Selena y Los Dinos. Between one and two years after Pérez joined the band, he and Selena began a personal relationship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">America Ferrera</span> American actress (born 1984)

America Georgina Ferrera is an American actress. Born in Los Angeles to Honduran parents, Ferrera developed an interest in acting at a young age, performing in several stage productions at her school. She made her feature film debut in 2002 with the comedy-drama Real Women Have Curves, earning praise for her performance. Ferrera has won an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award among others.

<i>Real Women Have Curves</i> 2002 comedy-drama film by Patricia Cardoso

Real Women Have Curves is a 2002 American comedy-drama film directed by Patricia Cardoso, based on the play of the same name by Josefina López, who co-authored the screenplay for the film with George LaVoo. The film stars America Ferrera as protagonist Ana García. It gained fame after winning the Audience Award for best dramatic film, and the Special Jury Prize for acting in the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. The film went on to receive the Youth Jury Award at the San Sebastian International Film Festival, the Humanitas Prize, the Imagen Award, and Special Recognition by the National Board of Review. According to the Sundance Institute, the film gives a voice to young women who are struggling to love themselves and find respect in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dania Ramirez</span> Dominican actress

Dania Ramirez is a Dominican-American actress. Her credits include the roles of Maya Herrera in Heroes, Alex in Entourage, and Blanca during the last season of The Sopranos on television. Her film roles include Alex Guerrero in She Hate Me and Callisto in the feature film X-Men: The Last Stand. She portrayed Rosie Falta on Lifetime's Devious Maids from June 2013, until its cancellation in 2016. In July 2017, Ramirez joined the hit ABC series Once Upon a Time for its softly-rebooted seventh season in a starring role as Cinderella.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ilka Tanya Payán</span> American actress

Ilka Tanya Payán was a Dominican-born actress and attorney who later became a prominent HIV/AIDS activist in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Harring</span> Mexican actress and Miss USA 1985

Laura Elena, Countess von Bismarck-Schönhausen, known professionally as Laura Harring, is a Mexican-American actress. In 1985, Harring became the first Hispanic woman crowned Miss USA. She later began her acting career in television and film. She is best known for her dual roles as Rita and Camilla Rhodes in the 2001 postmodern neo-noir film Mulholland Drive. She is also known for her roles in other films, including The Forbidden Dance (1990), John Q (2002), Willard (2003), The Punisher (2004), The King (2005), Love in the Time of Cholera (2007), Ghost Son (2007), The Caller (2008), Drool (2009), Sex Ed (2014), and Inside (2016). She also played Carla Greco in General Hospital (1990–1991), Paula Stevens on Sunset Beach (1997), and Rebecca "Becca" Doyle in The Shield (2006).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Selena</span> 1995 murder in Corpus Christi, Texas, US

Selena Quintanilla Pérez was an American singer who achieved international fame as a member of Selena y Los Dinos and for her subsequent solo career in both Spanish and English. Her father and manager, Abraham Quintanilla Jr., appointed Yolanda Saldívar president of Selena's fan club in 1991 after Saldívar had repeatedly asked permission to start one. In January 1994, Saldívar was promoted to manager of the singer's boutiques. Soon Selena's employees, fashion designer, and cousin began complaining about Saldívar's management style. In January 1995, Quintanilla Jr. began receiving telephone calls and letters from angry fans who had sent membership payments and had received nothing in return. He began investigating their complaints and found evidence that Saldívar had embezzled $60,000 from the fan club and the boutiques using forged checks. After the Quintanilla family confronted her about this, Saldívar fatally shot Selena with a .38 special revolver on the morning of March 31, 1995, at the Days Inn in Corpus Christi, Texas. Although the healthcare team tried to revive Selena, she died of hypovolemic shock.

The Bronze Screen directed and produced by Susan Racho, and Alberto Dominguez, examines, analyzes, and critiques the portrayal of Latinos in Hollywood over the course of a century. Released in 2002, the documentary traces the different stereotypes evoked by Hollywood throughout the mid 19th and 20th century. This is done through the use of silent films and small excerpts from a variety of movie genres that feature Latinos. Carmen Miranda and Margarita Cansino are a few of the many Latin actors and actresses whose careers, according to film historians, directors, and fellow actors featured in the documentary, were fabricated and highly manipulated by Hollywood. Furthermore, these actresses are used to illustrate the politics behind American Cinema and Latino/a negative representations in Hollywood. In addition to exploring stereotypes and negative representations of Latinos, The Bronze Screen also acknowledges the contribution and emergence of Latino writers, directors, cinematographers, composers, and graphic designers. Luis Valdez, Pablo Ferro, Moctesuma Esparza, and John Alonzo are a few, among the many featured in the documentary, that have paved the way for other Latinos who want to work in the industry, as well as, portrayed Latinos in a more positive manner through their films.

Lucy Gallardo was an Argentine-born Mexican actress and screenwriter. She was best known for her numerous roles in Mexican cinema, as well as Mexico's telenovelas. Gallardo was the widow of Mexican actor Enrique Rambal.

State of Texas v. Yolanda Saldívar was a criminal trial held at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse in Downtown Houston, in the U.S. state of Texas. The trial began with the jury's swearing-in on October 9, through opening statements on October 12, to a verdict on October 23, 1995. Former nurse Yolanda Saldívar was tried on one count of first-degree murder after the shooting death of American Tejano music singer Selena on March 31, 1995, after which she held police and the FBI Crisis Negotiation Unit at bay for almost ten hours. The case has been described as the most important trial for the Hispanic population and was compared to the O. J. Simpson murder trial by media outlets. It was one of the most publicly followed trials in the history of the state of Texas.

<i>Los Americans</i> TV series or program

Los Americans is an eight-part series that focuses on a multi-generational, middle-income Latino family living in Los Angeles. The show was written and directed by Dennis Leoni and released in 2011.

Latinos Beyond Reel is a documentary which was released on February 23, 2013. Latinos Beyond Reel taps into the harsh reality of Latino representation in the media industry. Latinos Beyond Reel was directed by Miguel Picker and Chyng-Feng Sun. Latinos Beyond Reel is under The Media Education Foundation (MEF). The Media Education Foundation (MEF) produced and distributed the film. The film talks about the underrepresentation and marginalization of Latinos in the U.S media. The film also talks about the effects the false representation of Latinos in the media industry has on youth. Latinos Beyond Reel captures the most unfortunate portrayal of Latinos in the media ranging from off-screen roles to animated characters in film and television.

Jessica Marie Garcia is an American actress. She made her acting debut as Sierra on the drama series Huge (2010), and subsequently played Becky on the sitcom The Middle (2012–2014). Her breakthrough came with playing Willow Cruz on the Disney Channel series Liv and Maddie (2013–2017), and she achieved mainstream success portraying Rhonda Navarro on the thriller series How to Get Away with Murder (2018–2019). She has received acclaim for starring as Jasmine Flores on the Netflix series On My Block (2018–2021), which earned her a Teen Choice Award nomination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Verónica Falcón</span> Mexican actress, choreographer (b. 1966)

Verónica Falcón, credited as Veronica Falcon and occasionally Veronica Falcón, is a Mexican actress and choreographer. When it comes to her English-speaking roles, she is best known for playing Camila Vargas in three seasons of Queen of the South and Lupe Gibbs in the 2020 HBO reboot of Perry Mason. In 2022, Falcón played Camila Elizondo, for Season 4 of Ozark.

References

  1. "Playing the Human Role," LA Weekly, March 6, 2002
  2. 1 2 Mireya Navarro, "Trying to get beyond the role of maid", The New York Times, May 16, 2002.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Navarro, Mireya (July 27, 2012). "Lupe Ontiveros, Who Portrayed Maids and Moms, Dies at 69". The New York Times . Retrieved July 28, 2012.
  4. "Lupe Ontiveros – Tortilla Heaven", CineSnob.net, June 6, 2008
  5. "Latina actress Lupe Ontiveros dies, age 69". Reuters. July 27, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
  6. "Trying to Get Beyond the Role of the Maid; Hispanic Actors Are Seen as Underrepresented, With the Exception of One Part", The New York Times, May 16, 2002
  7. Official site: Maid in America Archived June 14, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  8. "El dinero es la differencia entre Hollywood y el cine". Archived from the original on September 8, 2004. Retrieved August 17, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)Listen, March 1, 2004 (in Spanish)
  9. Navarro, Mireya (July 28, 2012). "Lupe Ontiveros, Who Portrayed Maids and Moms, Dies at 69". The New York Times. In "Selena," released in 1997, Ms. Ontiveros was so credible as the killer of the popular Tejano music star Selena Quintanilla, played by Jennifer Lopez, that for years the singer's fans would hiss at her when she walked into a public place.
  10. Interview on NPR's "Fresh Air," October 17, 2002
  11. Spreading the Word: A Deaf Boy Joins the Gang, The New York Times, September 25, 2006
  12. Lupe Ontiveros: Sitting Pretty, AARP Segunda Juventud magazine, February/March 2005
  13. Lupe Ontiveros profile on Lycos
  14. Ng, David (July 27, 2012). "Latino Theater Company remembers Lupe Ontiveros". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on June 24, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  15. Kaiser Permanente Health Video Targets Latinos Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  16. "'Selena' co-star Lupe Ontiveros dies at 69". CNN. July 27, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2012.