Lupe Ontiveros
Lupe Ontiveros | |
---|---|
Born | Guadalupe Moreno September 17, 1942[1] El Paso, Texas, U.S. |
Died | July 26, 2012 Whittier, California, U.S. | (aged 69)
Resting place | Rose Hills Memorial Park |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1968–2012 |
Spouse |
Elías Ontiveros (m. 1966) |
Children | 3 |
Guadalupe Ontiveros (
Early life
Ontiveros was born in
After her marriage, she and her husband moved to
Career
Film
Ontiveros once estimated that she had played a maid at least 150 times on stage and screen;[3] 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 film roles was in the 1983
Ontiveros worked with Nava in subsequent films, including
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
She was a star of the short-lived
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]
Personal life
Ontiveros and her husband, Elías Ontiveros, had three sons, Alejandro, Elias, and Nicholas. They resided in Pico Rivera, California.[1]
Death
Ontiveros died on July 26, 2012, at Presbyterian Hospital in Whittier, California[1] at the age of 69 after a battle with liver cancer.[15]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1977 | The World's Greatest Lover | ||
1978 | The Boss' Son | Maria | |
1978 | The Big Fix | Marie | |
1978 | California Suite | Mary | |
1980 | Cheech & Chong's Next Movie
|
Lupe | As 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 | |
1991 | How Else Am I Supposed to Know I'm Still Alive? | Lupe | Short |
1991 | La Pastorela | Chelsea | |
1992 | Universal Soldier | Bev | |
1993 | Blood In Blood Out | Carmen | |
1993 | La carpa | Bev | |
1995 | My Family | Irene | |
1995 | ...And The Earth Did Not Swallow Him | Doña Rosa | |
1997 | Selena | Yolanda Saldívar | |
1997 | As Good as It Gets | Nora | |
1999 | The Brave | Maria | |
1999 | Candyman: Day of the Dead
|
Abuela | Direct-to-video |
2000 | The Egg Plant Lady | Connie | |
2000 | Chuck & Buck | Beverly Franco | |
2000 | Luminarias | Tia Tonia | |
2000 | Picking Up the Pieces | Constancia | |
2000 | Strippers | Credit Message | |
2001 | Gabriela | Grandma Josie | |
2001 | Storytelling | Consuelo | Segment: "Non-Fiction" |
2001 | La 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 | |
2009 | Hacia la vida | Soledad | Short |
2009 | Crawlspace | Short | |
2010 | Our Family Wedding | Momma Cecilia | |
2011 | Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 | Mrs. Cortez | Direct-to-video |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1976 | Charlie's Angels | Mary the Maid | Episode: "The Killing Kind" | |
1977 | Eight Is Enough | Mariana | Episode: "All's Fair in Love and War" | |
1977–1978 | Alice | Maria Fernanadez | 2 episodes | |
1978 | Soap | Connie | 10 episodes | |
1978–1980 | The White Shadow | Mrs. Gomez | 3 episodes | |
1980 | B. J. and the Bear | Amelia | Episode: "The Girls of Hollywood High" | |
1981–1984 | Hill Street Blues | Mrs. Uribe | 3 episodes | |
1982 | American Playhouse | Danielle | Episode: "Seguin" | |
1982 | ABC Afterschool Special | Mrs. Jane Nunez | Episode: "But It's Not My Fault" | |
1984 | a.k.a. Pablo | Mrs.Jane Alvarez | Episode: "The Whole Enchilada" | |
1984 | Jessie | Mary Velasco | Episode: "Pilot" | |
1986 | Fame | Mrs. Avery Castillo | Episode: "The Inheritance" | |
1986 | When the Bough Breaks | Cruz | Television film | |
1987 | I Married Dora | Marie | 2 episodes | |
1988 | Who's the Boss? | Margarita | Episode: "Housekeepers Unite" | |
1988 | CBS Schoolbreak Special | Mrs. Jane Rojas | Episode: "Gangs" | |
1988 | Punky Brewster | Mrs. Jane Aragon | Episode: "What's Your Sign?" | |
1988 | Hallmark Hall of Fame | Jane | Minor role | |
1989 | Those She Left Behind | Rosa | Television film | |
1990 | Grand Slam | Grandma Gomez | 4 episodes | |
1991 | Great Performances | Parranda (pastore) | Episode: "La pastorela" | |
1992 | Tales from the Crypt | Madame Leona | Episode: "Seance" | |
1993 | Rio Diablo | Ducna | Television film | |
1993 | Dudley
|
Marta | 5 episodes | |
1996 | Red Shoe Diaries | Lupe | Episode: "Juarez" | |
1996 | Caroline in the City | Rosa | Episode: "Caroline and the Kid" | |
1997 | Dave's World | Martha | Episode: "Tropical Depression" | |
1997 | Veronica's Closet | Louisa | 4 episodes | |
2000–2002 | The Brothers García | Abuelita Maria | 3 episodes | |
2001–2002 | Pasadena | Pilar | 4 episodes | |
2002 | King of the Hill | Anne | Voice, episode: "The Substitute Spanish Prisoner" | |
2002 | Leap of Faith | Lupe | Episode: "The Balls Game" | |
2002 | Resurrection Blvd. | Lupe | Episode: "La Guera de Bibi" | |
2002–2003 | Greetings from Tucson | Magdalena Tiant | 22 episodes | |
2002 | Mr. St. Nick | Tia Sophia | Television film | |
2004 | 30 Days Until I'm Famous | Rosa Moreno | Television film | |
2004–2007 | Maya & Miguel | Abuela Elena | Voice | |
2004, 2012 | Desperate Housewives | Juanita 'Mama' Solis | 8 episodes | |
2005 | Reba | Penny | Episode: "Reba and the Nanny" | |
2005 | Testing Bob | Secretary | Television film | |
2005 | Mind of Mencia | Carlos's Mom | ||
2006 | A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story | Mami | Television film | |
2008 | El Superstar: The Unlikely Rise of Juan Frances | Nena | ||
2008 | Weeds | Sister Helen | Episode: Little Boats" | |
2009 | Family Guy | Lupe | Voice, episode: "We Love You Conrad" | |
2009 | Southland | Marta Ruiz | Episode: "Derailed" | |
2009 | Reaper | Grandma Ellen | 2 episodes | |
2010 | Party Down | Mrs. Madge Gomez | Episode: "Steve Guttenberg's Birthday" | |
2011 | Los Americans | Lucia Valenzuela | 8 episodes | |
2012 | Rob | Abuelita Dana | 8 episodes | |
2012 | Common Law | Margie Lopez | Episode: "Ride-Along" |
References
- ^ a b c d e Navarro, Mireya (July 27, 2012). "Lupe Ontiveros, Who Portrayed Maids and Moms, Dies at 69". The New York Times. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
- ^ "Playing the Human Role," LA Weekly, March 6, 2002
- ^ a b Mireya Navarro, "Trying to get beyond the role of maid", The New York Times, May 16, 2002.
- ^ "Lupe Ontiveros – Tortilla Heaven", CineSnob.net, June 6, 2008
- ^ "Latina actress Lupe Ontiveros dies, age 69". Reuters. July 27, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
- ^ "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
- ^ Official site: Maid in America Archived June 14, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "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) - ^ 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.
- ^ Interview on NPR's "Fresh Air," October 17, 2002
- ^ Spreading the Word: A Deaf Boy Joins the Gang, The New York Times, September 25, 2006
- ^ Lupe Ontiveros: Sitting Pretty Archived October 9, 2006, at the Wayback Machine, AARP Segunda Juventud magazine, February/March 2005
- ^ Lupe Ontiveros profile on Lycos
- ^ 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.
- ^ "'Selena' co-star Lupe Ontiveros dies at 69". CNN. July 27, 2012. Archived from the original on July 28, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
External links
- Lupe Ontiveros at IMDb