Belita Moreno

Aurabela "Belita" Moreno (born November 1, 1949 ) is an American actress best known for her roles as Benita "Benny" Lopez on the ABC sitcom George Lopez and Edwina Twinkacetti and Lydia Markham on Perfect Strangers.

Early life Moreno was born in Dallas, Texas, the daughter of Aurora Rodriguez, a high school Spanish teacher, and Abel Moreno, a World War II veteran. Moreno has a younger sister, Elsie. Abel Moreno was the creator of the first logo for the Mexican restaurant, El Chico. Belita graduated from Justin F. Kimball High School and received a full scholarship to SMU.

Moreno majored in Theatre at Southern Methodist University. She continued her acting studies at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts in Santa Maria, California, where she appeared in the musical Once Upon a Mattress.

Career Soon after Moreno arrived in Hollywood, California, to pursue her acting career, she met director Robert Altman, and landed roles in three of his films: 3 Women, A Wedding, and A Perfect Couple. She appeared in many other films, including Mommie Dearest, Swing Shift, Oh, God! You Devil, Nobody's Fool, Men Don't Leave, Clear and Present Danger and Grosse Pointe Blank.

Moreno was a regular on the long-running ABC sitcom Perfect Strangers from 1986 to 1992. Her work on television includes appearances in television movies, such as Crazy From the Heart and Death Benefit, the miniseries Tales of the City, and in numerous sitcoms and dramatic series, including The Golden Girls, Family Ties, Valerie and Melrose Place. Moreno played Benny Lopez, George Lopez's mother, on George Lopez (2002–07).

During the 1980s, Moreno was a favorite of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Beth Henley, who Moreno was a classmate of at Southern Methodist University. Moreno performed in at least four premieres of Henley's plays. Henley created several roles specifically for Moreno: "Popeye" in The Miss Firecracker Contest, some dialogue of which was based on a true story told to the playwright by Moreno, and "Lacey Rollins" in the two-act play The Lucky Spot. Moreno performed in Firecracker at the Victory Theater in Burbank, California in 1980, and in Lucky Spot off-Broadway at the Manhattan Theatre Club in 1987.

Moreno also appeared in Henley's 1982 Broadway premiere at the Eugene O'Neill Theater of The Wake of Jamey Foster as "Katty Foster", directed by Ulu Grosbard, and in the 1989 world premiere of Abundance, as "Macon" at the South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, California.

Since the early 1990s, Moreno has served as an acting coach and advisor on numerous films, such as Jerry Maguire, Rush Hour 2, Almost Famous, Parent Trap, The Family Man, Crossroads and 17 Again. She also appeared on Wizards of Waverly Place on Disney Desperate Housewives on ABC, and Fairly Legal on USA Network.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1977 3 Women Alcira 1978 Remember My Name Neighbor 1978 A Wedding Daphne Corelli 1979 A Perfect Couple Eleousa 1981 Mommie Dearest Belinda Rosenberg 1982 Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again Nurse Gonzales 1984 Swing Shift Mabel Stoddard 1984 Oh, God! You Devil Mrs. Vega 1986 Nobody's Fool Jane 1988 Two Idiots in Hollywood Dream Barbecue Mother 1990 Men Don't Leave Mrs. Buckley 1994 Clear and Present Danger Jean Fowler 1997 Grosse Pointe Blank Mrs. Kinetta 2005 Barbara Jean Marion Short 2010 Diary of a Wimpy Kid Mrs. Norton 2011 Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules Mrs. Norton 2017 Ferdinand Shopkeeper Voice

Television Year Title Role Notes 1977 Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman Helen Dinsmore 2 episodes 1979 Visions Julia Episode: "Ladies in Waiting" 1981 A Gun in the House Marcie Clark TV film 1982 Lou Grant Cathy Short Episode: "Fireworks" 1983–1988 Family Ties Norma / Mrs. Pedroza / Bernice 3 episodes 1983 Cocaine and Blue Eyes Waitress TV film 1983 The Powers of Matthew Star Louise Episode: "Starr Knight" 1985 Scandal Sheet TV film 1985 Robert Kennedy and His Times Angie Novello TV miniseries 1985 Do You Remember Love Social Worker TV film 1985 I Dream of Jeannie... Fifteen Years Later Ms. Farrell TV film 1985 Crime of Innocence Marge Kennedy UncreditedTV film 1985 What's Happening Now! Mrs. Jones Episode: "The Challenge" 1986 The Golden Girls Nurse UncreditedEpisode: "The Operation" 1986 Melba Babs Episode: "The Girls Are Back in Town" 1986–1992 Perfect Strangers Lydia Markham / Mrs. Edwina Twinkacetti Recurring role, 46 episodes 1987 Full House Ronnie Gardner Episode: "Our Very First Promo" 1988 The Hogan Family Mrs. Thorne Episode: "Close Encounters" 1988 The Slap Maxwell Story Annie's Lawyer Series finale 1990 Going Places Mme. Pushnik Episode: "Curse of the Video" 1991 Crazy from the Heart Beebee Stiles TV film 1992 Roseanne Woman at Retirement Home Episode: "Ladies' Choice" 1993 Murphy Brown Sidney Episode: "Games Mother Play" 1993 Major Dad Ms. Whitlin Episode: "Night School" 1993 Tales of the City Alice Tolliver TV miniseries 1993 Getting By Marie Enright Episode: "Turnabout Dance" 1996 Melrose Place Gloria Bryan 3 episodes 1996 Death Benefit Sarah West TV film 1996 The Bachelor's Baby Judge Linda Farmer TV film 1996 Common Law Ruta Episode: "In the Matter of: Luis in Love" 2002–2007 George Lopez Benita "Benny" Lopez Main role, 120 episodes 2008 Wizards of Waverly Place Magdalena Episode: "Quinceanera" 2009 The Eastmans June Lynn Unsold TV pilot 2011 Fairly Legal Betty 2 episodes 2011 Truth Be Told Sophia Bishop TV film 2014 Red Band Society Dr. Holtzman Episode: "Pilot" 2015 Family Guy Hispanic Woman (voice) Episode: "Peter's Sister" 2019 On My Block Rosario Episode: Chapter 15 2022 Lopez vs. Lopez Bella Episode: "Lopez vs. Christmas"