Lupe Ontiveros

Early life Guadalupe Moreno was born on September 17, 1942, 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. and 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 in 1964.

Career Film Ontiveros once estimated that she had played a maid at least 150 times on stage and screen; Ontiveros 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."

One of her most prominent early film roles was in the 1983 Gregory Nava film El Norte, in which Ontiveros 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, Ontiveros 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. Ontiveros played the housekeeper, Rosalita, a Spanish-speaking 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). Ontiveros also had a notable cameo appearance in Blood In Blood Out (1993) as Carmen, a drug dealer who Paco (Benjamin Bratt) busts in a sting operation as an undercover cop 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 the film was released, Ontiveros would still reportedly be "hissed" at by Selena fans while in public. Ontiveros also appeared in the Academy Award-winning film As Good as It Gets.

In 2000, Ontiveros 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. Ontiveros 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, Ontiveros was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture at the 2000 Independent Spirit Awards.

During her acting career, Ontiveros 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.

Ontiveros 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 Ontiveros and her co-star a Special Jury Prize at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival. Ontiveros and Ferrera appeared together again in the family comedy Our Family Wedding. Ontiveros 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, Ontiveros 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.

Ontiveros 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 Ontiveros 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. In 1978, Ontiveros was cast as Dolores in Luis Valdez's historic play Zoot Suit in her first major theatrical role. Ontiveros 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. Ontiveros was also a founding member of the Latino Theater Company.

Personal life Ontiveros and her husband, Elías, had three sons: Alejandro, Elias, and Nicholas. They resided in Pico Rivera, California. After a funeral at St. Hilary Church of Perpetual Adoration in Pico Rivera, she was buried in Rose Hills Memorial Park.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1977 The World's Greatest LoverLupe 1978 The Boss' Son Mary 1978 The Big Fix Hatti 1978 California Suite Miss Mara 1980 Cheech & Chong's Next Movie Lupe As Lupe M. Ontiveros 1981 Zoot Suit Dolores 1982 The Border Mme Loupe 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 PastorelaChelsea 1992 Universal Soldier Bev 1993 Blood In Blood Out Carmen 1993 La carpaBev 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 Old Lady 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 CrawlspaceSusan French 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 Connie10 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 BluesMrs. Uribe 3 episodes 1982 American PlayhouseDanielle 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 DoraMarie 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 FameJaneMinor 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 WorldMartha 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 Emily Voice, episode: "We Love You Conrad" 2009 Southland Marta Ruiz Episode: "Derailed" 2009 ReaperGrandma 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"