Carmen Zapata
| Carmen Zapata | |
|---|---|
 Zapata and Vito Scotti in Love, American Style in 1973 | |
| Born |
Carmen Margarita Zapata July 15, 1927 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died |
January 5, 2014 (aged 86) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1946–2002 |
| Spouse(s) | Ron Friedman (1957-1963) (divorced) |
Carmen Margarita Zapata (July 15, 1927 – January 5, 2014) was an American actress. Zapata was born in New York City to Julio Zapata, a Mexican immigrant, and Ramona Roca, an Argentine.[1][2]
Zapata made her Broadway debut in the chorus of Oklahoma! in 1946.[3] She appeared in over one hundred movies and shows, including Batman: The Animated Series, Married... with Children, Sister Act, and she was Carmen Castillo in Santa Barbara. One of her longest-running roles was on the bilingual children's program Villa Alegre, where for nine years she played the lead character, "Doña Luz."[4][5]
In 1972, Zapata co-founded the Screen Actors Guild Ethnic Minority Committee with actors Ricardo Montalban, Edith Diaz, and Henry Darrow. In 1973, she co-founded the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts (BFA) with Cuban-born actress, playwright, and director Margarita Galban and Argentine-born award-winning set designer Estela Scarlata.
In 1976, Zapata joined Rodolfo Hoyos, Jr., in starring roles in the 12-episode ABC situation comedy summer replacement series Viva Valdez, about a Mexican-American family living in East Los Angeles, California.[6]
In 2003, Zapata received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[3]
Death
Zapata died on January 5, 2014 from heart disease; she was 86 years old.[3]
See also
References
- ↑ The Sacramento Bee, "Playing Against Type Long Cast In Stereotypical Mexican Roles, Carmen Zapata Has Found A Part That Fills Her Soul In Stc'S "Driving Miss Daisy"(September 11, 1990, Page E1); "She had been christened so in New York City daughter of a Mexican father and an Argentine mother"
- ↑ Candelaria, Cordelia (2004-01-01). Encyclopedia of Latino Popular Culture. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 9780313332104.
- 1 2 3 Actress Carmen Zapata Dies at 86: Hollywood Reporter website; retrieved January 17, 2014.
- ↑ Lowe Kilmer. "Celebrities" (column), Watertown Daily Times (New York), October 7, 2003, Lifestyles & Leisure section, page B2.
- ↑ Matt S. Meier, Conchita Franco Serri, and Richard A. Garcia. Notable Latino Americans: A Biographical Dictionary, Westport, Conn. Greenwood Press, 1997, page 410: "Most important, in her role of Doña Luz she was, for nine years, the heart and soul of the Public Broadcasting System's bilingual program, 'Villa Alegre.'"
- ↑ "Viva Valdez". Internet Movie Data Base. Retrieved February 12, 2014.