Biography
Maria Conchita Alonso began her performing career after competing in and winning beauty-pageants (Miss Teenager of the World 1971, Miss Venezuela 1975). The Cuban-born, Venezuelan-raised dark-haired beauty subsequently became one of South America's best-selling recording artists before becoming established as one of Hollywood's leading Hispanic actresses with her role in "Moscow on the Hudson" (1984), opposite Robin Williams. For a time in the …
Maria Alonso SlideShow
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Career Milestones
| Appeared in four feature films and ten soap operas in Venezuela before moving to the USA | ||
1962 | Family fled Cuba when Fidel Castro came to power; relocated to Venezuela when she was five (date approximate) | |
1971 | Named Miss Teenager of the World | |
1975 | Crowned Miss Venezuela | |
1984 | US film acting debut in "Moscow on the Hudson"; also sang | |
1986 | TV-movie debut, "Blood Ties" (Showtime) | |
1987 | Co-starred in the futuristic thriller "The Running Man" | |
1988 | Acted opposite Sean Penn and Robert Duvall in "Colors" | |
1989 | Starred in the NBC sitcom "One of the Boys" | |
1990 | Played the female lead in "Predator 2" | |
1993 | Starred opposite Edward James Olmos in "Roosters", directed by Robert M Young; film released theatrically in 1995 | |
1993 | Was one of the few actors of South American heritage cast in "The House of the Spirits", an adaptation of Chilean author Isabelle Allende's novel, starring Meryl Streep, Jeremy Irons, Glenn Close and Winona Ryder | |
1995 | Co-starred in the ABC miniseries "Texas" | |
1995 | Made Broadway debut in title role of "Kiss of the Spiderwoman"; succeeded Vanessa Williams in the part | |
1995 | Reteamed with Olmos and director Young for "Caught" | |
1996 | Starred as a Cuban immigrant bus driver taken hostage in the ABC fact-based TV-movie "Sudden Terror: The Hijacking of School Bus # 17" | |
1998 | Co-starred in "Volaverunt", a historical drama directed by Bigas Luna speculating on why there are two versions of the Spanish artist Goya's painting "Volaverunt" | |
1998 | Hosted Spanish-language talk show for Telemundo | |
1998 | Played a TV talk show host in the Spanish-language feature "Shout Out/El Grito en el Cielo" | |
2000 | Cast as a dying woman in "Knockout" | |
2000 | Had featured role as the sheriff's mistress in the TNT remake of "High Noon" | |
2000 | Played the US Vice President in the thriller "Chain of Command" (aired on HBO in lieu of a theatrical release) | |
2000 | Portrayed the lesbian lover of a closeted performer in the E! Entertainment Television original comedy "Best Actress" | |
2006 | Cast on ABC's "Desperate Housewives," as Gabrielle's mother, Lucia | |
2006 | Cast opposite Hilary and Haylie Duff in the comedy "Material Girls" | |