10:29 am - 07/27/2012
Lupe Ontiveros has died. She was 69.
The iconic Mexican-American actress, who is perhaps best known for playing the convicted murderer Yolanda Saldivar in "Selena," has passed away, TMZ is reporting.
Ontiveros, who also had a memorable role opposite Jack Nicholson and Greg Kinnear in the Oscar-winning comedy, "As Good As It Gets," was reportedly suffering from liver cancer.
Lupe, who built her career on playing immigrant characters, told NPR in 2009 that she had played a maid more than 150 times, including on the sitcom "Reba" "Who's The Boss" and in films like "Charlie's Angels."
"You've got maids and you've got maids," she said. "You got maids that have longevity beyond what you ever conceived of in your wildest dreams. I'll give you an example — The Goonies. Those that got hooked — I have a whole following of 30-year-olds who got hooked. Oh my gosh, I'm a heroine to them."
Ontiveros other credits include "The Goonies," "Hill Street Blues," and "Desperate Housewives"--for which she was nominated for an Emmy.
Aside from being a Latina icon, and an immensely talented actress, Ontiveros should also be credited with opening doors and breaking down barriers for the new generation of Latina stars. In that same NPR interview, Ontiveros talked about Latina actresses like Jennifer Lopez, Salma Hayek and her friend America Ferrera, and said they have opportunities that she never had. "{America Ferrera} probably has already formulated the kinds of roles she will or will not accept. She doesn't have to sacrifice her identity, her culture or her dignity to become a star," she said.
TMZ also reports that Ontiveros' "Selena" co-star Jacob Vargas was at her bedside last night and tweeted, "My friend Lupe Ontiveros just passed away. May you rest in peace. Thank you for your great contribution to film and TV. You will be missed."
Ontiveros is survived by her husband and three adult children.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/27/l
We've really lost a number of greats these last couple of months.
Iconic character actress Lupe Ontiveros dies at 69
Lupe Ontiveros has died. She was 69.
The iconic Mexican-American actress, who is perhaps best known for playing the convicted murderer Yolanda Saldivar in "Selena," has passed away, TMZ is reporting.
Ontiveros, who also had a memorable role opposite Jack Nicholson and Greg Kinnear in the Oscar-winning comedy, "As Good As It Gets," was reportedly suffering from liver cancer.
Lupe, who built her career on playing immigrant characters, told NPR in 2009 that she had played a maid more than 150 times, including on the sitcom "Reba" "Who's The Boss" and in films like "Charlie's Angels."
"You've got maids and you've got maids," she said. "You got maids that have longevity beyond what you ever conceived of in your wildest dreams. I'll give you an example — The Goonies. Those that got hooked — I have a whole following of 30-year-olds who got hooked. Oh my gosh, I'm a heroine to them."
Ontiveros other credits include "The Goonies," "Hill Street Blues," and "Desperate Housewives"--for which she was nominated for an Emmy.
Aside from being a Latina icon, and an immensely talented actress, Ontiveros should also be credited with opening doors and breaking down barriers for the new generation of Latina stars. In that same NPR interview, Ontiveros talked about Latina actresses like Jennifer Lopez, Salma Hayek and her friend America Ferrera, and said they have opportunities that she never had. "{America Ferrera} probably has already formulated the kinds of roles she will or will not accept. She doesn't have to sacrifice her identity, her culture or her dignity to become a star," she said.
TMZ also reports that Ontiveros' "Selena" co-star Jacob Vargas was at her bedside last night and tweeted, "My friend Lupe Ontiveros just passed away. May you rest in peace. Thank you for your great contribution to film and TV. You will be missed."
Ontiveros is survived by her husband and three adult children.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/27/l
We've really lost a number of greats these last couple of months.
Selena was on last night :/
I always liked this actress she was super adorable :( RIP
I wonder what kind of backlash carlos solis' mother went through after playing the selena killer. growing up in la in a dominant mexican community they were outraged jlo a puerto rican was playing selena and all of my mexican classmates hated Yolanda Saldivar after killing their hero.
Edited at 2012-07-27 03:54 pm (UTC)
Ugly Betty was cast with mostly PR's as Mexican.
It's very rare when I see a Mexican actor portraying a Puerto Rican.
Edited at 2012-07-27 03:54 pm (UTC)
she was so young
R.I.P
you know she is going to be one of the one left off by the academy when they do their in remembrance during the show.