Carmen Margarita Zapata (July 15, 1927 – January 5, 2014) was an American actress. Zapata was born in New York City to a Mexican father and an Argentine mother. 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."In 1972, Zapata co-founded the Screen Actors Guild Ethnic Minority Committee with actors Ricardo Montalban, Edith Diaz, and Henry Darrow. The Bilingual Foundation of the Arts (BFA) was founded in 1973 by three prominent personalities in the world of theater: Mexican-American actress Carmen Zapata, 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 Los Angeles.Zapata died on January 5, 2014 from heart problems. She was eighty-six.
She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Live Theatre at 6357 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on October 2, 2003.
2
In May 1990, she was knighted by His Majesty King Juan Carlos of Spain and presented with "El Lazo de Dama del Orden del Mérito Civil".
3
In August 1993, Mayor Richard Riordan appointed her Commissioner of the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department.
4
She and Michael Dewell translated many of the landmark works of Federico García Lorca.
5
Performing "Carnival" in summer stock with Liza Minnelli in 1964 and billing herself as Marge Cameron at the time, it was Carmen who arranged and introduced Liza to the team of John Kander and Fred Ebb. Liza went on to do the Tony-winning "Flora the Red Menace" with the fabulous duo.
6
Among her various honors: The 1997 Hispanic Heritage Award for Lifetime Achievement, honoring her commitment to the arts for more than 50 years; YMCA Leadership Award; Woman of Courage Award from the City of Los Angeles; the Governor's Life Achievement Award, and the Community Leadership Award from the Mexican and American Foundation.
7
A singer, she contributed vocals to the song "Te quiero puta!" on the album "Rosenrot" (2005) by the German rock band Rammstein.
Actress
Title
Year
Status
Character
Point of No Return
1993
Judge
Batman: The Animated Series
1992
TV Series
Judge Maria Vargas
Sister Act
1992
Choir Nun
Secrets
1992
TV Movie
Judge
Santa Barbara
1985-1991
TV Series
Carmen Castillo
Jake and the Fatman
1991
TV Series
Judge
The Trials of Rosie O'Neill
1990-1991
TV Series
Judge Loyda Cervantes
How to Murder a Millionaire
1990
TV Movie
Clara
L.A. Law
1990
TV Series
Mrs. Rodriguez, Hector's mother
Homeroom
1989
TV Series
Mrs. Mendez
Falcon Crest
1989
TV Series
Judge Patterson
Married with Children
1989
TV Series
Madame Olga
Some Kinda Woman
1988
TV Movie
Los Angeles History Project
1988
TV Series
Narrator
Broken Angel
1988
TV Movie
Vultures
1987
Elena Garcia-Lopez
Daniel and the Towers
1987
TV Movie
Consuelo Guerra
Hunter
1987
TV Series
Edna Watley
The Education of Allison Tate
1986
Teresa Aleman
Foley Square
1985
TV Series
Trapper John, M.D.
1981-1985
TV Series
Nurse Lopez / Lopez / Anna
Matt Houston
1982-1984
TV Series
Woman
Mary Begay
Marta
CBS Schoolbreak Special
1984
TV Series
Mrs. Battaglia
a.k.a. Pablo
1984
TV Series
Dolores
The Tom Swift and Linda Craig Mystery Hour
1983
TV Movie
Grandma Mallory
Fantasy Island
1983
TV Series
Aunt Gina
Not Just Another Affair
1982
TV Movie
Judge Mercado
Archie Bunker's Place
1982
TV Series
Mrs. Hernandez
The Phoenix
1982
TV Series
Carmelita
Flamingo Road
1981-1982
TV Series
Lupe
A Single Light
1981
TV Movie
Children of Divorce
1980
TV Movie
Mrs. Ruiz
Homeward Bound
1980
TV Movie
Lorenza
How to Beat the High Co$t of Living
1980
Mama (uncredited)
There Goes the Bride
1980
Mrs. Ramirez
CBS Afternoon Playhouse
1980
TV Series
Mrs. Martinez
Hagen
1980
TV Series
Mrs. Chavez
The White Shadow
1979-1980
TV Series
Mrs. Alverez / Mrs. Alvarez
Mrs. Columbo
1979
TV Series
Landlady
Like Normal People
1979
TV Movie
License Clerk
Boulevard Nights
1979
Mrs. Landeros
Wonder Woman
1979
TV Series
The Prime Minister
A Guide for the Married Woman
1978
TV Movie
Mrs. Garcia
Flying High
1978
TV Series
Mrs. Bellagio
Leave Yesterday Behind
1978
TV Movie
Connie
Rabbit Test
1978
Madam Nundi
John Hus
1977
Mother of John Hus
Switch
1977
TV Series
Clarita
Telefon
1977
Nurse
Billy Jack Goes to Washington
1977
Emergency!
1977
TV Series
Woman Injured in Wreck
Chico and the Man
1974-1977
TV Series
Party Guest / Customer
Executive Suite
1976
TV Series
Josepha
Viva Valdez
1976
TV Series
Sophia Valdez
Shark Kill
1976
TV Movie
Helena Mendoza
I Will... I Will... For Now
1976
Maria
The Blue Knight
1976
TV Series
Lupe
A Home of Our Own
1975
TV Movie
Elena De La Paz
Mannix
1975
TV Series
Chambermaid
Archer
1975
TV Series
Olivera Bronko
Winner Take All
1975
TV Movie
Sara
Harry O
1975
TV Series
Mrs. Reynosa
Boss Nigger
1975
Margarita
McCloud
1975
TV Series
Mrs. Moreno
Kolchak: The Night Stalker
1975
TV Series
Spanish Woman
The Streets of San Francisco
1972-1975
TV Series
Maria Vega / Mrs. Martinez
Nakia
1974
TV Series
Sierra
1974
TV Series
Mrs. Andrews
Medical Center
1972-1974
TV Series
Luisa / Senora Esquival
Kojak
1974
TV Series
Ellen Conforti
W
1974
Betty
Those Mad, Mad Moviemakers
1974
Mama Theresa
Barnaby Jones
1974
TV Series
Mrs. Revez
Marcus Welby, M.D.
1970-1974
TV Series
Mrs. Sanchez / Carmela Russo / Mrs. Maria Delgado
Faraday and Company
1974
TV Series
Frieda Dupar
Toke
1973
Love, American Style
1971-1973
TV Series
Carmen Lopez (segment "Love and Carmen Lopez") / Serafina (segment "Love and the End of the Line") / Pilar (segment "Love and the Logical Explanation")
The F.B.I.
1973
TV Series
Leila Dracus
My Darling Daughters' Anniversary
1973
TV Movie
Esther
Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law
1972-1973
TV Series
Mrs. Chavez
Adam-12
1970-1973
TV Series
Maria Lopez / Mrs. Cipreano / Mrs. Encara Flores
Keep an Eye on Denise
1973
TV Movie
Bad Charleston Charlie
1973
Lottie
The ABC Afternoon Playbreak
1973
TV Series
Aunt Caroline
Villa Alegre
1973
TV Series
Doña Luz
The Girls of Huntington House
1973
TV Movie
Miss Rodriquez
Carola
1973
TV Movie
Mireille
Mod Squad
1973
TV Series
Mrs. Gomez
The Rookies
1973
TV Series
Mrs. Fabiano
The Couple Takes a Wife
1972
TV Movie
Maria
The New Dick Van Dyke Show
1971-1972
TV Series
Teela
Portnoy's Complaint
1972
Mrs. Harero (uncredited)
O'Hara, U.S. Treasury
1971
TV Series
Maria Valdez
McMillan & Wife
1971
TV Series
Mrs. Barteloni
The Man and the City
1971
TV Series
Josefina
Men at Law
1971
TV Series
The Bold Ones: The New Doctors
1971
TV Series
Rosa Villacres
The Silent Force
1970
TV Series
Bonanza
1970
TV Series
Maria
Room 222
1970
TV Series
Mrs. Ruiz
The Bold Ones: The Protectors
1970
TV Series
Mrs. Mendez
Hail, Hero!
1969
Juana
Fidel
2002
TV Movie
Old Woman
The Sleepy Time Gal
2001
Anna
The Egg Plant Lady
2000
Rosa Vecino
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
1998
TV Series
Doña Verano
The Secret World of Alex Mack
1997
TV Series
Senora Garcia
Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction
1997
TV Series segment: Justice is Served
- The Viewing/The Subway/Kid in the Closet/Justice is Served/The Tractor 1997 ... segment: Justice is Served
Death in Granada
1996
Lorca's Mother
Common Law
1996
TV Series
Rose
A Streetcar Named Desire
1995
TV Movie
Flower Seller
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child
1995
TV Series
Seventh Fairy
Fudge
1995
TV Series
Mrs. Ruiz
Skins
1994
Roses
Por la Vida: Street Vending & the Criminalization of Latinos
1994
Narrator (voice)
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit
1993
Choir Nun
Thanks
Title
Year
Status
Character
116 Seconds
2009
Short thanks
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Voces Vivas
2011
Video documentary
Herself
Hollywood Desperado: Rebel or Royalty
2008
Video documentary
Herself
Funny, You Don't Look 200: A Constitutional Vaudeville
1987
TV Movie documentary
Las madres de la Plaza de Mayo
1985
Documentary
Narrator
The Mike Douglas Show
1980
TV Series
Herself
The Tonight Show
1962
TV Series
Herself - Actress
The Vaughn Monroe Show
1951
TV Series
Herself (as Marian Saunders)
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
The 66th Primetime Emmy Awards
2014
TV Special
Herself - In Memoriam
The 86th Annual Academy Awards
2014
TV Special
Herself - Actress (In Memoriam)
20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards
2014
TV Special
Herself - In Memoriam
Reel Horror
1985
Lottie
Won Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
2003
Star on the Walk of Fame
Walk of Fame
Live Performance
Awarded on October 2, 2003 at 6357 Hollywood Blvd.