 | |
| Gender: | Female |
| Age: | 75 years old |
| Birth: | November 1, 1949 |
| Place of Birth: | Dallas, Texas |
| Role: | Magdalena |
| Occupation: | American Actor |
| Years Active: | 1977 - present |
| Relationship: | Joel Rudnick (husband) |
| SeasonsAppeared: | Season 1 |
| FirstAppearances: | Quinceañera |
| LastAppearances: | Quinceañera |
Belita Moreno is an American Actress. She is mainly known for playing Magdalena on Wizards of Waverly Place.
Early Life[]
Belita Moreno was born in Dallas, Texas, born to Aurora Rodriguez and Abel Moreno. Moreno graduated from Justin F. Kmball High School, and went on to major in Theater at Southern Methodist University. She continued her acting studies in the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts.
Career[]
After Merono arrived in Hollywood, California, to pursue her acting career, she met direct Robert Altman, and laded the roles in three of his film's: 3 Women, A Wedding, and A Perfect Couple. She appeared in many other films, including Mommie Dearest, Swing Shift, Oh, God! You Devil, Nobody's Fool, Men Don't Leave, Clear and Present Danger and Grosse Pointe Blank. Moreno was a regular on the long-running ABC sitcom Perfect Strangers from 1986 to 1992. Her work on television includes appearances in television movies, such as Crazy From the Heart and Death Benefit, the miniseries Tales of the City, and in numerous sitcoms and dramatic series, including The Golden Girls, Family Ties, Valerie and Melrose Place. Moreno played Benny Lopez, George Lopez's mother, on George Lopez (2002–07). During the 1980s, Moreno was a favorite of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Beth Henley. Moreno performed in at least four premieres of Henley's plays. Henley created several roles specifically for Moreno: "Popeye" in The Miss Firecracker Contest, some dialogue of which was based on a true story told to the playwright by Moreno, and "Lacey Rollins" in the two-act play The Lucky Spot. Moreno performed in Firecracker at the Victory Theater in Burbank, California in 1980, and in Lucky Spot off-Broadway at the Manhattan Theatre Club in 1987. Moreno also appeared in Henley's 1982 Broadway premiere at the Eugene O'Neill Theater of The Wake of Jamey Foster as "Katty Foster", directed by Ulu Grosbard, and in the 1989 world premiere of Abundance, as "Macon" at the South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, California. Since the early 1990s, Moreno has served as an acting coach and advisor on numerous films, such as Jerry Maguire, Rush Hour 2, Almost Famous, Parent Trap, The Family Man, Crossroads and 17 Again. She also appeared on Wizards of Waverly Place on Disney and Fairly Legal on USA Network.
Filmography[]
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1977 | 3 Women | Alcira | |
| 1978 | Remember My Name | Neighbor | |
| 1978 | A Wedding | Daphne Corelli | |
| 1979 | A Perfect Couple | Eleousa | |
| 1981 | Mommie Dearest | Belinda Rosenberg | |
| 1982 | Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again | Nurse Gonzales | |
| 1984 | Swing Shift | Mabel Stoddard | |
| 1984 | Oh, God! You Devil | Mrs. Vega | |
| 1986 | Nobody's Fool | Jane | |
| 1988 | Two Idiots in Hollywood | Dream Barbecue Mother | |
| 1990 | Men Don't Leave | Mrs. Buckley | |
| 1994 | Clear and Present Danger | Jean Fowler | |
| 1997 | Grosse Pointe Blank | Mrs. Kinetta | |
| 2005 | Barbara Jean | Marion | Short |
| 2010 | Diary of a Wimpy Kid | Mrs. Norton | |
| 2011 | Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules | Mrs. Norton | |
| 2017 | Ferdinand | Shopkeeper | Voice Role |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1977 | Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman | Helen Dinsmore | 2 episodes |
| 1979 | Visions | Julia | Episode: "Ladies in Waiting" |
| 1981 | A Gun in the House | Marcie Clark | TV film |
| 1982 | Lou Grant | Cathy Short | Episode: "Fireworks" |
| 1983–1988 | Family Ties | Norma / Mrs. Pedroza / Bernice | 3 episodes |
| 1983 | Cocaine and Blue Eyes | Waitress | TV film |
| 1983 | The Powers of Matthew Star | Louise | Episode: "Starr Knight" |
| 1985 | Scandal Sheet | TV film | |
| 1985 | Robert Kennedy and His Times | Angie Novello | TV miniseries |
| 1985 | Do You Remember Love | Social Worker | TV film |
| 1985 | I Dream of Jeannie... Fifteen Years Later | Ms. Farrell | TV film |
| 1985 | Crime of Innocence | Marge Kennedy | Uncredited
TV film |
| 1985 | What's Happening Now! | Mrs. Jones | Episode: "The Challenge" |
| 1986 | The Golden Girls | Nurse | Uncredited
Episode: "The Operation" |
| 1986 | Melba | Babs | Episode: "The Girls Are Back in Town" |
| 1986–1992 | Perfect Strangers | Lydia Markham / Mrs. Edwina Twinkacetti | Recurring role
46 episodes |
| 1987 | Full House | Ronnie Gardner | Episode: "Our Very First Promo" |
| 1988 | The Hogan Family | Mrs. Thorne | Episode: "Close Encounters" |
| 1988 | The Slap Maxwell Story | Annie's Lawyer | Series finale |
| 1990 | Going Places | Mme. Pushnik | Episode: "Curse of the Video" |
| 1991 | Crazy from the Heart | Beebee Stiles | TV film |
| 1992 | Roseanne | Woman at Retirement Home | Episode: "Ladies' Choice" |
| 1993 | Murphy Brown | Sidney | Episode: "Games Mother Play" |
| 1993 | Major Dad | Ms. Whitlin | Episode: "Night School" |
| 1993 | Tales of the City | Alice Tolliver | TV miniseries |
| 1993 | Getting By | Marie Enright | Episode: "Turnabout Dance" |
| 1996 | Melrose Place | Gloria Bryan | 3 episodes |
| 1996 | Death Benefit | Sarah West | TV film |
| 1996 | The Bachelor's Baby | Judge Linda Farmer | TV film |
| 1996 | Common Law | Ruta | Episode: "In the Matter of: Luis in Love" |
| 2002–2007 | George Lopez | Benita "Benny" Lopez | Main role, 120 episodes |
| 2008 | Wizards of Waverly Place | Magdalena | Episode: "Quinceanera" |
| 2009 | The Eastmans | June Lynn | Unsold TV pilot |
| 2011 | Fairly Legal | Betty | 2 episodes |
| 2011 | Truth Be Told | Sophia Bishop | TV film |
| 2014 | Red Band Society | Dr. Holtzman | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2015 | Family Guy | Hispanic Woman (voice) | Episode: "Peter's Sister" |
| 2019 | On My Block | Rosario | Episode: Chapter 15 |
| 2022 | Lopez vs. Lopez | Bella | Episode: "Lopez vs. Christmas" |
Awards and Nominations[]
| Awards and nominations | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
| 2004 | Imagen Foundation Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Television Coemdy | George Lopez | Winner |
| 2006 | ALMA Awards | Outstanding Actress in a Teleivions Series | George Lopez | Nominated |
| 2007 | ALMA Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress - Television Series, Mini-Series or Television Movie | George Lopez | Nominated |
External Link[]
- Belita Moreno on Internet Movie Database