# Alma Martinez (actress)

Alma Martinez (born 18 March 1953) is a Mexican-American actress, stage director, and professor of theatre. She is best known for her roles in film and television shows including the Peabody Award winning drama series The Bridge with Demián Bichir and Diane Kruger and Corridos: Tales of Passion & Revolution with Linda Ronstadt as well as performances on Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional theatre, Mexican and European stages.

## Early life and career

In 1979, Martinez joined the Center Theatre Group production of Luis Valdez’s Zoot Suit. Her film debut was in Valdez's 1981 adaptation, the American classic Zoot Suit, launching a career that led to her induction into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2013. She has since been the lead actress in many of Valdez's projects in a collaboration that has spanned over 30 years. Australian director Fred Schepisi cast her in his American film debut, Barbarosa with Willie Nelson and Gary Busey. This was followed by Under Fire with Nick Nolte, Gene Hackman, Ed Harris and Jean Louis Trintignant. Martinez made a notable Broadway debut in In the Summer House directed by Joanne Akalaitis featuring Dianne Wiest, Frances Conroy and Liev Schreiber.

## Film and television

Martinez has appeared in over 20 features and independent films including Born in East L.A. with Cheech Marin, For Greater Glory with Andy Garcia and Oscar Isaac, Strike One with Danny Trejo as well as Cake with Jennifer Aniston and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Her voiceover work includes the award-winning documentaries The Panama Deception and Food Chains. In 2017 she appeared as Rodney Alcala's mother Anna Alcala in the television film Dating Game Killer.

## Theatre

Martinez has performed in over 100 major productions in the US, Mexico and Europe in venues that include the Vivian Beaumont Theatre, Joyce Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Pasadena Playhouse, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Sundance Theatre Program, San Diego Repertory Theatre, Santa Cruz Shakespeare festival, South Coast Repertory Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, Pennsylvania Stage, San Diego Repertory Theatre, Denver Center Theatre Company, Teatro Juan Ruiz De Alarcon (Mexico City), Teatro Calderon (Zacatecas, Mexico), Teatro Greco (Taormina, Italy), Castello Sforesco (Milan, Italy), Festival De Sant Arcangelo (Italy), Teatro Romano (Fiesolo, Italy), Oktoberfest (Munich, Germany) and Neiuwe Scene (Antwerp, Belgium), among others.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Note(s) |
| 1981 | Zorro: The Gay Blade | | ADR |
| 1981 | Zoot Suit | Lupe | |
| 1982 | The Border | | ADR |
| 1982 | Barbarosa | Juanita | |
| 1983 | Blue Thunder | | ADR |
| 1983 | Under Fire | Isela | |
| 1983 | Trial by Terror | Diane Johnson | |
| 1985 | Graffiti | | ADR; short; uncredited |
| 1987 | Born in East L.A. | Gloria | |
| 1987 | Down Twisted | | ADR |
| 1987 | A Good and Perfect Gift: A Christmas Story | | |
| 1988 | The Milagro Beanfield War | | ADR; uncredited |
| 1991 | Dolly Dearest | Alva | |
| 1994 | It Could Happen to You | Juror | Uncredited |
| 1994 | Of Love and Shadows | | ADR |
| 1995 | The Novice | Teresa's Mother | |
| 2000 | Jacarenda | | Short |
| 2000 | Ballad of a Soldier | Mother | |
| 2001 | Prozac Nation | Professor | Uncredited |
| 2004 | Most High | Nurse In Hall | |
| 2005 | Planting Melvin | Caroline Lawrence | |
| 2009 | Crossing Over | Mexican Woman In Dress Factory | |
| 2012 | For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristiada | Mrs. Vargas Gonzales | |
| 2014 | Destiny | | Short |
| 2014 | Cake | Irma | |
| 2014 | Strike One | Mrs. Garcia | |
| 2014 | Selling Rosario | Tia | Short |
| 2015 | Healer | Francisca | Short |
| 2015 | Ouroboros | Zulma | Short |
| 2016 | Stevie D | Senator Garcia | |
| 2016 | Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice | Older Goat Herder | |
| 2016 | Transpecos | Marisa | |
| 2016 | The Darkness | Teresa Morales | |
| 2016 | 1st Strike | Mrs. Garcia | |
| 2017 | Abuelita | Jasmine | Short |
| 2018 | Where the Water Runs | Maria | |
| 2018 | Cucuy: The Boogeyman | Blanca | |
| 2019 | Ms. Purple | Juanita | |
| 2019 | Clemency | Ms. Jimenez | |
| 2019 | Don't Say No | Christie's Grandmother | |
| 2020 | Getting From Here | | Short |
| 2021 | Tyger Tyger | Doctor Rosa | |
| 2024 | A Little Family Drama | Anselma | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Note(s) |
| 1980 | The Righteous Apples | Pregnant Teen | |
| 1982 | General Hospital | Sharon Garcia | |
| 1982 | American Playhouse | Anastacia | Episode: "Seguin" |
| 1982 | Scamps | Susan Alvarez | TV movie |
| 1983 | Rubik, the Amazing Cube | (voice) | |
| 1983 | Lottery! | | Episode: "Los Angeles: Bigger Volume" |
| 1984 | Whiz Kids | Isabel | Episode: "Maid in the USA" |
| 1984 | Blue Thunder | | ADR; Episode: "Skydiver" |
| 1984 | St. Elsewhere | Angela | Episode: "Breathless" |
| 1985 | The Twilight Zone | Teresa Rojas | Episode: "Wordplay/Dreams for Sale/Chameleon" |
| 1985 | Toughlove | Doctor | Uncredited; TV movie |
| 1985-1987 | Santa Barbara | Dora | 2 episodes |
| 1986 | Dress Gray | Hedge's Secretary | Miniseries; 2 episodes |
| 1987 | Superior Court | Attorney | Episode: "Assuming the Identity" |
| 1987 | Corridos: Tales of Passion & Revolution | Elisabeta | TV movie |
| 1989 | Miami Vice | | ADR; Episode: "To Have and to Hold" |
| 1990-1991 | The New Adam-12 | Sergeant Elizabeth Cruz | 9 episodes |
| 1991 | The Boys | Therapist | TV movie |
| 1991 | The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw | Sonora Sue | TV movie |
| 1991 | Dark Justice | | ADR; 2 episodes |
| 1991 | In a Child's Name | Sorayda | miniseries; uncredited |
| 1992 | Quiet Killer | Dolores | TV movie |
| 1992 | FBI: The Untold Stories | | Episode: "Border Kill" |
| 1994 | Shattered Image | Gloria's Mother | TV movie |
| 1995 | 500 Nations | | Episode: "Mexico" |
| 1995 | Wings | | ADR; Episode: "Gone But Not Faygotten" |
| 1996 | Nash Bridges | Jan | Episode: "Key Witness" |
| 2007 | The Unit | Yolanda | Episode: "Paradise Lost" |
| 2013 | The Bridge | Garciela Rivera | 6 episodes |
| 2013 | Welcome to the Family | Principal Ortiz | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2014 | Rake | Prosecutor | Episode: "Man's Best Friend" |
| 2016 | American Crime Story | Family Court Judge | Episode: "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia" |
| 2016 | Grey's Anatomy | Socorro Diaz | Episode: "At Last" |
| 2016-2020 | Elena of Avalor | Lady Yolanda (voice) | 4 episodes |
| 2016 | Queen Sugar | Raquel "Rocky" Ortiz | Episode: "First Things First" |
| 2016 | Good Behavior | Conchita Pereira | Episode: "The Ballad of Little Santino" |
| 2017 | I Love Dick | Leti | Episode: "A Short History of Weird Girls" |
| 2017 | The Last Man on Earth | La Abuela | Episode: "La Abuela" |
| 2017 | The Dating Game Killer | Anna Alcala | TV movie |
| 2018 | Left for Dead | Ms. Ruiz | TV movie |
| 2019 | MacGyver | Abuela | Episode: "Father + Bride + Betrayal" |
| 2019 | Strante Angel | Alvarita Lopez | Episode: "The Magus" |
| 2019 | Sister of the Bride | Clara | TV movie |
| 2019 | The Terror | Abuela Rocio Trujillo | 4 episodes |
| 2019 | Vampirina | Abuela (voice) | Episode: "Dia de los Muertos/As You Wish" |