# Alex Meneses

Alex Meneses (born February 11, 1965) is an American actress and model.

## Early life

Meneses was born in Chicago, Illinois. She is of Mexican descent on her father's side and Ukrainian descent on her mother's side. Meneses studied acting at Chicago's The Second City Improvisational Theater during summer vacations. Immediately upon graduation from high school, she received a modeling contract in Milan, Italy. Originally, her stay in Italy was only to be three months, but she fell in love with the country, and remained there for two years, becoming a successful model. When Meneses returned to the United States, she moved to Los Angeles, where she studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Institute. In January 1981, she had a nude photoshoot in the Greek Playboy Magazine, her also being on the cover.

## Career

Meneses was a regular cast member in the Showtime comedy series Sherman Oaks in 1995. She later had the recurring role as Teresa Morales in the final season of the CBS western drama series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, replacing actress Michelle Bonilla from the previous season. She also had supporting roles in a number of films, including Selena, The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas and Auto Focus.
She had other roles on television, appearing in an episode of Friends as Cookie (Joey Tribbiani's sister), as well as episodes of Suddenly Susan, The Hughleys, Any Day Now, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, NCIS, Psych, and The Goldbergs. Meneses has also appeared in numerous Los Angeles stage productions. She had a recurring role in the CBS comedy series, Everybody Loves Raymond as Robert Barone's Italian girlfriend, Stefania. In 2015, Meneses was cast as aging telenovela star Isabela Santamaria in the NBC comedy series, Telenovela. On February 19, 2021, Meneses was cast in a recurring role for The CW series Walker.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1994 | Stickfighter | Luella Cartegenas |
| 1995 | The Immortals | Cleopatra |
| 1997 | Living in Peril | Catherine Langtry |
| 1997 | Selena | Sara |
| 1999 | Stealth Fighter | Roberto's Young Lady Desidea |
| 2000 | The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas | Roxie |
| 2001 | Love | Maria |
| 2002 | The Round and Round | Becky Lord |
| 2002 | Auto Focus | Emily |
| 2006 | Funny Money | Gina |
| 2009 | Fire from Below | Reign Palmer |
| 2009 | Wrong Turn at Tahoe | Marisa |
| 2010 | Boyle Heights | Tinos Wife |
| 2017 | Ripped | Debbie |
| 2019 | The Wall of Mexico | Monica Arista |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1994 | Hot Line | Helen | Episode: "Payback" |
| 1995 | Kissing Miranda | Miranda Castillo | Television film |
| 1995 | Amanda and the Alien | Connie Flores | Television film |
| 1995 | Sherman Oaks | Elena | 13 episodes |
| 1996 | The John Larroquette Show | Venus | Episode: "Ring of Fire" |
| 1997 | Friends | Cookie | Episode: "The One Where Chandler Can't Remember Which Sister" |
| 1997 | Head over Heels | Erika | Episode: "One Down" |
| 1997–1998 | Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman | Teresa Morales | 11 episodes |
| 1998 | Maximum Bob | Rosita Lopez | Episode: "Once Bitten..." |
| 1998 | Martial Law | Anette Delgado | Episode: "Lock-Up" |
| 1999 | Suddenly Susan | Susie | Episode: "Wedding Bell Blues" |
| 1999 | Silk Stalkings | Yolanda Romero | Episode: "Dance Fever" |
| 1999 | Pensacola: Wings of Gold | Elena Perez | Episode: "Cuba Libre" |
| 1999 | Early Edition | Lupeta | Episode: "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" |
| 1999 | Family Law | Nanny Sanchez | Episode: "The Nanny" |
| 2000 | Cover Me | Gabrielle Vega | Episode: "Beauty Marks" |
| 2000 | Any Day Now | Yolanda Marmol | Episode: "The Outsiders" |
| 2000 | The Princess & the Barrio Boy | Coach Sonia | Television film |
| 2000–2005 | Everybody Loves Raymond | Stefánia Fogagnolo | 6 episodes |
| 2001 | Bob Patterson | Water Girl (Maria) | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2001 | The Hughleys | Coral Mills | 4 episodes |
| 2002 | The Brothers García | Laura Cruz | Episode: "Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover" |
| 2002 | Boomtown | Vicki Pineda | Episode: "Crash" |
| 2003 | 44 Minutes: The North Hollywood Shoot-Out | Nicole | Television film |
| 2003–2004 | 10-8: Officers on Duty | Anna Valero | 5 episodes |
| 2004 | NCIS | Vanessa | Episode: "Missing" |
| 2004 | This Just In! | Sami Ruiz | 2 episodes |
| 2006 | Mind of Mencia | Mary / Dr. Milfy | 2 episodes |
| 2006 | CSI: Miami | Ana | Episode: "Rio" |
| 2007 | Prison Break | Chi Chi, Mexican Prostitute | Episode: "Panama" |
| 2008 | Psych | Quintessa Gabriel | Episode: "Lights, Camera... Homicidio" |
| 2008 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Emilina Carlos | Episode: "Let It Bleed" |
| 2008 | Xenophobia | Jessica | Television film |
| 2009 | Ruby & the Rockits | Ms. Vanessa Vasquez | Episode: "Hot for Spanish Teacher" |
| 2009 | This Might Hurt | Sofia Venezuela | Television film |
| 2009, 2012 | The Cleveland Show | Svetlana / Fabrizia / Waitress | 2 episodes |
| 2010 | Gigantic | Nyri Khandan | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | The Goldbergs | Sophia | Episode: "Why're You Hitting Yourself?" |
| 2014 | Growing Up Fisher | Allison | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2015 | Austin & Ally | Señora Gomez | Episode: "Seniors and Señors" |
| 2015–2016 | Telenovela | Isabela Santamaria | 11 episodes |
| 2017 | Jane the Virgin | Katherine | 3 episodes |
| 2018 | Unorganized Crime | Rosie Corso | Television film |
| 2019 | Why Women Kill | Maureen Bennett | Episode: "Marriages Don't Break Up on Account of Murder - It's Just a Symptom That Something Else Is Wrong" |
| 2021 | Walker | Dr. Adriana Ramirez | 3 episodes |