# María Conchita Alonso

María Concepción Alonso Bustillo (born June 29, 1957), better known as María Conchita Alonso, is a Cuban-American actress, singer, and beauty pageant titleholder who represented Venezuela at Miss World 1975 and placed in the top seven. She is most known to international audiences for playing Amber Mendez in the 1987 action thriller The Running Man.
She has participated in film and television productions, and was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award as Best Leading Actress in 1996 for her role in Caught. As a singer, she has received several gold and platinum records, and has been nominated for three Grammy Awards.
Alonso was the first Latin American actress not born in the United States to star in a musical on Broadway, with Kiss of the Spider Woman at the Broadhurst Theatre (1995).

## Early life

María Conchita Alonso was born in Cienfuegos, Cuba, on June 29, 1955, to Ricardo Alonso and Conchita Bustillo. Her family moved to Venezuela when she was five years old in 1962 after the Cuban Revolution. She was crowned Miss Teenager World in 1971. She was runner up for Miss Venezuela in 1975, and became a top seven runner-up in the Miss World pageant later that year, which was won by Puerto Rico's Wilnelia Merced.

## Career

Alonso's first gold album and number one song on the charts was Love Maniac, released in 1979 under the name Ámbar. After that followed her second number-one "The Witch" and soon after "Dangerous Rhythm". For what is considered her best known song, she was asked by Giorgio Moroder to write the lyrics in Spanish and sing "Vamos a Bailar" which he had written for the soundtrack of the film Scarface. The song instantly became a classic among Spanish speakers, despite failing to garner major attention outside of Cuba where it was recorded. Her two albums with Ámbar and her solo debut were recorded in English. Her second album, María Conchita, in 1984, made her an international singing star in the Spanish-speaking market, and garnered her first of three Grammy Award nominations (1985, 1988, 1994).
Alonso sang the United States national anthem at the FIFA UNICEF charity match on July 27, 1986, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, in front of a crowd of 57,539. The game was between the “Rest of the World” and “The Americas” which featured Diego Maradona only one month after his successful 1986 World Cup win.
Alonso made her Hollywood film debut in Moscow on the Hudson (1984) with Robin Williams, and also starred in Touch and Go (1986), Extreme Prejudice (1987), The Running Man (1987), Colors (1988), Vampire's Kiss (1989), Predator 2 (1990) and The House of the Spirits (1993).
In 1995, she became the first Latin-born actresses to star in a Broadway show, playing Aurora in Kiss of the Spider Woman. She later acted in the romantic comedies Chasing Papi (2003) and The Last Guy on Earth (2006).
Alonso was cast to play Lucía, the mother of Gabrielle Solis, on the ABC series Desperate Housewives. The episode aired on February 19, 2006. She was in the Latin version, Amas de Casa Desesperadas, for Univision Network. She was a guest star in the live-action film of the comic book El Muerto and appeared in the film Material Girls (2006).
Alonso hosted VH1's ¡Viva Hollywood! on April 13, 2008, with Carlos Ponce. She portrayed Sam in the werewolf horror film Wolf Moon, directed by Dana Mennie.
Alonso appeared in Rob Zombie's The Lords of Salem, released in 2013. Her latest film, a fantasy short titled The Secret of Joy, features her alongside fellow Venezuelan actor Carlos Antonio León, Spanish actress Laura Bayonas, and Brazilian actress Ana Carolina Da Fonseca in a story that aims to bring awareness about pediatric cancer.

## Political views

Alonso has often spoken in support of LGBT rights and in appreciation of her LGBT fans, stating, "I was very much supported by the community when I first came out with my music". In a 2004 article, she compared herself to Cher in terms of her connection to LGBT culture.
Alonso was an outspoken critic of Cuba's Fidel Castro and Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, whom she described as a "dictator"-like "Hitler" and whose voters and supporters she described as "terrorists." She appeared on Sean Hannity's Hannity's America on May 6, 2007, Hannity & Colmes on June 1, 2007 and Bill O'Reilly's The O'Reilly Factor on August 13, 2007, and March 11, 2009.
Alonso issued an "Open Letter to Sean Penn" (the two had played lovers in the 1988 movie Colors) online on March 29, 2010, regarding his support of Hugo Chávez. She used a point-by-point refrain of "WHY" in her letter questioning various issues occurring in Venezuela. In December 2011, she got into a heated exchange with Penn at a Los Angeles airport during which Penn called her a pig and she responded by calling Penn a communist.
In 2008, Alonso endorsed the US presidential campaign of Republican nominee John McCain, writing:
   As a Latina and a new American citizen, I believe in this country and its people, and I believe that we need more than just "change." We need a leader who can bring about the right kind of change, and John McCain has the experience and judgment necessary to lead us in these uncertain times. I grew up in Cuba and Venezuela, and I am appalled that Barack Obama apparently wants to emulate the "spread the wealth" economic policies of those countries and negotiate with their leaders.
In an August 2012 Spreecast interview, Alonso stated her opposition to Obama's re-election, saying that if reelected, he would take steps to make the United States become more like Venezuela under the Chávez government.
In January 2014, Alonso resigned from a San Francisco production of The Vagina Monologues after appearing in an advertisement for Republican candidate for Governor Tim Donnelly.
In mid-2016, Alonso stated that she supported neither Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump nor Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in the U.S. election. Despite this, however, she would go on to support Trump and then endorse him in the 2020 presidential election.

## Filmography

| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1978 | Savana – Sesso e diamanti | Margaret Johnson | Italian B movie |
| 1979 | Solon | | |
| 1979 | Estefanía | Silvana Cataldo | TV series |
| 1979 | Mabel Valdez, periodista | | TV series |
| 1980 | Natalia de 8 a 9 | Mariana Brito | TV series |
| 1980 | Mi hijo Gabriel | | TV series |
| 1980 | El Esposo de Anaís | | TV series |
| 1980 | Claudia | Claudia | TV series |
| 1981 | Marielena | Marielena | TV series |
| 1981 | Angelito | | TV series |
| 1981 | Luz Marina | Luz Marina | TV series |
| 1982 | Fantasy Island | French Girl | 1 episode |
| 1982 | Knight Rider | Marie Elena Casafranca | 1 episode; credited as Maria Conchita |
| 1983 | Nacho | Herself | TV series |
| 1984 | Moscow on the Hudson | Lucia Lombardo | |
| 1984 | Fear City | "Silver" Chavez | as Maria Conchita |
| 1986 | A Fine Mess | Claudia Pazzo | a.k.a. Blake Edwards' A Fine Mess (USA: complete title) |
| 1986 | Touch and Go | Denise DeLeon | |
| 1987 | Il cugino americano | Caterina Ammirati | a.k.a. Blood Ties (USA: TV title) |
| 1987 | Extreme Prejudice | Sarita Cisneros | |
| 1987 | The Running Man | Amber Mendez | |
| 1988 | Con el Corazón en la Mano | | |
| 1988 | Colors | Louisa Gomez | |
| 1989 | One of the Boys | Maria Conchita Navarro | 6 episodes |
| 1989 | Vampire's Kiss | Alva Restrepo | |
| 1990 | Predator 2 | Detective Leona Cantrell | |
| 1991 | Sesame Street | Herself | 1 episode |
| 1991 | Cuerpos clandestinos (TV) | Claudia | |
| 1991 | McBain | Christina Santos | |
| 1992 | Teamster Boss: The Jackie Presser Story (TV) | Carmen De La Portilla-Presser | a.k.a. Power Play: The Jackie Presser Story (UK: video title) |
| 1993 | Roosters | Chata | |
| 1993 | The House of the Spirits | Tránsito Soto | |
| 1994 | Alejandra | Alejandra Martínez | TV series |
| 1994 | Texas (TV) | Lucia | a.k.a. James A. Michener's Texas |
| 1994 | MacShayne: The Final Roll of the Dice (TV) | Cindy Evans | |
| 1996 | Caught | Betty | a.k.a. Atrapados (USA: Spanish title) |
| 1996 | For Which He Stands | Theresa Rochetti | |
| 1996 | Sudden Terror: The Hijacking of School Bus #17 | Marta Caldwell | |
| 1997 | Women: Stories of Passion | Sophia | 1 episode |
| 1997 | Chicago Hope | Emma Scull | 2 episodes |
| 1997 | Robert Altman's Gun | Marti | 1 episode |
| 1997 | Catherine's Grove | Charley Vasquez | |
| 1997 | F/X: The Series | Elena Serrano | 2 episodes |
| 1997 | Acts of Betrayal | Eva Ramirez | |
| 1998 | Exposé | Nancy Drake | a.k.a. Footsteps (Philippines: English title) (USA: working title) |
| 1998 | Blackheart | Annette | |
| 1998 | The Nanny | Concepcion Sheffield | 1 episode |
| 1998 | The Outer Limits | Marie Alexander | Episode: "The Vaccine" |
| 1998 | El Grito en el cielo | Miranda Vega | a.k.a. Shout Out (USA: festival title) |
| 1998 | My Husband's Secret Life (TV) | Toni Diaz | |
| 1999 | Touched by an Angel | Dr. Sandra Pena | 1 episode |
| 1999 | Dillinger in Paradise | Lola | |
| 2000 | Chain of Command | Vice President Gloria Valdez | |
| 2000 | Amantes de luna llena | | |
| 2000 | Knockout | Carmen Alvarado | |
| 2000 | A Vision of Murder: The Story of Donielle (TV) | Gloria | |
| 2000 | Best Actress (TV) | Maria Katarina Caldone | |
| 2000 | High Noon (TV) | Helen Ramirez | |
| 2000 | Twice in a Lifetime | Kat Lopez | 1 episode |
| 2000 | The Princess & the Barrio Boy (TV) | Minerva Rojas | a.k.a. She's in Love (UK) |
| 2001 | The Code conspiracy | Rachel | |
| 2001 | Resurrection Blvd. | Julia Hernandez | 3 episodes |
| 2001 | Birth of Babylon | Lupe Velez | |
| 2002 | Blind Heat | Adrianna Scott | |
| 2002 | Robbery Homicide Division | Claudia | 1 episode |
| 2003 | The Company You Keep | Vera | |
| 2003 | Kingpin | Ariela | TV series |
| 2003 | Heart of America | Mrs. Jones | a.k.a. Home Room (Australia) |
| 2003 | Chasing Papi | Maria | |
| 2003 | Newton's Law | | |
| 2004 | CSI: Miami | Marisela Gonzalez | 1 episode: Blood Moon |
| 2005 | English as a Second Language | Consuelo Sara | |
| 2005 | La Academia USA | Judge | |
| 2005 | Smoke | Aurora Avila | |
| 2006 | Desperate Housewives | Lucía Márquez | 1 episode |
| 2006 | Material Girls | Inez | |
| 2007 | The Dead One | Sister Rosa | |
| 2007 | The Condor (V) | Mrs. Valdez (voice) | a.k.a. Stan Lee Presents: The Condor (USA: DVD box title) |
| 2007 | Saints & Sinners | Diana Martin | 62 episodes |
| 2008 | Richard III | Queen Elizabeth | |
| 2008 | Tranced | Libra | |
| 2008 | The Art of Travel | Mrs. Layne | |
| 2008 | The Red Canvas | Maria Sanchez | |
| 2008 | Two Minutes Of Hate | | Dos minutos de odio |
| 2008 | Unauthorized Clifford | | Des-Autorizado (Venezuela: wide-release title) |
| 2009 | Maneater (miniseries) | Alejandra Alpert | Two episodes |
| 2009 | Dark Moon Rising | Sheriff Samantha "Sam" Pantoja | |
| 2009 | Spread | Ingrid | |
| 2011 | Without Men | Lucrecia | |
| 2012 | Lords of Salem | Alice Matthias | |
| 2014 | Return to Babylon | Lupe Vélez | |
| 2016 | November Rule | Ms. Luisa | |
| 2017 | Kill 'Em All | FBI Agent Sanders | |
| 2018 | Off the Menu | Cordelia Torres | |
| 2018 | El señor de los cielos | Nora Requena | |
| 2019 | ¡He matado a mi marido! | Remedios | |
| 2019 | The I-Land | Mrs. Chase | Miniseries |
| 2019 | Into the Dark | Bea | 1 episode ("Good Boy") |
| 2021 | Take Me to Tarzana | Juanita | |
| 2024 | Kill 'Em All 2 | FBI Agent Sanders | |

## Singles

| Year | Song | Hot Latin Songs | Album |
| 1987 | "Suéltame" | 22 | Grandes Éxitos |
| 1987 | "Otra Mentira Más" | 24 | Mírame |
| 1988 | "Y Es Que Llegaste Tú" | 5 | Mírame |
| 1990 | "Hazme Sentir" | 24 | Hazme Sentir |
| 1991 | "A Él Lo Quiero" | 35 | Hazme Sentir |
| 1993 | "Promesas" | 20 | Imagíname |
| 2019 | "Ya No Más" | – | ¡He matado a mi marido! - Soundtrack |
| 2020 | "Llename De Ti" | – | "Llename De Ti" single |