Carmen Zapata Biography (1927-)

Full name, Carmen Margarita Zapata; born July 15, 1927, in New York, NY; daughter of Julio and Ramona (maiden name, Roca) Zapata; married Roy A. Friedman(a television writer; some sources cite surname as Freedman), July, 1957 (divorced, 1963).

Nationality: American
Gender: Female
Occupation: Actress, producer, writer
Birth Details: July 15, 1927; New York, New York, United States

Famous Works

CREDITS
Television Appearances
Series
Josefina, The Man and the City, ABC, 1971-1972
Mayor Dona Luz, Villa Alegre, PBS, 1974-1979
Sophia Valdez, Viva Valdez, ABC, 1976
Mrs. Chavez, Hagen, CBS, 1980
Carmen Castillo, Santa Barbara, NBC, 1985-1986 and 1988-1990
Movies
Maria, The Couple Takes a Wife, ABC, 1972
Esther, My Darling Daughters' Anniversary, ABC, 1973
Miss Rodriguez, The Girls of Huntington House, ABC, 1973
Carola, 1973
Elena de la Paz, A Home of Our Own, CBS, 1975
Sara, Winner Take All (also known as Time Lock), NBC, 1975
Helena Mendoza, Shark Kill, NBC, 1976
Connie, Leave Yesterday Behind, ABC, 1978
Mrs. Garcia, A Guide for the Married Woman, ABC, 1978
License clerk, Like Normal People, ABC, 1979
Lorenza, Homeward Bound, CBS, 1980
Mrs. Ruiz, Children of Divorce, NBC, 1980
Judge Mercado, Not Just Another Affair (also known as Perfect Affair), CBS, 1982
Ms. Adkins, Broken Angel (also known as Best Intentions), ABC, 1988
Clara, How to Murder a Millionaire, 1990
Judge, Secrets (also known as Danielle Steel's Secrets), NBC, 1992
Flower seller, A Streetcar Named Desire, CBS, 1995
Specials
Aunt Caroline, "The Gift of Terror," The ABC Afternoon Playbreak,ABC, 1973
Mrs. Martinez, "One Last Ride," CBS Afterschool Playhouse, CBS, 1980
The Screen Actors Guild 50th Anniversary Celebration, CBS, 1984
Funny, You Don't Look 200 (also known as Funny, You Don't Look200: A Constitutional Vaudeville), ABC, 1987
Narrator, In the Shadow of the Law (documentary), PBS, 1988
Episodic
Maria, "Gideon the Good," Bonanza, NBC, 1970
Maria Delgado, "Daisy in the Shadows," Marcus Welby, M.D., ABC, 1970
Mrs. Encara Flores, "Log 55: Missing Child," Adam-12, NBC, 1970
Mrs. Cipreano, "The Parole Violator," Adam-12, NBC, 1972
Mrs. Maria Martinez, "Hall of Mirrors," The Streets of San Francisco, ABC, 1972
Maria Lopez, "Rampart Division: The Senior Citizens," Adam-12, NBC, 1973
Customer, "New Suit," Chico and the Man, NBC, 1974
Ellen Conforti, "Hush Now, Don't You Die," Kojak, CBS, 1974
Frieda Dupar, "A Matter of Magic," Faraday and Company, NBC, 1974
Mrs. Revez, "Rendezvous with Terror," Barnaby Jones, CBS, 1974
"Pete," Nakia, ABC, 1974
Maria Vega, "False Witness," The Streets of San Francisco, ABC, 1975
Mrs. Reynosa, "Elegy for a Cop," Harry O, ABC, 1975
Spanish woman, "Demon in Lace (a.k.a. The Succubus)," The Night Stalker (also known as Kolchak: The Night Stalker), ABC, 1975
Woman injured in wreck, "All Night Long," Emergency!, NBC, 1977

"Ed Talks to God," Chico and the Man, NBC, 1977
Landlady, "The Valley Strangler," Kate Loves a Mystery, NBC, 1979
Prime minister, "The Richest Man in the World," Wonder Woman (alsoknown as The New Adventures of Wonder Woman), CBS, 1979
Mrs. Alverez, "The Hitter," The White Shadow, CBS, 1980
Marta, "Who Would Kill Ramona?" Matt Houston, ABC, 1982
Mrs. Hernandez, "West Side Astoria," Archie Bunker's Place, CBS, 1982
Mary Begay, "Target: Miss World," Matt Houston, ABC, 1983
Woman in park, "Stolen," Matt Houston, ABC, 1984
Mrs. Rodriquez, Foley Square, CBS, 1985
Mrs. Rosales, Downtown, CBS, 1986
Consuelo Guerra, "Daniel and the Towers," WonderWorks, PBS, 1987
Edna Walker, "A Child Is Born," Hunter, NBC, 1987
Judge Patterson, "Grand Delusions," Falcon Crest, CBS, 1989
Madame Olga, "The Gypsy Cried," Married ... with Children, Fox, 1989
"You Don't Know Me," Jake and the Fatman, CBS, 1991
Mrs. Ruiz (a neighbor), "Saving Up Is Hard to Do," Fudge, ABC, 1995
Dona Verano (Teresa's aunt), "Happily Ever After," Dr. Quinn, MedicineWoman, CBS, 1998
Appeared as Teela, "The Thief," The New Dick Van Dyke Show, CBS; also appeared in Baretta, ABC; Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction?,Fox; The Bold Ones: The Lawyers, NBC; Charlie's Angels, ABC; Fantasy Island, ABC; Flamingo Road, NBC; McMillan and Wife, NBC; Medical Center, CBS; The Mod Squad, ABC; Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law, ABC; The Rookies, ABC; Switch, CBS; Trapper John, M.D., CBS; and Treasury Agent.
Episodic; Animated Series
Judge Maria Vargas, "Eternal Youth," Batman: The Animated Series,Fox, 1992
Judge Maria Vargas, "I Am the Night," Batman: The Animated Series,Fox, 1992
Judge Maria Vargas, "The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne," Batman: The Animated Series, Fox, 1992
Pilots
Mrs. Bellagio, Flying High, CBS, 1978
Grandma Mallory, The Tom Swift and Linda Craig Mystery Hour, ABC,1983
Television Work
Specials
Involved in the production of the documentary Cinco vidas.
Film Appearances
Juana, Hail, Hero!, National General, 1969
Mrs. Harero, Portnoy's Complaint, Warner Bros., 1972
Pete `n' Tillie, Universal, 1972
Lottie, Bad Charleston Charlie, International Cinema, 1973
Betty, W (also known as I Want Her Dead), Cinerama, 1974
Marguerita, Boss Nigger (also known as The Black Bounty Hunter, The Black Bounty Killer, and Boss), Dimension Films, 1974
The Last Porno Flick (also known as The Mad, Mad, Movie Makers), 1974
Maria, I Will ... I Will ... for Now, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1976
Nurse, Telefon, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1977
John Hus, 1977
Mrs. Landeros, Boulevard Nights, Warner Bros., 1979
Mama Figueroa, How to Beat the High Co$t of Living, American International Pictures, 1980
Mrs. Ramirez, There Goes the Bride, Vanguard, 1980
Vultures (also known as Vultures in Paradise), 1983
Narrator, Las madres de la plaza de mayo (documentary; also knownas The Day of the Dead, The Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, La ofrenda, La ofrenda: Days of the Dead, and Las madres), FirstRun Features, 1985
Teresa Aleman, The Education of Allison Tate (also known as TheAbduction of Allison Tate), 1986
English voiceover, The Panama Deception (documentary), EmpowermentProject, 1992
Nun in choir, Sister Act, Buena Vista, 1992
Judge, Point of No Return (also known as The Assassin), Warner Bros., 1993
Nun in choir, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, Buena Vista, 1993
Lorca's mother, The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca (also known as Death in Granada, Lorca, and Muerte en Granada), TriumphFilms, 1997
Roses, Gang Boys, 1998
Anna, The Sleepy Time Gal, C-Hundred Film Corporation, 2001
Stage Appearances
Oklahoma!, Broadway production, beginning c. 1946
Uprooted, Center Theatre Group, Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, 1975
Mother, Blood Wedding (also known as Bodas de sangre), Bilingual Foundation of the Arts, Little Theatre, Los Angeles, 1985
Appeared as the lead role in Cada quien su vida (also known as To Each His Own); appeared in Bells Are Ringing, Bloomer Girl, Bye Bye Birdie, Carnival, Fanlights, Guys and Dolls, No Strings, and Stop the World, I Want to Get Off; appeared in another production of Blood Wedding. Performer in nightclubs and an emcee in a burlesque house in Toledo, OH.
Major Tours
Appeared in a lead role, Oklahoma!, U.S. cities.
Stage Work
Producer
La celestina, Bilingual Foundation of the Arts, Inner City Cultural Center, Los Angeles, 1978
The Young Lady from Tacna, Bilingual Foundation of the Arts, Little Theatre, 1984
WRITINGS
Stage Plays
Translator
La celestina, Bilingual Foundation of the Arts, Inner City Cultural Center, Los Angeles, 1978
(With Lina Montalvo) The M.C., Bilingual Foundation of the Arts, Little Theatre, Los Angeles, 1984
(With Michael Dewell) Blood Wedding (also known as Bodas de sangre), Bilingual Foundation of the Arts, Little Theatre, 1985
(With Dewell) The Shoemaker's Prodigious Wife, Bilingual Foundation of the Arts, Little Theatre, 1985
With Dewell, translated The House of Bernarda Alba and Yerma, which, along with their translation of Blood Wedding, were published by Bantam in 1986. Also translated Uprooted.

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Books

Dictionary of Hispanic Biography, Gale, 1996

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