Background
Zapata, Carmen was born on July 15, 1927 in New York City. Daughter of Julio and Ramona (Roca) Zapata.
Zapata, Carmen was born on July 15, 1927 in New York City. Daughter of Julio and Ramona (Roca) Zapata.
Zapata made her Broadway debut in the chorus of Oklahoma! in 1946. She appeared in over one hundred movies and shows, including Batman: The Animated Series, Married.. with Children, Sister Acting, and she was Carmen Castillo in Santa Barbara. One of her longest-running roles was on the bilingual children"s program Villa Alegre, where for nine years she played the lead character, "Doña Luz."
In 1972, Zapata co-founded the Screen Actors Guild Ethnic Minority Committee with actors Ricardo Montalban, Edith Diaz, and Henry Darrow.
In 1973, she co-founded the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts (Bachelor of Fine Arts) with Cuban-born actress, playwright, and director Margarita Galban and Argentine-born award-winning set designer Estela Scarlata.
In 1976, Zapata joined Rodolfo Hoyos, Junior., in starring roles in the 12-episode American Broadcasting Company situation comedy summer replacement series Viva Valdez, about a Mexican-American family living in East Los Angeles, California. In 2003, Zapata received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Zapata died on January 5, 2014 from heart disease. She was 86 years old.
President, producer Bilingual Foundation of Arts, Los Angeles, since 1973. Board directors Mexican American Opportunity Foundation, Monterey Park, California, National Repertory Theatre Foundation, Los Angeles, Los Angeles council Boy Scouts American, Performing Tree, Los Angeles, American National Theatre and Academy West. Member Mayor's Committee on Arts, Los Angeles, Inter-Cultural Exchange Committee, University Southern California, Los Angeles-Mexico City Sister-City Affiliate Committee.
Chairperson Mexican-American Women's Conference, 1979. Member Screen Actors Guild (past director), National Academy television Arts and Sciences, Actors Equity Association, American Federation television and Radio Artists, California Theatre Council, California confederation of the Arts, American Guild Variety Artists.
Married Roy A. Friedman, July 1957 (divorced 1963).