María Golajovski Zaira (4 December 1936 – 14 May 2022), better known as América Alonso, was a Venezuelan actress. She had an artistic career of more than four decades, acting in telenovelas, theater and films.

Career

She was the only child of immigrants of the

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and ad ...

, an opera singer and an industrial engineer. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and the Nazi invasion of the country, she and her family were interned in a concentration camp. Her father died before she was seven years old. In 1948 she emigrated to Venezuela, where she attended elementary school at the Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe School in

Sabana Grande, Caracas The Sabana Grande district is divided into several middle class neighborhoods located in the Parroquia El Recreo of the Libertador Municipality, in the geographical center of the Metropolitan District of Caracas and owes its name to the old tow ...

. A few meters from the school, at the performing arts school, she channeled her artistic interest through the actress and theater teacher Juana Sujo, with whom she also improved her Spanish. She began her training in radio; later, she had her theatrical debut with Nuestra Natacha in 1952 and worked in Alejandro Casona's Teatro del Pueblo, and then in television, in Televisora Nacional de Venezuela. Later, in 1953, she participated in the launching of Radio Caracas Televisión (RCTV), with ''Los Gavilanes''. Her first contract was for 800 bolivars per month. RCTV suggested that she adopt the name América, after her emigration destiny, and to change her Yugoslavian surname for that of the Cuban dancer

Alicia Alonso Alicia Alonso (born Alicia Ernestina de la Caridad del Cobre Martínez del Hoyo; 21 December 1920 – 17 October 2019) was a Cuban prima ballerina assoluta and choreographer whose company became the Ballet Nacional de Cuba in 1955. She is best ...

. One of her most remarkable roles was in the film '' Cangrejo'', directed by

Román Chalbaud Román Chalbaud (born 10 October 1931) is a Venezuelan film director and screenwriter, as well as a prominent playwright. Starting work in television after prestigious training, Chalbaud moved into making films before the industry took off in ...

, as well as ''

La Gata Borracha LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...

'', also directed by Chalbaud; ''

Una noche oriental Una and UNA may refer to: Places * 160 Una, the asteroid "Una", an asteroid named after the Faerie Queene character * Una River (disambiguation), numerous rivers * Una, Himachal Pradesh, a town in India ** Una, Himachal Pradesh Assembly constitue ...

'', by Miguel Curiel; and '' Seguro está el infierno'', by José Alcalde. Among her participations in television productions are ', ''La Cruz del Diablo'', ''Sangre Indómita'', ''Soledad'', ''La Loba'', ''Cumbres Borrascosas'' and ''El Escándalo''. She also collaborated with the theatrical director Daniel Uribe Osío.

Personal life

Her first marriage in 1959 was with producer and publicist Mario Bertoul. From the union she had her sons Roberto and Alejandro Bertoul; one lives in

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

and the other in

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. Alonso also had four grandchildren. She later married Daniel Farías, who also dedicated himself to the theater arts. América lived with her children in Miami.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alonso, America 1936 births 2022 deaths Venezuelan television actresses Venezuelan actresses Venezuelan people of Yugoslav descent People from Kruševac