Georgina Maria Gallego (born October 30, 1955) is an American actress, known for her work in television. Her credits include: ''
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century'', ''
Flamingo Road'' (as Alicia Sanchez), ''
Remington Steele
''Remington Steele'' is an American television series co-created by Robert Butler and Michael Gleason. The series, starring Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan, was produced by MTM Enterprises and first broadcast on the NBC network from O ...
'', ''
Airwolf
''Airwolf'' is an American action military drama television series that centers on a high-technology military helicopter, code-named ''Airwolf'', and its crew. The show follows them as they undertake various exotic missions, many involving e ...
'', ''
Rituals
A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized, b ...
'' (as Diandra Santiago Gallagher), ''
Knight Rider
''Knight Rider'' is an American entertainment franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The core of ''Knight Rider'' is its three television series: the original ''Knight Rider'' (1982–1986) and sequel series '' Team Knight Rider'' (1997–1998) ...
'', ''
Lust in the Dust
''Lust in the Dust'' is a 1985 Western comedy film starring Tab Hunter, Divine, Cesar Romero, and Lainie Kazan, and directed by Paul Bartel.
Plot
Dance-hall girl Rosie Velez, lost in the desert, is helped to safety by gunman Abel Wood. In the ...
'', ''
Santa Barbara'' (as Santana Andrade), ''
Seinfeld'', ''
Beverly Hills, 90210
''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (often referred to by its short title, ''90210'') is an American teen drama television series created by Darren Star and produced by Aaron Spelling under his production company Spelling Television. The series ran for ...
'', ''
ER'', ''
NYPD Blue'', ''
JAG'' and ''
The O.C.
''The O.C. '' is an American teen drama television series created by Josh Schwartz that originally aired on the Fox network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 22, 2007, running a total of four seasons. "O.C." is an initiali ...
'' She appeared in the 2009 horror film ''
Murder World'' alongside
Scout Taylor-Compton
Scout Taylor-Compton (born Desariee Starr Compton; February 21, 1989) is an American actress. She has frequently worked in the horror genre, most notably as Laurie Strode in the 2007 remake of ''Halloween'' and its 2009 sequel. Outside of horr ...
. In 2010, Gallego joined the cast of ''
Days of Our Lives'' as recurring character, Warden Smith. She recurs on ''
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
''Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'' is an American romantic musical comedy-drama television series that premiered on October 12, 2015, on The CW and ran for four seasons, ending on April 5, 2019. The series was created, written, and directed by Rachel Bloo ...
'' as the mostly mute Mrs. Hernandez.
Early life and education
Gallego was born in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, daughter of Maria, a homemaker, and George Gallego, a landscape designer.
Gina Gallego Biography (1959-)
/ref> She is of Mexican descent. Gallego grew up in the Brentwood and West LA areas of Los Angeles. While attending University High School, she became involved with the school's theater club. After graduating she studied under Gary Austin
Gary Austin (born Gary Moore; October 18, 1941 – April 1, 2017) was an American improvisational theatre teacher, writer, and director who founded The Groundlings theatre company in 1974.
Early life
Austin grew up in the Nazarene Church and i ...
, the founder and original director of The Groundlings
The Groundlings is an American improvisational and sketch comedy troupe and school based in Los Angeles. The troupe was formed by Gary Austin in 1974 and uses an improv format influenced by Viola Spolin, whose improvisational theater techniques ...
, a notable Los Angeles-based improv company. Another major influence on Gina's formative years was theatre director Jose Quintero. She has also studied with John Lehne, Susan Peretz at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute
The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute (originally the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute) is an acting school founded in 1969 by actor, director, and acting teacher Lee Strasberg. The Institute is located in Union Square on East 15th Street, ...
, and Candy Kaniecki.
Career
Gallego was discovered in Hollywood by the Alvarado Talent Agency, and within weeks was cast opposite of Jon Voight
Jonathan Vincent Voight (; born December 29, 1938) is an American actor. He came to prominence in the late 1960s with his Academy Award–nominated performance as Joe Buck, a would-be gigolo, in ''Midnight Cowboy'' (1969). During the 1970s, h ...
in director Franco Zeffirelli's’s '' The Champ''. Her first role series television was on '' Flamingo Road'' (1981), playing Alicia Sanchez who marries Skipper Wheldon, a series’ lead, during the show's second season.
On ''Rituals
A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized, b ...
'' (1984), the syndicated soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
, Gallego played Diandra Santiago Gallagher, the wife of Tom Gallagher and the daughter of Latin-American politician, Enrique Santiago. She was featured on '' Santa Barbara'' (1984), where she played Santana Andrade
'' Santa Barbara'' is an American television soap opera that aired on NBC from July 30, 1984, to January 15, 1993. The show initially revolved around the lives of four families; the wealthy Capwell family, rivals the Lockridge family, and the mor ...
, a Mexican maid who had a baby boy out of wedlock with wealthy playboy Channing Capwell Jr, and was forced into giving him up for adoption. Santana's storylines were dominated by her attempts to reclaim her child, and her long-running feud with her son's villainous adoptive mother Gina Capwell (Robin Mattson
Robin Mattson is an American actress. She is best known for her roles on the daytime soap operas ''General Hospital'', '' Santa Barbara'', and ''All My Children''.
Career
Daytime television
Mattson made her daytime debut as troubled teen Hope B ...
). Gallego replaced Margaret Michaels
Margaret Michaels is a former American actress best known for appearing as the characters of Pamela Barnes Ewing (#2) and Jeanne O'Brien on the CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas (1978 TV series)'' and as Santana Andrade #2 on the NBC daytime soa ...
in the role of Santana in October 1985 and remained on the show until March 1987 - appearing in a total of 142 episodes. She briefly reprised the role for a five episode story-arc in November 1989.
On '' Seinfeld'' (NBC), Gallego guest-starred in the 1992 episode, The Suicide. In the episode Jerry's neighbor attempts suicide, but winds up in a coma. Jerry visits the comatose man in the hospital where Gallego, the neighbor's girlfriend, tries to seduce him.
In ''Erin Brockovich
Erin Brockovich (née Pattee; born June 22, 1960) is an American legal clerk, consumer advocate, and environmental activist who, despite her lack of education in the law, was instrumental in building a case against Pacific Gas & Electric Compan ...
'' (2000), Gallego was cast as a Pacific Gas & Electric
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is an American investor-owned utility (IOU). The company is headquartered in the Pacific Gas & Electric Building, in San Francisco, California. PG&E provides natural gas and electricity to 5.2 milli ...
attorney who defends the utility company against allegations they caused carcinogens to poison drinking water in Hinkley, CA. She was cast as Consuela Lopez in ''Mr. Deeds
''Mr. Deeds'' is a 2002 American comedy film directed by Steven Brill, written by Tim Herlihy, and starring Adam Sandler and Winona Ryder with Peter Gallagher, Jared Harris, Allen Covert, Erick Avari, and John Turturro in supporting roles. It w ...
'' (2002), a maid who's had an intimate encounter with media magnate, Preston Blake (Harve Presnell
George Harvey Presnell (September 14, 1933 – June 30, 2009) was an American actor and singer. He began his career in the mid-1950s as a classical baritone, singing with orchestras and opera companies throughout the United States.
His career re ...
). Lopez had an illegitimate child with Blake, Emilio Lopez (John Turturro
John Michael Turturro (; born February 28, 1957) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his contributions to the independent film movement. He has appeared in over sixty feature films and has worked frequently with the Coen brothers, ...
), who was later found to be the heir of Blake's fortune.
Gallego played a bar waitress in ''Anger Management
Anger management is a psycho-therapeutic program for anger prevention and control. It has been described as deploying anger successfully.Schwarts, Gil. July 2006. Anger Management', July 2006 The Office Politic. Men's Health magazine. Emmaus, PA: ...
'' (2003), who is accidentally knocked out by Adam Sandler's character, Dave Buznik. In '' Beverly Hills Chihuahua'' (2008), she played the Director of an Animal Shelter. Gallego also guest starred on a 7th-season episode of ''Grey's Anatomy
''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into s ...
'' as the openly homophobic mother of bisexual orthopedic surgeon Calliope 'Callie' Torres.
Gaellgo played Warden Jane Smith on '' Days of Our Lives'' (28 episodes). The Warden Smith storyline encompassed the imprisonment of Hope Brady
Hope Williams Brady is a fictional character from '' Days of Our Lives'', an American soap opera on the NBC network. Created by writer William J. Bell, she was portrayed by Kristian Alfonso on and off from April 1983 to October 2020. Hope is a mem ...
who discovers an illegal operation inside the prison, and ultimately reports Smith to Brady's estranged husband, Bo, the police commissioner. Warden Smith flees to a hideout in upstate New York, but is eventually apprehended by the authorities.
Personal life
Gallego married actor Joel Bailey in 1983, and is the mother of one son, Brendan.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gallego, Gina
1959 births
American film actresses
American television actresses
Living people
Actresses from Los Angeles
American actresses of Mexican descent
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
People from Brentwood, Los Angeles