Laura Guadalupe Zapata Miranda ( born July 31, 1956) is a Mexican support

telenovela A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") and ''novela'' (meaning "novel"). Similar drama genres around the world include '' teleserye'' ...

actress, singer, and dancer. She has acted in

Televisa Grupo Televisa is a Mexican multimedia mass media company. A major Latin American mass media corporation, it often presents itself as the largest producer of Spanish-language content. In April 2021, Televisa and Univision Communications announce ...

productions.

Family

Born in

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...

, Zapata is the daughter of Guillermo Zapata Pérez de Utrera (a Mexican boxer, model and businessman) and Yolanda Miranda Mange (from her first marriage). She married Juan Eduardo Sodi de la Tijera. Zapata is the half-sister of music superstar

Thalía Ariadna Thalía Sodi Miranda (; born 26 August 1971), known mononymously as Thalía, is a Mexican singer and actress. Referred to as the " Queen of Latin Pop", she is considered one of the most successful and influential Mexican artists. Havi ...

, Federica, Gabriela, and Ernestina Sodi, a well-known writer, and biographer. She has two sons, Claudio Sodi and Patricio Sodi. Zapata is also a singer and dancer. Laura and Thalía were the first family members to gain international fame by acting and singing. In '' Maria Mercedes'', one of Thalía's first soap operas, Laura played a villain opposite her sister. In the world of telenovelas, she is as well known for her antagonist roles.

Kidnapping

In September 2002, Laura and her sister Ernestina were kidnapped and taken to an unspecified location. The news of their kidnapping made headlines across

Latin America Latin America or * french: Amérique Latine, link=no * ht, Amerik Latin, link=no * pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...

and among the Spanish-speaking television channels of the United States.

, her half-sister, is married to

multi-millionaire A millionaire is an individual whose net worth or wealth is equal to or exceeds one million units of currency. Depending on the currency, a certain level of prestige is associated with being a millionaire. In countries that use the short scal ...

Tommy Mottola Thomas Daniel Mottola (born July 14, 1948) is an American music executive, producer and author. Mottola is currently the Chairman of Mottola Media Group and was previously the Chairman and CEO of Sony Music Entertainment, parent of the Columb ...

, so it was speculated that their captors would ask for a large sum of money. Instead, Laura was released 18 days after her kidnapping, and her sister Ernestina was released on the 34th day.

Filmography

Films

Television

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

External links

* 1956 births 20th-century Mexican actresses 21st-century Mexican actresses Actresses from Mexico City Formerly missing people Kidnapped Mexican people Living people Mexican film actresses Mexican women singers Mexican female dancers Mexican people of Spanish descent Mexican stage actresses Mexican telenovela actresses Mexican television actresses Singers from Mexico City {{Mexico-singer-stub