Míriam Colón
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Míriam Colón Valle (August 20, 1936 – March 3, 2017) was a Puerto Rican actress. She was the founder and director of New York City's Puerto Rican Traveling Theater. Beginning her career in the early 1950s, she performed on Broadway and on television. She appeared on television programs from the 1960s to the 2010s, including ''
Sanford and Son ''Sanford and Son'' is an American sitcom television series that ran on the NBC television network from January 14, 1972, to March 25, 1977. It was based on the British sitcom '' Steptoe and Son'', which initially aired on BBC One in the Unit ...
'' and ''
Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...
''. She is best known as Mama Montana, the mother of
Al Pacino Alfredo James Pacino (; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he has received numerous accolades: including an Academy Award, two Tony Awards, and two Primetime Emmy ...
's title character in '' Scarface''. In 2014, she received the
National Medal of Arts The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and patrons of the arts. A prestigious American honor, it is the highest honor given to artists and arts patrons ...
from President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
. She died of complications from a
pulmonary infection Lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) is a term often used as a synonym for pneumonia but can also be applied to other types of infection including lung abscess and acute bronchitis. Symptoms include shortness of breath, weakness, fever, cough ...
on March 3, 2017, at the age of 80.


Early life

Míriam Colón Valle was born in Ponce,
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
, on August 20, 1936. In the 1940s, her recently divorced mother moved the family to a public housing project called
Residencial Las Casas Residencial Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas, more commonly known as Residencial Las Casas, Caserio Las Casas or Las Casas, is a public housing complex located in San Juan, Puerto Rico consisting of 417 housing units. It is under the management of the ...
in
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to: Places Argentina * San Juan Province, Argentina * San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province * San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province * San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...
. She attended Román Baldorioty de Castro High School in Old San Juan, where she took part in plays. Her first drama teacher, Marcos Colón (no relation) believed in her talent, and helped her gain permission to observe the students in the drama department of the
University of Puerto Rico The University of Puerto Rico ( es, Universidad de Puerto Rico, UPR) is the main public university system in the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. It is a government-owned corporation with 11 campuses and approximately 58,000 students and ...
. She was a good student in high school and was awarded scholarships to the Dramatic Workshop and Technical Institute and Lee Strasberg's
Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founde ...
in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. In New York, she befriended Dean Zayas, another young Puerto Rican actor and future director.


Career

In 1953, Colón debuted as an actress in ''Los Peloteros'' (''The Baseball Players''), a film produced in Puerto Rico, starring Ramón "Diplo" Rivero, and in which she played a character called Lolita. That year, she moved to New York City, where she was accepted by
Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founde ...
co-founder
Elia Kazan Elia Kazan (; born Elias Kazantzoglou ( el, Ηλίας Καζαντζόγλου); September 7, 1909 – September 28, 2003) was an American film and theatre director, producer, screenwriter and actor, described by ''The New York Times'' as "one o ...
after a single audition, thus becoming the studio's first Puerto Rican member. In New York, she worked in theater and later landed a role on the
soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio drama ...
''
Guiding Light ''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the third longest-running drama in television in American history. ''Guiding Light'' a ...
''. She attended a performance of René Marqués' ''La Carreta'' (''The Oxcart'') which motivated her to form the first
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
theater group, with the help of La Carreta's producer, Roberto Rodríguez, called "El Circuito Dramático". In 1954, she appeared on stage in "In The Summer House" at the Play House in New York City. Between 1954 and 1974, she made guest appearances in television shows such as ''
Peter Gunn ''Peter Gunn'' is an American private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, Edie Hart. The series aired on NBC from September 22, 1958, to 1960 and on ABC in 1960–1961. The seri ...
'' and ''
Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was r ...
''. She appeared mostly in westerns such as ''
Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...
'', ''
Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on ...
'', '' The High Chaparral'', and '' Have Gun, Will Travel''. She appeared in the 1961 film '' One-eyed Jacks'' as "the Redhead". In 1962, she was featured as the co-star in a teleplay written by Frank Gabrielsen, and produced for the TV series '' The DuPont Show of the Week''. The title of the hour-long episode is "The Richest Man in Bogota", airing on 17 June 1962. It starred Lee Marvin as Juan de Núñez, and Miriam Colón as "Marina" (not Medina-Saroté, as in the original H.G. Wells story, '' The Country of the Blind''). She co-starred as Anita Chavez in ''Thunder Island'' (1963), with the screenplay written by
Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. In many of his films, he played rebels against the social structure. He received numerous ...
. In 1979, she starred alongside fellow Puerto Rican actors José Ferrer,
Raúl Juliá Raúl Rafael Carlos Juliá y Arcelay (March 9, 1940 – October 24, 1994) was a Puerto Rican actor. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he took an interest in acting while still in school and pursued the career upon completion of his studies. After ...
, and Henry Darrow in ''Life of Sin'', a film in which she portrayed Isabel la Negra, a real-life Puerto Rican brothel owner. In 1983, she was cast as the mother of Tony Montana in '' Scarface'', despite being only 4 years older than
Al Pacino Alfredo James Pacino (; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he has received numerous accolades: including an Academy Award, two Tony Awards, and two Primetime Emmy ...
. Colón has said that she based her performance on her own mother. She was also cast as María in the 1999 film ''
Gloria Gloria may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Christian liturgy and music * Gloria in excelsis Deo, the Greater Doxology, a hymn of praise * Gloria Patri, the Lesser Doxology, a short hymn of praise ** Gloria (Handel) ** Gloria (Jenkins) ...
'', starring
Sharon Stone Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an American actress. Known for primarily playing femme fatales and women of mystery on film and television, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1990s. She is the recipient of various ...
. In 2013, she was cast in the role of Ultima, a New Mexico Hispanic healer, in the movie ''
Bless Me, Ultima ''Bless Me, Ultima'' is a coming-of-age novel by Rudolfo Anaya centering on Antonio Márez y Luna and his mentorship under his ''curandera'' and protector, Ultima. It has become the most widely read and critically acclaimed novel in the Chicano l ...
'' based on the novel by Rudolfo Anaya. She appeared in Season 1 of the TV series ''
Better Call Saul ''Better Call Saul'' is an American crime and legal drama television series created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. Part of the ''Breaking Bad'' franchise, it is a spin-off of Gilligan's previous series, ''Breaking Bad'', and serves as a ...
'' in 2015, as Abuelita.


Puerto Rican Traveling Theater

In the late 1960s, Colón founded The Puerto Rican Traveling Theater company on
West 47th street ''West 47th Street'' is a documentary film produced by Lichtenstein Creative Media. ''West 47th Street'' is an intimate cinéma vérité portrait of four people with serious mental illness as their lives naturally unfold over a three-year peri ...
in
Manhattan, New York Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
. The company presents
Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...
productions onsite and also goes on tour. She was the director of the company and she appeared in the following PRTT productions: * ''The Ox Cart'' (1966–1967) * ''The Boiler Room'' (1993) * ''Simpson Street'' * ''Señora Carrar's Rifles'' The play ''The Ox Cart'' (''La Carreta''), written by Puerto Rican dramatist René Marqués, was first produced in 1953. It was directed by Roberto Rodríguez and starred Colón. The success of the play allowed Rodríguez and Colón to form the first permanent Hispanic theatrical group, and for the group to have its own space, Teatro Arena, located in Manhattan on Sixth Avenue between 43rd and 44th street.


Recognition

In 1993, Colón received an
Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards originally given by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City. In September 2014, the awards were jointly presented and administered with the ...
for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater. In 2000, she received the HOLA
Raúl Juliá Raúl Rafael Carlos Juliá y Arcelay (March 9, 1940 – October 24, 1994) was a Puerto Rican actor. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he took an interest in acting while still in school and pursued the career upon completion of his studies. After ...
Founders Award, presented by the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors (HOLA). Colón's biography, ''Míriam Colón: Actor and Theater Founder'', was written by Mayra Fernandez in 1994. In 2014, President Barack Obama awarded Colón the National Medal of Arts for her contributions as an actress. The citation reads as follows: "Ms. Colón has been a trailblazer in film, television, and theater, and helped open doors for generations of Hispanic actors."


Personal life

Colón was married to George Paul Edgar from 1966 until his death in 1976. In 1987, she married Fred Valle. She was an avid collector of ancestral arts including pre-Columbian, tribal African, historic Native American, and other tribal art. She collected Mid-East artifacts, abstract paintings, and modern sculpture. A signed Pablo Picasso sketch in crayon that she owned was auctioned for $6500 on June 16, 2019. At her death, she owned at least six signed movie posters of Al Pacino's ''Scarface'' and at least seven signed ''Scarface'' soundtrack albums. Her final years were in
Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding i ...
.


Death

Colón died on March 3, 2017, at the age of 80, in New York City of complications from a
pulmonary infection Lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) is a term often used as a synonym for pneumonia but can also be applied to other types of infection including lung abscess and acute bronchitis. Symptoms include shortness of breath, weakness, fever, cough ...
. Among those who paid tribute to her were
Rosalba Rolón Rosalba Rolón (born 25 August 1951) is a Puerto Rican actress and director, who is known for being the founder and current artistic director of the Pregones Theater Company, a Bronx-based touring company that focuses on Latinx stories. Early l ...
,
Marc Anthony Marco Antonio Muñiz Rivera (born September 16, 1968), known professionally as Marc Anthony, is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. A three-time Grammy Award and six-time Latin Gr ...
(who she had coached as an actor and briefly appeared with on television), and
Lin-Manuel Miranda Lin-Manuel Miranda (; born January 16, 1980) is an American songwriter, actor, playwright and filmmaker. He is known for creating the Broadway musicals ''Hamilton'' (2015) and '' In the Heights'' (2005), and the soundtracks for the Disney animat ...
.


Filmography

* 1951 ''Los Peloteros'' as Lolita * 1955 ''
Danger Danger is a lack of safety and may refer to: Places * Danger Cave, an archaeological site in Utah * Danger Island, Great Chagos Bank, Indian Ocean * Danger Island, alternate name of Pukapuka Atoll in the Cook Islands, Pacific Ocean * Danger Is ...
'' (TV Series) * 1955 '' Star Tonight'' (TV Series) * 1956 '' Crowded Paradise'' * 1956 ''Soraya'' (TV Series, three episodes) * 1957 '' The Big Story'' (TV Series) as Esperanza Martinez * 1958 ''
Decoy A decoy (derived from the Dutch ''de'' ''kooi'', literally "the cage" or possibly ''ende kooi'', " duck cage") is usually a person, device, or event which resembles what an individual or a group might be looking for, but it is only meant to lu ...
'' (TV Series) as Maria * 1956-1958 '' Studio One'' (TV Series) as Mrs. Talavera / Rosie * 1959 '' Lux Playhouse'' (TV Series) as Mrs. Flores * 1959 ''
State Trooper State police, provincial police or regional police are a type of sub-national territorial police force found in nations organized as federations, typically in North America, South Asia, and Oceania. These forces typically have jurisdicti ...
'' (TV Series, Episode, ''Case of the Barefoot Girl'') as Francesca * 1959 ''
One Step Beyond One Step Beyond may refer to: Music * ''One Step Beyond'' (Dungeon album) or the title song, 2004 * ''One Step Beyond'' (Jackie McLean album), 1963 * '' One Step Beyond...'', an album by Madness, or the title song (see below), 1979 * ''One Step ...
'' (TV Series, Episode - ''He Hand'') as Alma Rodriguez * 1959 '' Markham'' (TV Series) as Esperanza * 1959 '' Mike Hammer'' (TV Series) as Tarano * 1959 ''
Peter Gunn ''Peter Gunn'' is an American private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, Edie Hart. The series aired on NBC from September 22, 1958, to 1960 and on ABC in 1960–1961. The seri ...
'' (TV Series) as Maria DeCara * 1959 ''
Tales of Wells Fargo ''Tales of Wells Fargo'' is an American Western television series starring Dale Robertson that ran from 1957 to 1962 on NBC. Produced by Revue Productions, the series aired in a half-hour format until its final season, when it expanded t ...
'' (TV Series, Episode - ''Desert Showdown'') as Rita * 1959 '' Wanted: Dead or Alive'' (TV Series, Episode - ''Desert Seed'') as Mrs. Gomez * 1961 '' One-eyed Jacks'' as Redheaded Lady * 1961 '' Battle at Bloody Beach'' as Nahni * 1961 '' The Outsider'' as Anita * 1962 ''
Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was r ...
'' (TV Series, Episode - ''Strange Miracle'') as Lolla * 1962 '' The New Breed'' (TV Series) as Dolores Madero * 1962 '' The Richest Man in Bogota'' (TV Series, on '' The DuPont Show of the Week'') as Marina * 1962 '' Doctor Kildare'' (TV Series) as Pila / Rani Stewart * 1962 '' The Defenders'' (TV Series) as Carmella Lopez * 1962 ''
Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...
'' (TV Series, ''Episode - He Learned About Women'') as Kisla * 1963 '' Have Gun - Will Travel'' (TV Series) as Punya * 1963 '' Laramie'' (TV Series) as Winema * 1963 ''
Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American old-time radio and television anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program ...
'' (TV Series) as Maria * 1963 '' Harbor Lights'' as Gina Rosario * 1963 '' Ben Casey'' (TV Series) as Eva Rosario * 1963 '' The Great Adventure'' (TV Series) as Sarah Crow * 1963 '' Thunder Island'' as Anita Chavez * 1963 ''
The Dick Van Dyke Show ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' is an American television sitcom created by Carl Reiner that initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961 to June 1, 1966, with a total of 158 half-hour episodes spanning five seasons. It was produced by Calvada Prod ...
'' (TV Series) as Maria * 1963 ''
Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...
'' (TV Series, ''Episode - Shona'') as Shona * 1964 '' The Nurses'' (TV Series) as Maria Marissa * 1964 '' Slattery's People'' (TV Series) as Elena Delgado * 1966 ''
The Legend of Jesse James ''The Legend of Jesse James'' is a 1980 country music concept album written by English songwriter Paul Kennerley, based on the story of American Old West outlaw Jesse James. The album features Levon Helm singing the role of Jesse James, J ...
'' (TV Series) as Theresa * 1966 '' The Appaloosa'' as Ana * 1967 '' N.Y.P.D.'' (TV Series) as Teresa * 1967 '' The Fugitive'' (TV Series) as Mercedes Anza * 1967 '' The Virginian'' (TV Series) as Eva Talbot * 1967 ''Christmas in the Marketplace'' (TV Movie) as Virgin Mary / Mercedes * 1968 '' The High Chaparral'' (TV Series, Episode - “Follow Your Heart”) as Trini Butler * 1968 ''
Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...
'' (TV Series, Episode - ''Zavala'') as Amelita Avila * 1969 '' Desperate Mission'' (TV Movie) as Claudina, Otilia's Servant * 1969 ''
Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on ...
'' (TV Series) as Anita Lavez * 1969 ''
Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...
'' (TV Series, Episode - ''Charlie Moon'') as The Woman * 1970 ''
Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...
'' (TV Series, Episode - Chato'') as Mora * 1971 ''
They Call It Murder ''They Call It Murder'' is a 1971 American television film directed by Walter Grauman and starring Jim Hutton. Production ''They Call It Murder'' is a two-hour television film produced by Paisano Productions in association with 20th Century Fox. I ...
'' (TV Movie) as Anita Nogales * 1972 ''
Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...
'' (TV Series, Episode - ''The River'') as Paulette * 1972 ''
The Possession of Joel Delaney ''The Possession of Joel Delaney'' is a 1970 horror novel by American writer Ramona Stewart. Its plot follows a woman who comes to believe her brother has been possessed by the spirit of a serial killer. It was adapted into the 1972 feature fi ...
'' as Veronica * 1974 ''Dr. Max'' (TV Movie) as Mrs. Camacho * 1974 '' Sanford & Son'' (TV Series, Episode - ''Julio and Sister and Nephew'') as Carlotta * 1974 ''
Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...
'' (TV Series, ''Episode - The Iron Blood of Courage'') as Mignon * 1976 ''The Hemingway Play'' (TV Movie) * 1979 '' A Life of Sin'' as Isabel * 1979 ''
The Edge of Night ''The Edge of Night'' is an American television mystery crime drama series and soap opera, created by Irving Vendig and produced by Procter & Gamble Productions. It debuted on CBS on April 2, 1956, and ran as a live broadcast on that netwo ...
'' (TV
soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio drama ...
) as Dr. Marie Santos * 1981 '' Back Roads'' as Angel * 1981 '' ABC Afterschool Specials'' (TV Series) as Yolanda * 1983 '' Scarface'' (1983) as Mama Georgina Montana * 1984 '' Best Kept Secret'' (TV Movie) as Ina Dietz * 1985 '' Lady Blue'' (TV Series) as Dona Maria * 1986 '' Kay O'Brien'' (TV Series) as Mrs. Amaro * 1987 ''
Highway to Heaven ''Highway to Heaven'' is an American fantasy drama television series that ran on NBC from September 19, 1984, to August 4, 1989. The series starred Michael Landon as Jonathan Smith, an angel sent to Earth in order to help people in need. Vi ...
'' (TV Series) as Anna Martinez * 1988 ''Deadline: Madrid'' (TV Movie) * 1991 '' L.A. Law'' (TV Series) as Gaby Sifuentes * 1991 '' Law and Order'' (TV Series) as Mrs. Anna Rivers * 1991 '' Lightning Field'' (TV Movie) * 1991 '' City of Hope'' as Mrs. Ramirez * 1992 ''
Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The seri ...
'' (TV Series, Episode - ''Day of the Dead'') as Consuela Montejano * 1993 ''
The House of the Spirits ''The House of the Spirits'' ( es, La casa de los espíritus, 1982) is the debut novel of Isabel Allende. The novel was rejected by several Spanish-language publishers before being published in Buenos Aires in 1982. It became an instant best-sel ...
'' as Nana * 1994 '' The Cosby Mysteries'' (TV Series) * 1994 ''
NYPD Blue ''NYPD Blue'' is an American police procedural television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwines several plots involving an ensembl ...
'' (TV Series) as Valeria Santiago * 1995 '' Streets of Laredo'' (TV Mini-Series) as Estrella * 1995 '' Sabrina'' as Rosa * 1995 ''
All My Children ''All My Children'' (often shortened to ''AMC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970, to September 23, 2011, and on The Online Network (TOLN) from April 29 to September 2, 2013, via Hulu, Hulu Plus, and ...
'' (TV
soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio drama ...
) as Lydia Flores * 1996 '' Edipo alcalde'' as Deyanira * 1996 '' Lone Star'' as Mercedes Cruz * 1996 '' Mistrial'' (TV Movie) as Mrs. Cruz * 1996 '' Cosby'' (TV Series) as Lillian * 1996-1997 ''
One Life to Live ''One Life to Live'' (often abbreviated as ''OLTL'') is an American soap opera broadcast on the ABC television network for more than 43 years, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012, and then on the internet as a web series on Hulu and iTunes ...
'' (TV
soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio drama ...
) as Abuelita Maria Delgado * 1999 ''
Gloria Gloria may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Christian liturgy and music * Gloria in excelsis Deo, the Greater Doxology, a hymn of praise * Gloria Patri, the Lesser Doxology, a short hymn of praise ** Gloria (Handel) ** Gloria (Jenkins) ...
'' as María * 2000 '' For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story'' (TV Movie) as Cirita Sandoval * 2000 '' All the Pretty Horses'' as Doña Alfonsa * 2001 '' Third Watch'' (2001, TV Series) as Theresa Caffey * 2001 '' The Blue Diner'' as Meche * 2001 ''
Guiding Light ''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the third longest-running drama in television in American history. ''Guiding Light'' a ...
'' (TV
soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio drama ...
) as Maria Santos * 2001 '' Almost a Woman'' (TV Movie) as Tata * 2005 '' Jonny Zero'' (TV Series) as Lupe * 2005 '' Goal!'' as Mercedes * 2007 '' Goal! 2: Living the Dream...'' as Mercedes * 2007 '' The Cry'' as Gloria The Curandera * 2009 '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (TV Series) as Yolanda * 2009 '' Goal! 3: Taking on the World'' as Mercedes (uncredited) * 2010-2011 '' How to Make It in America'' (TV Series) as Cam's Grandma * 2011 '' Gun Hill Road'' as Gloria * 2011 '' The Bay'' (TV Series) as Grandma Andrews * 2011 '' Hawthorne'' (TV Series) as Mama Renata * 2011 ''
Foreverland ''Foreverland'' is the eleventh studio album by Irish chamber pop band the Divine Comedy, released on 2 September 2016 by Divine Comedy Records. Accolades Track listing Personnel Personnel per liner notes included in ''Venus, Folly, Cu ...
'' as Esperanza * 2013 ''
Bless Me, Ultima ''Bless Me, Ultima'' is a coming-of-age novel by Rudolfo Anaya centering on Antonio Márez y Luna and his mentorship under his ''curandera'' and protector, Ultima. It has become the most widely read and critically acclaimed novel in the Chicano l ...
'' as Ultima * 2013 '' Unhallowed'' as Bruja (rumored) * 2014 '' Top Five'' as Chelsea's Grandmother * 2014 ''On Painted Wings'' (not distributed) as Manuela * 2015 ''
Better Call Saul ''Better Call Saul'' is an American crime and legal drama television series created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. Part of the ''Breaking Bad'' franchise, it is a spin-off of Gilligan's previous series, ''Breaking Bad'', and serves as a ...
'' (TV Series) as Abuelita Salamanca * 2015 ''
The Girl Is in Trouble ''The Girl Is in Trouble'' is a 2015 American thriller film directed by Julius Onah. It stars Columbus Short, Wilmer Valderrama, Alicja Bachleda and Jesse Spencer. The original motion picture soundtrack contains the theme song titled "Solitude". T ...
'' as Grandma * 2015 ''The Southside'' as Abuelita Sanchez


Broadway

*''In The Summer House'' (1954) *''The Innkeepers'' (1956) *''The Wrong Way Lightbulb'' (1969)


See also

* List of Puerto Ricans *
History of women in Puerto Rico The recorded history of Puerto Rican women can trace its roots back to the era of the ''Taíno'', the indigenous people of the Caribbean, who inhabited the island that they called "Boriken" before the arrival of Spaniards. During the Spanish c ...


References


External links

* * * * * *
Miriam Colón bio
at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
The Puerto Rican Traveling TheaterMiriam Colon's Interview on NBC Latino

Miriam Colon Interview
at th
WNYC Archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Colon, Miriam 1936 births 2017 deaths Obie Award recipients Puerto Rican film actresses Puerto Rican television actresses Puerto Rican soap opera actresses Puerto Rican stage actresses Actresses from Ponce, Puerto Rico Western (genre) television actors United States National Medal of Arts recipients Respiratory disease deaths in New York (state) Infectious disease deaths in New York (state) Deaths from respiratory tract infection