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María Concepción Alonso Bustillo (born June 29, 1955), better known as María Conchita Alonso, is a Cuban-born Venezuelan-American actress, singer, and beauty pageant titleholder who represented Venezuela at Miss World 1975 and placed in the top seven. She is most known to international audiences for playing Amber Mendez in the 1987 action thriller '' The Running Man''. She has participated in film and television productions, and was nominated for the
Independent Spirit Award The Independent Spirit Awards, originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards, and later as the Film Independent Spirit Awards, are awards presented annually in Santa Monica, California, to independent filmmakers. Founded in ...
as Best Leading Actress in 1996 for her role in ''
Caught Caught is a method of dismissing a batsman in cricket. A batsman is out caught if the batsman hits the ball, from a legitimate delivery, with the bat, and the ball is caught by the bowler or a fielder before it hits the ground. If the catch ...
''. As a singer, she has received several gold and platinum records, and has been nominated for three
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
s. Alonso was the first Latin American actress not born in the United States to star in a musical on
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...
, with '' Kiss of the Spider Woman'' at the
Broadhurst Theatre The Broadhurst Theatre is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 235 West 44th Street (Manhattan), 44th Street in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1917, the thea ...
(1995).


Early life

María Conchita Alonso was born in
Cienfuegos, Cuba Cienfuegos (), capital of Cienfuegos Province, is a city on the southern coast of Cuba. It is located about from Havana and has a population of 178,368 in 2022. Since the late 1960s, Cienfuegos has become one of Cuba's main industrial centers, e ...
, on June 29, 1955, to Ricardo Alonso and Conchita Bustillo. Her family moved to Venezuela when she was five years old in 1962 after the
Cuban Revolution The Cuban Revolution () was the military and political movement that overthrew the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, who had ruled Cuba from 1952 to 1959. The revolution began after the 1952 Cuban coup d'état, in which Batista overthrew ...
. She was crowned Miss Teenager World in 1971. She was runner up for Miss Venezuela in 1975, and became a top seven runner-up in the
Miss World Miss World is the oldest existing international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951. Since his death in 2000, Morley's widow, Julia Morley, has co-chaired the pageant. Along with Miss Universe, Mi ...
pageant later that year, which was won by Puerto Rico's Wilnelia Merced.


Career

Alonso's first gold album and number one song on the charts was '' Love Maniac'', released in 1979 under the name Ámbar. After that followed her second number-one "The Witch" and soon after "Dangerous Rhythm". For what is considered her best known song, she was asked by
Giorgio Moroder Giovanni Giorgio Moroder (, ; born 26 April 1940) is an Italian composer and music producer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Disco", Moroder is credited with pioneering Euro disco and electronic dance music. His work ...
to write the lyrics in Spanish and sing "Vamos a Bailar" which he had written for the soundtrack of the film '' Scarface''. The song instantly became a classic among Spanish speakers, despite failing to garner major attention outside of
Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
where it was recorded. Her two albums with Ámbar and her solo debut were recorded in English. Her second album, '' María Conchita'', in 1984, made her an international singing star in the Spanish-speaking market, and garnered her first of three
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
nominations (1985, 1988, 1994). Alonso sang the United States national anthem at the FIFA UNICEF charity match on July 27, 1986, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, in front of a crowd of 57,539. The game was between the “Rest of the World” and “The Americas” which featured
Diego Maradona Diego Armando Maradona Franco (30 October 196025 November 2020) was an Argentine professional association football, football player and manager. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, he was one of the two ...
only one month after his successful
1986 World Cup The 1986 FIFA World Cup was the 13th FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial football tournament for men's senior national teams. It was played in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June 1986. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had ...
win. Alonso made her Hollywood film debut in '' Moscow on the Hudson'' (1984) with
Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comedie ...
, and also starred in '' Touch and Go'' (1986), '' Extreme Prejudice'' (1987), '' The Running Man'' (1987), ''
Colors Color (or colour in Commonwealth English; see spelling differences) is the visual perception based on the electromagnetic spectrum. Though color is not an inherent property of matter, color perception is related to an object's light absorpt ...
'' (1988), '' Vampire's Kiss'' (1989), ''
Predator 2 ''Predator 2'' is a 1990 American science fiction film, science fiction action film written by brothers Jim and John Thomas, directed by Stephen Hopkins (director), Stephen Hopkins, and starring Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Ruben Blades, Rubén Bla ...
'' (1990) and '' The House of the Spirits'' (1993). In 1995, she became the first
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
-born actresses to star in a
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...
show, playing Aurora in '' Kiss of the Spider Woman''. She later acted in the romantic comedies ''
Chasing Papi ''Chasing Papi'' is a 2003 American comedy film directed by Linda Mendoza (in her feature film directorial debut) and starring Roselyn Sánchez, Sofía Vergara, Jaci Velasquez, and Eduardo Verástegui. The women discover that their boyfriend h ...
'' (2003) and ''The Last Guy on Earth'' (2006). Alonso was cast to play Lucía, the mother of
Gabrielle Solis Gabrielle "Gaby" Solis () is a fictional character portrayed by Eva Longoria on the ABC television series ''Desperate Housewives''. Longoria was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy for h ...
, on the
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
series ''
Desperate Housewives ''Desperate Housewives'' is an American mystery comedy-drama television series created by Marc Cherry, and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. It aired for eight seasons on ABC from October 3, 2004, until May 13, 2012, for a tota ...
''. The episode aired on February 19, 2006. She was in the Latin version, '' Amas de Casa Desesperadas'', for Univision Network. She was a guest star in the live-action film of the comic book '' El Muerto'' and appeared in the film '' Material Girls'' (2006). Alonso hosted
VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...
's '' ¡Viva Hollywood!'' on April 13, 2008, with Carlos Ponce. She portrayed Sam in the werewolf horror film ''Wolf Moon'', directed by Dana Mennie. Alonso appeared in
Rob Zombie Robert Bartleh Cummings (born January 12, 1965), known professionally as Rob Zombie, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, filmmaker, and actor. His music and lyrics are notable for their horror and sci-fi themes, and his live show ...
's '' The Lords of Salem,'' released in 2013. Her latest film, a fantasy short titled ''The Secret of Joy'', features her alongside fellow Venezuelan actor Carlos Antonio León, Spanish actress Laura Bayonas, and Brazilian actress Ana Carolina Da Fonseca in a story that aims to bring awareness about pediatric cancer. Maria Conchita signed with management firm All Parts Move in 2023. She is currently (2025) touring extensively as part of the 'Despechadas' tour in Mexico, with solo performances and a cabaret style show called 'Sin Verguenza', which goes into her life and her ups and downs. A new 'Tropical' - a first for her - album is scheduled for release in the fall of 2025, produced by Latin Grammy winning producer Fabian Rincon, with a first single 'Acariciame Salsa' out June 27, 2025.


Political views

Alonso has often spoken in support of
LGBT rights Rights affecting lesbian, Gay men, gay, Bisexuality, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the Capital punishmen ...
and in appreciation of her LGBT fans, stating, "I was very much supported by the community when I first came out with my music". In a 2004 article, she compared herself to
Cher Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...
in terms of her connection to LGBT culture. Alonso was an outspoken critic of Cuba's
Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban politician and revolutionary who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and President of Cuba, president ...
and Venezuelan President
Hugo Chávez Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías (; ; 28 July 1954 – 5 March 2013) was a Venezuelan politician, Bolivarian Revolution, revolutionary, and Officer (armed forces), military officer who served as the 52nd president of Venezuela from 1999 until De ...
, whom she described as a "dictator"-like "Hitler""All those people are Chavistas, all those people are ''controlled'' by Chavez ... So they say what Chavez wants them to say ... No, he was ''not'' elected democratically. The first time he ''was'' elected democratically, but the last two time the referendum and this last month of December, he was ''not''." ''Hannity & Colmes'', Fox News. June 2007. and whose voters and supporters she described as "terrorists." She appeared on
Sean Hannity Sean Patrick Hannity (born December 30, 1961) is an American conservative television presenter, broadcaster and writer. He hosts ''The Sean Hannity Show'', a radio syndication, nationally syndicated talk radio show, has hosted a Hannity, sel ...
's '' Hannity's America'' on May 6, 2007, ''
Hannity & Colmes ''Hannity & Colmes'' was a live television show on Fox News in the United States, hosted by Sean Hannity and Alan Colmes, who respectively presented a conservative and liberal perspective. The series premiered on October 7, 1996, and the final ...
'' on June 1, 2007 and Bill O'Reilly's ''
The O'Reilly Factor ''The O'Reilly Factor'' (originally titled ''The O'Reilly Report'' and also known as ''The Factor'') is an American cable television news and talk show. ''The O'Reilly Factor'' first aired in the United States on Fox News Channel on October 7 ...
'' on August 13, 2007, and March 11, 2009. Alonso issued an "Open Letter to
Sean Penn Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He is known for his intense leading man roles in film. List of awards and nominations received by Sean Penn, His accolades include two Academy Awards, a Golden Gl ...
" (the two had played lovers in the 1988 movie ''
Colors Color (or colour in Commonwealth English; see spelling differences) is the visual perception based on the electromagnetic spectrum. Though color is not an inherent property of matter, color perception is related to an object's light absorpt ...
'') online on March 29, 2010, regarding his support of Hugo Chávez. She used a point-by-point refrain of "WHY" in her letter questioning various issues occurring in Venezuela. In December 2011, she got into a heated exchange with Penn at a Los Angeles airport during which Penn called her a pig and she responded by calling Penn a
communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
. In 2008, Alonso endorsed the US presidential campaign of Republican nominee
John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...
, writing: In an August 2012 Spreecast interview, Alonso stated her opposition to Obama's re-election, saying that if reelected, he would take steps to make the United States become more like Venezuela under the Chávez government. In January 2014, Alonso resigned from a San Francisco production of ''
The Vagina Monologues ''The Vagina Monologues'' is an episodic play written in 1996 by Eve Ensler which developed and premiered at HERE Arts Center, Off-Off-Broadway in New York and was followed by an Off-Broadway run at the Westside Theatre. The play explores ...
'' after appearing in an advertisement for Republican candidate for Governor Tim Donnelly. In mid-2016, Alonso stated that she supported neither Republican presidential candidate
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
nor Democratic presidential candidate
Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...
in the U.S. election. Despite this, however, she would go on to support Trump and then endorse him in the 2020 presidential election.


Filmography


Discography

Studio Albums * '' Love Maniac'' (1979) * ''The Witch'' (1980) * ''Dangerous Rhythm'' (1982) * ''Te Amo/I Love You'' (1983) * '' María Conchita'' (1984) * ''O Ella, o Yo'' (1985) * '' Mírame'' (1987) * ''Hazme Sentir'' (1990) * ''Imagíname'' (1992) * ''Boleros (Alejandra)'' (1994) * ''Amor De Madrugada'' (2016) * ''Lléname de Ti'' (2020) Live Albums * ''En Vivo en México'' (1992) Compilation Albums * ''Lo mejor de'' (1986) * ''Grandes éxitos'' (1989) * ''Súper hits'' (1991) * ''De colección'' (1994) * ''Hoy y siempre'' (1997) * ''Lo mejor de María Conchita Alonso'' (2000) * ''La más completa colección'' (2005) * ''Grandes éxitos/Greatest hits'' (2006) * ''16 Éxitos de oro'' (2012) * ''Reina Eterna '' (2017)


Singles


References


External links

* *
María Conchita Alonso
at
Discogs Discogs ( ; short for " discographies") is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. Database contents are user-generated, and described in ''T ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alonso, Maria Conchita 1957 births Living people A&M Records artists American anti-communists American beauty pageant winners American entertainers of Cuban descent American people of Asturian descent California Republicans Columbia Records artists Cuban anti-communists Cuban emigrants to Venezuela Exiles of the Cuban Revolution in the United States Hispanic and Latino American actresses La Academia judges Venezuelan LGBTQ rights activists Miss World 1975 delegates Opposition to Fidel Castro People from Cienfuegos Polydor Records artists Venezuelan anti-communists Venezuelan emigrants to the United States 20th-century Venezuelan women singers Venezuelan film actresses Venezuelan musical theatre actresses Venezuelan television actresses 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American singers 21st-century American women singers 21st-century American singers 20th-century Venezuelan actresses 21st-century Venezuelan actresses Women in Latin music Latino conservatism in the United States