Actress. She made her Broadway debut in the chorus of Oklahoma! in 1946, and appeared around the country in such productions as 'Bells Are Ringing', 'Guys and Dolls', 'Carnival' and 'Stop the World, I Want to Get Off' before appearing on dozens of television shows during her six-decade career, including 'The Bold Ones', 'Bonanza', 'Marcus Welby, M.D.', 'Medical Center', 'Adam-12', 'Mod Squad', 'The Rookies', 'The Streets of San Francisco', 'Viva Valdez', 'McMillan and Wife', 'Chico and the Man', 'Falcon Crest', 'Married … With Children', 'L.A. Law' and 'Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman'. Among films she appeared in were 'Rabbit Test' (1978), 'Boulevard Nights' (1979), 'There Goes the Bride' (1980), 'Sister Act' (1992), 'Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit' (1993) and 'Death in Granada' (1996). In 1972, Zapata co-founded the Screen Actors Guild Ethnic Minority Committee with actors Ricardo Montalban, Edith Diaz and Henry Darrow and in 1973, she co-founded the Bilingual Foundation for the Arts with Cuban-born actress, Margarita Galban. The 99-seat Carmen Zapata Theatre in Los Angeles hosts many of its productions. Zapata, who was knighted by King Juan Carlos of Spain in 1990 and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003, died of a heart related illness.
Actress. She made her Broadway debut in the chorus of Oklahoma! in 1946, and appeared around the country in such productions as 'Bells Are Ringing', 'Guys and Dolls', 'Carnival' and 'Stop the World, I Want to Get Off' before appearing on dozens of television shows during her six-decade career, including 'The Bold Ones', 'Bonanza', 'Marcus Welby, M.D.', 'Medical Center', 'Adam-12', 'Mod Squad', 'The Rookies', 'The Streets of San Francisco', 'Viva Valdez', 'McMillan and Wife', 'Chico and the Man', 'Falcon Crest', 'Married … With Children', 'L.A. Law' and 'Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman'. Among films she appeared in were 'Rabbit Test' (1978), 'Boulevard Nights' (1979), 'There Goes the Bride' (1980), 'Sister Act' (1992), 'Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit' (1993) and 'Death in Granada' (1996). In 1972, Zapata co-founded the Screen Actors Guild Ethnic Minority Committee with actors Ricardo Montalban, Edith Diaz and Henry Darrow and in 1973, she co-founded the Bilingual Foundation for the Arts with Cuban-born actress, Margarita Galban. The 99-seat Carmen Zapata Theatre in Los Angeles hosts many of its productions. Zapata, who was knighted by King Juan Carlos of Spain in 1990 and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003, died of a heart related illness.
Bio by: Louis du Mort
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