Remembering Lupe Ontiveros

Texas Born Actress Broke Barriers for Hispanics

From Texas to Hollywood, many are remembering actress Lupe Ontiveros.

NBC Latino reports Ontiveros died at age 69.  She was born in El Paso, the daughter of Mexican immigrants.

In 2002, Ontiveros told the New York Times, she had played the role of maid at least 150 times in 25 years of acting.  But she pictured much deeper roles for Hispanics in Hollywood.

She later starred in the movie "Selena" about slain Tejano singing sensation Selena Quintanilla-Pérez.  Ontiveros played the role of Yolanda Saldivar, who befriended and later killed Selena.

Ontiveros also played the mother-in-law of Eva Longoria's character in "Desperate Housewives."  She recently starred in the sitcom "Rob."

Media reports say Ontiveros suffered from liver cancer but her death was unexpected when it happened Thursday night.

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