Carmen Zapata Biography

Fast Facts

• : In 2003 she was awarded with a Star on the Walk of Fame, recognizing her contributions toward Live Performance
• To honor her commitment to the performing arts and 50 years of dedication, she was awarded with the Hispanic Heritage Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1997
• In addition to receiving the Governor's Life Achievement Award, she also received the Community Leadership Award from the Mexican and American Foundation
• Began acting in musicals at a young age, making her Broadway debut at 19 years old in the chorus of "Oklahoma․"
• After acting on stage for over thirty years, she decided to begin acting on TV in the 1970s
• Co-founder of Bilingual Foundation of the Arts theater company, helping bring the Hispanic culture to Southern California through stage production
• Appeared in numerous Broadway performances, including "Guys and Dolls," "Bye Bye Birdie," and "Carnival․"
• She and Michael Dewell co-translated numerous works of Federico Garcia Lorca