Lupe Ontiveros

Guadalupe "Lupe" Ontiveros (September 17, 1942 – July 26, 2012) was an American film and television actress of Mexican descent, best known for portraying Yolanda Saldívar in the film Selena. Ontiveros acted in numerous films and television shows, often playing a maid or, more recently, an all-knowing grandmother. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for her work on Desperate Housewives and received critical acclaim for her role in Chuck and Buck, for which she won the National Board of Review award for Best Supporting Actress, and was also nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.

Early life

Ontiveros was born Guadalupe Moreno in El Paso, Texas. She was the daughter of Luz "Lucita" Castañón and Juan Moreno, middle-class Mexican immigrants who overcame a lack of formal education, and were owners of a tortilla factory and two restaurants in El Paso. She graduated from El Paso High School and went on to study at Texas Woman's University in Denton, Texas, where she received a bachelor's degree in social work. She was raised Roman Catholic.