AARP - Segunda Juventud - María Conchita Alonso

Mariposa
María Conchita Alonso

By Ana Figueroa
August/September 2006

She’s sexy, quirky, and complex. And she loves butterflies.

Like a butterfly, María Conchita Alonso is entering a vibrant new phase of life. She comes to the door of her hillside home in Beverly Hills wearing a long, summery dress. She’s barefoot: a sign of the quirkiness she exudes on stage, on screen, and in person. And she’s sensual: at age 49, she was recently named one of People en español’s 50 Most Beautiful People.

She’s confident and carefree these days, but she has traveled, literally and figuratively, a long way to arrive at this place. Now she’s ready to chat about being an actress, singer, and songwriter—and about having stepped away from her career for nearly a decade.

The expression “out of sight, out of mind” became reality for her. Offers stopped coming in.

Born in Cuba and raised in Venezuela, Alonso gained prominence in Latin America when she became Miss Teenager of the World and, later, Miss Venezuela. A stint as one of Latin America’s top models, and starring roles in telenovelas, followed. A self-professed rock ’n’ roller at heart, she has numerous hit singles, gold and platinum albums in Spanish and English, and Grammy nominations.

But Alonso’s acting credits are what made her a household name in the United States, where she came to pursue a career in Hollywood. Films such as Colors with Robert Duvall and The House of the Spirits with Jeremy Irons propelled her to stardom shortly after arriving in this country in 1982.

The actress also made Broadway history in 1995, becoming the first foreign-born Latina to star on the Great White Way, in Kiss of the Spider Woman.

Then, at the peak of her success, Alonso says she simply “got sick and tired of everything.” As she curls up on an overstuffed white couch in her den, she explains that though she loved her career, she hated the game playing required to move ahead. “I was disappointed with the industry—the envy, jealousy, power,” she says. “I started losing my happiness and chose to disappear for a while.”

As Alonso slowly withdrew from Hollywood, “a while” became seven or eight years.

“I was down. I didn’t want to see anybody or to be seen,” she says. She traveled, painted, and sometimes just did nothing. “I didn’t take any medications or see a doctor, I just grew inside.…I learned what was really important in my life.”

The expression “out of sight, out of mind” became reality for her. Offers stopped coming in. But the much-needed sabbatical changed Alonso’s life—and career prospects.

“I don’t call this a comeback so much as a rebirth,” she says about her life today. “My spirit is strong again; things are building again. I’m going out, being seen. Thank God I’m aging nicely.”

But Alonso is determined not to rely solely on her looks. “Being pretty isn’t bad,” she says, “but there’s always going to be someone that is younger, prettier, slimmer, and smarter. All you can really hold on to is talent.”

Talent is one thing she’s showing off. Earlier this year, she returned to network television with a guest role on Desperate Housewives. She played Lucía, Gabrielle’s (Eva Longoria’s) mother.

‘Her performance makes us appreciate the contributions that Latinas make to our own culture.' —Martha Coolidge, director, Material Girls

And many of her latest feature film appearances are a surprising stretch from previous roles. For example, she plays Queen Elizabeth in Richard III, a modern take on the Shakespeare classic.

“I’ve never been one of those actresses who always wanted to do Shakespeare,” Alonso says. “But when the offer came, I decided to go for it.”

Physical transformations are key in upcoming films. In El Muerto, an English-language fantasy thriller with Wilmer Valderrama, Alonso’s character, Sister Rosa, is a nun who walks with a limp. For her appearance in Material Girls—starring Anjelica Huston and slated for release in August—she plays Inez, a Colombian surrogate mother to costars Hilary and Haylie Duff.

“I made myself look a little chubbier, with fake boobs, hips, and butt. I also gave myself a funny walk,” says Alonso. “My agent said to me, ‘The public hasn’t seen you for a while, and you’re coming back in these unglamorous roles. They’re going to think that’s how you look now.’ But, I didn’t think about that. I just looked at the roles as an actor.”

And it is this attitude that impresses directors. The role of Inez, a woman whose strength, courage, and inner beauty transforms those close to her, fits Alonso perfectly, says Material Girls director Martha Coolidge. “María is wonderful in the movie. She’s funny and smart, and she gives life to a character that is powerful and nurturing. Her performance makes us appreciate the contributions that Latinas make to our own culture,” says Coolidge.

Alonso continues contributing. In October, she starts filming the series A Dangerous Love for Fox’s new channel, MyNetworkTV. She’s negotiating concert dates around the release of her upcoming CD. And she’s launching a new line of silk clothing called Soy—set to debut in spring 2007—designed to make women of all ages feel feminine and sexy. She proudly displays a metal clothing rack with an array of exotic, brightly colored creations.

“Since we’re talking about doing some concerts,” she says, “I thought I’d show the clothing line off during the tour.”

The logo? A butterfly. “They are free, full of excitement. That’s how I feel, like a butterfly that wants to experience everything,” she flutters.

And then she proceeds to flit around the room. Just like a butterfly.

Return to Top