Maria Conchita Alonso was raised in Cuba until she was five-years-old. The sound of bombs dropping during Fidel Castro’s coup d’tat is all that she remembers from that time. Soon after, her family moved to Caracas, Venezuela. As a result of growing up in a free atmosphere, Alonso firmly believes that, “nothing is impossible in life as long as you are free.”
Alonso began her ascent to fame when she was crowned Miss Teenager of the World in 1971. The beauty became Miss Venezuela in 1975 and was a huge star in Latin America for her work in telenovelas and Venezuelan films. This entertainer is not only an actor, but has had three Grammy nominations for her singing. You may recognize Alonso from her American film debut in Moscow on the Hudson, co-starring Robin Williams. Maria Conchita Alonso also paved the way for Latino women by becoming the first to star on Broadway in 1995, playing Aurora in Kiss of the Spider Woman.
Despite her busy life, Alonso has always enjoyed the presence of animals around her. They ranged from dogs, cats, hamsters, monkeys, a horse, and parrots. Her brother even had a pet alligator! At the moment she has four cats named Sabana, Chabocha, Bebe, and Cheeky. She is also a big fan of Yorkies, and has had several in the past. Before she got her first cat she was apprehensive. “I heard so many things about cats, more bad than good, and I said to myself, ‘I’m not going to have a cat.’” Then she found Sabana, and fell in love. “Dogs and cats do love each other as long as they’re raised together,” she advises. “They grab your energy if you are happy, and the cats love you, and love people, if all they know in their lives is love.”
You can catch Maria Conchita Alonso on Saints and Sinners. She is also planning on producing and starring in an upcoming project about the situation in Venezuela entitled Two Minutes of Hate. Alonso is on a mission to show the world that Chavez, the ruler of Venezuela, should not be in power. She believes that he wasn’t elected democratically as reported.
In addition to her entertainment success, Alonso is also an active animal advocate. She is involved with helping the Humane Society and PETA. Alonso is against bullfighting, saying, “I don’t think it’s brave when they hurt the bull. In Portugal, that’s where I think bullfighters are brave. They don’t hurt the animals.” Recently she has been extremely concerned with the poaching of baby seals in Canada. “My problem is with the suffering of the animals,” she explains.
For more information visit: mariaconchitaalonso.com.
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