Flaca and Maritza of “OITNB” aren’t the only Latina duo kicking ass on TV these days. Rosa and Amy from the Golden Globe-winning sitcom “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” are a killer comedic duo.
Credit: Brooklyn Nine-Nine / Fox
And the best news? They play razor sharp detectives, not meter maids.
Melissa Fumero plays the innocent, smartypants detective Amy Santiago.
Fumero, born to Cuban parents and raised in New Jersey, says growing up Latina gave her strength.
Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty
“I think that there’s a quiet strength you’re brought up around when you’re Latin, especially growing up in a Cuban family made of refugees. There definitely was an extreme work ethic — anything less than working really, really hard is unacceptable — and just a general toughness and strength that I learned from the women in my family and my father,” said Fumero to Huffington Post.
Fumero studied drama at NYU. On her last day of class, she got hired on the soap “One Life to Live.”
And they’re helping destroy those one-dimensional roles that Latinas have played for decades.
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Beatriz told Latina magazine they’re excited to bring much-needed diversity to television: “If you look at the landscape of television right now, we are in a really exciting time, with shows like ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine,’ ‘Orange Is the New Black,’ ‘Jane the Virgin,’ and ‘How to Get Away with Murder.’ There are so many different types of people right now on television. The light is coming through the cracks. You can’t block it out anymore. It’s changing.”
What’s your favorite Rosa & Amy moment? Tell us in the comments below and don’t forget to share on Facebook and Twitter!
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Stephanie Beatriz played Amy Santiago and Melissa Fumero played Rosa Diaz.
Time for a serious question: what makes a celebrity, a celebrity? How do they know they’ve made it? Is it by appearing in the tabloids for the first time? Or is it by winning industry awards? Or, maybe it’s to do with the amount of number of Insta followers they have?
Nah, it’s not any of those things. A celeb knows they’ve made it once they get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame! So, we’ve put together a list of 20 latino celebrities that have got a real, bona fide star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. You know, for the next time you’re playing Trivial Pursuit. Or when you wanna impress your Tinder date.
Xtina got her name emblazoned on the Hollywood Walk of Fame back in 2010, having been awarded a Star of Recording. While she’s got plenty of reasons to have been selected for the honor, at the time of the award, Christina had gotten four number one singles on the Billboard’s Hottest 100 chart, won five Grammys, and sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.
Our girl Selena Quintanilla was awarded her Star of Recording only as recently as 2017! Since it was awarded posthumously, Selena’s family attended the ceremony, while her sister helped design the star itself. There’s no doubt that Selena was deserving. Her accomplishments include winning the Female Vocalist of the Year at the Tejano Music Awards for nineyearsin row, as well as being recognized as Billboard Magazine’s “Top Latin artist of the ‘90s”, “Best selling Latin artist of the decade,” and charted in 2016 as the “Top Latin Album of the Year, Female Artist.”
While Guillermo del Toro only received his star recently, it’s been a long time coming. His most recently released film, “The Shape of Water,” alone went onto win Golden Globes, BAFTAs, DGA, PGA and Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Score and Best Production Design.
Even though Antonio Banderas received his star in 2005 for his achievements in film, that doesn’t mean that he’s not multitalented! He’s known for his acting, directing, producing and singing skills. Fun fact: Antonio Banderas holds the record for the highest salary for an extra, for the part he played in “Gladiator,” where he was paid $50,000. Nice.
Having received her Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 1983 for her talents as a recording artist, Gloria Estefan is definitely a legend in her own right. She has won seven Grammy Awards and is in the top 100 best selling music artists of all time, with over 90 million albums sold worldwide.
Despite the fact that Shakira’s full name is Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, she’s one of the few celebrities awarded with a star on the Walk of Fame that only has one name engraved on the star! 2011 was the year that she was formally recognized for her contributions to the music industry. She’s accrued 12 Billboard Latin Music Awards, seven Latin Grammy Awards and two Grammys over the years for her bangers, which include “Whenever, Wherever,” “Hips Don’t Lie,” and “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa).”
Andy García’s star for his acting abilities was awarded to him back in 1995. Having been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his part in “The Godfather Part III”, we’d probably know him better for the part he played in “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Ocean’s Twelve,” and “Ocean’s Thirteen.”
8. Luis Miguel
CREDIT: Untitled. Digital Image. Latina. 5 July 2018
Alright, so we were all in diapers when Luis Miguel got this award back in 1996, but his mariachis and boleros have lived on. He received 5 Grammy Awards by the time he hit 26. That’s estrella material right there.
Carlos Santana counts more than just a star of recording on the Hollywood Walk of Fame among his accolades. Rolling Stone name him number 15 on their list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time in 2003. In addition, Santana’s also won 3 Latin Grammy Awards and 10 Grammys.
Entertainment trade papers have named Sofia Vergara one of the most talented and powerful women in Hispanic entertainment, and for good reason. Her star in television, which was awarded in 2015, comes as no surprise when looking at her expansive acting career, retail lines, producing roles, successful Hispanic management agency and philanthropic endeavors.
Armando Christian Perez, or as we know him, Pitbull, received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for recording in 2016. Between his number one hits in over 15 countries, nine billion followers between his Youtube and VEVO channels, 70 million single sales and six million album sales, you’ve probably heard his name somewhere before.
After jiving away to number one hits such as “Maria” and “La Copa de la Vida,” there’s no way we’d forgive you if you said you didn’t know Ricky Martin. His star on the Walk of Fame for recording came to him a year after he was nominated as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World by People Magazine in 2006. Which is fair – he’s an absolute babe.
2018 was the year that Zoe Saldana was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to motion pictures. While you know her from movies such as “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Star Trek: Beyond,” and “Avatar,” you probably don’t know that she’s also launched digital platform “BESE” to shed a light on Latino stories in America.
Eva Longoria also received her star on the Walk of Fame in 2018, for her influence in television. She’s best known for her role as Gabrielle Solis in “Desperate Housewives,” which was the most popular show in its demographic, worldwide. It aired in 208 countries, with an audience of 120 million views. Imagine having that many people watching you on television every week!
15. George López
Get this: The comedian we all know and love said, “I remember being 15, and walking up and down (the Walk of Fame) and dreaming about what I wanted to do and never thinking it was going to be done,” said the star.
She’s a four-time Golden Globe nominee, Best Actress of the Year by the New York Film Critics Circle, and has also won an MTV Movie Award, so it’s no wonder Cameron Diaz received a Walk of Fame star for her work in motion pictures in 2009. The biggest shame is the fact that she’s formally retired from acting, as of 2014.
JLo has made a name for herself as an actress, entertainer, music artist, film and television producer, fashion designer, entrepreneur and humanitarian. So which of these do you think landed her the star on the Walk of Fame in 2013? If you thought it was her career as a recording artist, you’d be right! We’re sure it’s only a matter of time before she gets another star for her other work.
18. Thalía
She’s the “Queen of Latin Pop” and was honored like a jefe in December 2013. She’s truly a Renaissance woman, selling tens of millions of records, authoring four books and acting in star roles in several telenovelas. You should get a star for each category you star in.
She’s the first, and only, Hispanic actor to have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony. So, it seems only natural that Rita Moreno received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her work in motion pictures in 1995, right?
Having recorded more than 20 albums, written more than 300 songs, released eight number one hits, and won multiple Latin Grammys, Marco Antonio Solis definitely deserved his award of a star for recording in 2010.
There are some seriously talented and creative Latinos out there – as we can already see from the Hollywood Walk of Fame stars! Are there any Latinos you’ve wished would be awarded a star already? Let us know on our Facebook page – you can find it by clicking on the logo at the top of the page.
Lynda Carter has forever written her name in Hollywood history thanks to her role as Princess Diana, also known as Wonder Woman and Diana Prince. She played the iconic superhero in a TV show that ran for four years (1975-1979), but her legacy lives on. She was born in 1951 in Phoenix, Arizona. Besides being a great person and an actress, she is also known for being a singer, songwriter, model, and beauty pageant titleholder. Having been born close to the border, it comes as no surprise that she has Latino heritage.
Here are some of the reasons that make us say that she is the best Wonder Woman in history (sorry, Gal Gadot, absolutely no disrespect to you!). Reading her story one can’t stop but think of the words that Antiope told Diana in the Wonder Woman movie: “You are stronger than you believe. You have greater powers than you know.”
She is genuinely a good human being.
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Just take this photo as an example. Here, she is all smiles with her successor, Israeli sensation Gal Gadot. She doesn’t seem to be too fussed about pasar la batuta and is like the aunt we all wish we had in wishing happy birthday to the new Mujer Maravilla.
She is proud of her Mexican heritage.
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Yes, that’s right. Her full name is Linda Jean Córdova Carter! Her dad has Irish-Scottish heritage, and her mom Juanita was the daughter of a Mexican family.
She married the love of her life, a romantic role-model for us all.
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Just a few human beings are lucky enough to find the love of their life. Lynda married talent agent Ron Samuels in 1977, but the marriage only lasted five years. She then met her everything: lawyer Robert A. Altman, who she married in 1984. After the wedding, she left Hollywood in 1985 and moved to Washington. The couple has two children: James and Jessica.
She embodied women’s new role in society.
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Lynda has always been a great supporter of women’s rights, and she takes every opportunity, such as International Women’s Day, to sat so. After all, she embodied an amazing female superhero in a day and age when women were trying to break free from the manacles of traditional gender roles.
She is an ally of the LGBTQ+ community.
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Carter often attends Pride Marches and has used her standing as a cultural icon in the United States to speak out against discrimination. She was the Grand Marshal for the 2011 Phoenix Pride Parade and the 2011 New York Pride Parades. She had the same role in the 2013 Capital Pride Parade in Washington. She has said: “Every gay reader understands the secret self that is full and wonderful and has longing and tenderness and a desire for connection to other people. I think that arguments against gay marriage are just ridiculous! Who cares? People want to get married for the same reason I wanted to get married. They want to do it in front of their friends and family.”
She is super friendly with fans.
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Even if she left Hollywood in 1985 to raise her family, Lynda Carter is currently a constant feature in fan conventions and Comic-Con events across the country. She is truly different from many of those arrogant celebrities who see fans as a necessary evil. Lynda, on the contrary, is happy to sign autographs and smile for the occasional fan selfie. We love you, Lynda!
She has recovered from alcohol and drug addiction and helps others stay on the wagon.
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Showbiz brings many pressures and temptations both to those who are looking for a breakthrough and for those who have established a career. Lynda is a recovering alcoholic who found the strength to quit due to her husband’s unmovable support. She stated in an interview: “After 18 years of recovery, I live every day with immense gratitude. I am forever thankful for my family and friends who stood by me and encouraged me… and for those who helped me heal.” This requires true superpowers and belief in oneself. Good for you, Lynda! She has been sober for 20 years and often speaks at events where she encourages others to find their inner strength and do the same.
She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame since 2018.
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It kind of sucks that a new version of Wonder Woman had to come out in the cinema for the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to give Lynda Carter her much deserved Hollywood Walk of Fame star. It happened on April 3, 2018, and it was unveiled by Patty Jenkins, the director of the 2018 fantastic superhero feminist extravaganza Wonder Woman.
Boys had Superman, girls had the much cooler Wonder Woman.
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It must have sucked to be a girl in the pre-Wonder Woman era when it comes to role models. Boys had plenty to choose from, with the alien Superman being perhaps the most famous of them all. Wonder Woman was much, much cooler though: she belonged to an ancient tribe of Amazon warriors who lived in a matriarchy, and she passed as Diana Prince, a slightly geeky but also a sexy woman. Superman is a nerd in comparison, and don’t get us started on lame Clark Kent.
She was a hipster before hipsters existed.
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We mean, just look at how she wears those big frames and that cute choker scarf. Giving us Williamsburg vibes from the past! She was goofy and cute and amazing in her 1970s incarnation of Princess Diana.
She was a body positivity queen.
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In this day and age when the fashion and entertainment industry promotes unhealthy ideals when it comes to body type, it is a good idea to remember Lynda Carter and how sure she was of her womanly body. Bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and Lynda Carter just was comfortable in hers. Frame this kickass quote: “My only interest in women’s clothes is what’s underneath them.”
And now she wears her wrinkles with grace and pride.
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There are few things more empowering than a woman who fills at ease in her body. Carter is 67 and looks stunning: she wears those wrinkles as signs of her wisdom and maturity, as a testament of the many obstacles she has faced in her life, such as recovering from addiction.
She was a beauty queen and for good reason: brains and looks, she has it all.
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Before becoming a Hollywood celeb, Lynda first captured the country’s imagination as a beauty queen. Carter won a local Arizona beauty contest in 1972, and then went on to win the title of Miss World USA in that same year.
She has an awesome explanation of why Wonder Woman is an ageless symbol of girl power.
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She says that contrary to other female superheroes, Wonder Woman actually understands female identity. Of other superheroes, she said: “they’re not showcasing any of the tremendous dichotomies that women possess in term of softness and toughness, sweetness and grit, inner and outer strength.” And yes, our dear Princess Diana shows all of these qualities!
