Biography: Alma Martinez's work spans film, television and stage where she has appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway and in regional theaters across the country. Feature film credits include the upcoming film Crossing Over starring Harrison Ford and Sean Penn, as well as Zoot Suit (Golden Globe nominated Best Picture), opposite Edward James Olmos and Tyne Daly, Under Fire opposite Gene Hackman, Ed Harris, and ... show all Alma Martinez's work spans film, television and stage where she has appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway and in regional theaters across the country. Feature film credits include the upcoming film Crossing Over starring Harrison Ford and Sean Penn, as well as Zoot Suit (Golden Globe nominated Best Picture), opposite Edward James Olmos and Tyne Daly, Under Fire opposite Gene Hackman, Ed Harris, and Nick Nolte, Born in East LA (Havana Film Festival - 3rd place Best Picture) opposite Cheech Marin, Barbarosa opposite Gilbert Roland and Willie Nelson, Trial by Terror opposite Martin Landau, Dollie Dearest opposite Rip Torn, the documentary film Maria's Story (Sundance Film Festival - nominated Grand Jury Award) and the independent films Ballad of a Soldier, Jacaranda and Planting Melvin. Television credits include lead roles on The Unit, Nash Bridges, General Hospital, The Twilght Zone, Series regular on The New Adam 12, MOW's that include Quiet Killer with Kate Jackson, In a Child's Name with Valerie Bertinelli, The Boys with John Lithgow and James Woods, Dress Gray with Alec Baldwin, Tough Love with Lee Remick and for PBS American Playhouse Seguin starting Edward James Olmos and the Peabody Award winning Corridos: Tales of Passion and Revolution starring LInda Ronstadt. Alma has over one hundred (English and Spanish) TV and radio commercial credits. On Broadway she performed opposite Diane Weist in In the Summer House and in the Off Broadway premiere of Green Card both directed by Joanne Akalaitis. Regional theatre productions include Electricidad, Green Card and Bocón, Mark at the Taper Forum and numerous regional theaters across the country which include The Pasadena Playhouse, South Coast Repertory, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, among others. For National Public Radio and LA Theater Works Alma performed in the radio versions of Zoot Suit and Nilo Cruz's Pultizer Prize winning play Anna in the Tropics opposite Jimmy Smits. As a 25 year member of El Teatro Campesino (ETC) founded by Luis Valdez, she has appeared in landmark ETC productions of; Zoot Suit, both the film and play (1979 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award - Best Play); Corridos, both the TV version (1987 Peabody Award) and play; I Don't Have to Show You Any Stinking Badges; and Mummified Deer (Back Stage West "Honorable Mention" for her role as Mama Chu), all written and directed by Valdez. Ms. Martinez holds an MFA from the University of Southern California and a Ph.D. in Drama from Stanford University where she was the first Mexican born graduate, and only the second Latina, or Latino, to receive a Ph.D. in the department's 50 year history. She attended the prestigious conservatory Centro Universitario de Teatro (CUT) at the Universidad Autonoma de Mexico where she worked with Luis De Tavira and Hector Mendoza. She has studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and with master teachers Jerzi Grotowski, Lee Strasberg, Arianne Mnouchkine, Augusto Boal and Anna Deveare Smith. Martinez immigrated to the US with her family at the age of one. She currently resides in Southern California. hide |
