The incredible and multi-talented María Conchita Alonso is a Emmy-nominated singer, songwriter, stage and screen actress, and former beauty queen. She is best known for appearing in ABC’s Desperate Housewives, and for the Hollywood blockbusters The Running Man, and Predator 2, and for the romcom Moscow on the Hudson.
Born in Cuba and raised in Cuba and Venezuela, Alonso began modelling when she was just five-years-old. In 1962 she emigrated with her family to Venezuela, and by the time she was 15 she was regarded as one of the country’s top models. In 1969 she went to the United States to study and learn English, and then to Switzerland. In 1971 she won the title Miss Princess of the World in Lisbon representing her adoptive country Venezuela. She was later named Miss Venezuela 1975, and then Miss Venezuela World, going on to compete in the 1975 Miss World beauty pageant.
Alonso returned to Venezuela and trained as an animator, and began working in TV and film. Then in 1978 she made her acting debut in the Italian movie Savana – Sesso e Diamanti. She made her Hollywood acting debut opposite Robin Williams in the 1984 romcom Moscow on the Hudson, and featured in a number of other blockbuster productions, including The Running Man, Predator 2, and Extreme Prejudice. She also became the first Latin-born actress to star in a Broadway show: 1995’s production of Kiss of the Spider Woman.
In 1979 Alonso released her debut album, Love Maniac, under the name Ámbar, which went on to become the first gold record in Venezuela with more than 70k copies sold. Her two albums as Ámbar and her solo debut were recorded in English. Her second album, María Conchita, released in 1984, made her an international singing star in the Spanish-speaking market, and garnered her first of three Grammy Award nominations (1985, 1988, and 1994). Her latest single was 2020’s Llename De Ti.
Alonso regularly connects with her hundreds of thousands of followers and fans through Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, posting pictures and videos about her performing life. She is available for that personalised shout-out via the Cameo platform. She also has a dedicated YouTube channel, María Conchita Alonso Oficial, and an official website, en.mariaconchitaalonsob.com.