Alma Martinez (actress)


Alma Martinez is a Mexican-American actress, stage director, and professor of theatre. She is best known for her roles in film and television shows including the Peabody Award winning drama series The Bridge with Demián Bichir and Diane Kruger and Corridos: Tales of Passion & Revolution with Linda Ronstadt as well as performances on Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional theatre, Mexican and European stages.

Early career

In 1979, Martinez joined the Center Theatre Group production of Luis Valdez’s Zoot Suit. Her film debut was in Valdez's 1981 adaptation, the American classic Zoot Suit, launching a career that led to her induction into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2013. She has since been the lead actress in many of Valdez's projects in a collaboration that has spanned over 30 years. Australian director Fred Schepisi cast her in his American film debut, Barbarosa with Willie Nelson and Gary Busey. This was followed by Under Fire with Nick Nolte, Gene Hackman, Ed Harris and Jean Louis Trintignant. Martinez made a notable Broadway debut in In the Summer House directed by Joanne Akalaitis featuring Dianne Wiest, Frances Conroy and Liev Schreiber.

Film and television

Martinez has appeared in over 20 features and independent films including Born in East L.A. with Cheech Marin, For Greater Glory with Andy Garcia and Oscar Isaac, Strike One with Danny Trejo as well as Cake with Jennifer Aniston and . Her voiceover work includes the award-winning documentaries The Panama Deception and Food Chains. In 2017 she appeared as Rodney Alcala's mother Anna Alcala in the television film Dating Game Killer.

Theatre

Martinez has performed in over 100 major productions in the US, Mexico and Europe in venues that include the Vivian Beaumont Theatre, Joyce Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Pasadena Playhouse, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Sundance Theatre Program, San Diego Repertory Theatre, Santa Cruz Shakespeare festival, South Coast Repertory Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, Pennsylvania Stage, San Diego Repertory Theatre, Denver Center Theatre Company, Teatro Juan Ruiz De Alarcon, Teatro Calderon, Teatro Greco, Castello Sforesco, Festival De Sant Arcangelo, Teatro Romano, Oktoberfest and Neiuwe Scene, among others.