Laura Guadalupe Zapata Miranda ( born July 31, 1956) is a Mexican

telenovela A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") and ''novela'' (meaning "novel"). Similar Drama (film and television), drama genres around the w ...

actress, singer, and dancer. She has acted in

Televisa Grupo Televisa, S.A.B., simply known as Televisa, is a Mexican telecommunications and broadcasting company. A major Latin American mass media corporation, it often presents itself as the largest producer of Spanish-language content. In April ...

productions.

Life and career

Born in

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

, Zapata is the daughter of Guillermo Zapata Pérez de Utrera (a Mexican boxer, model, and businessman) and Yolanda Miranda Mange. She is the maternal sister of

Thalía Ariadna Thalía Sodi Miranda (; born 26 August 1971), known mononymously as Thalía, is a Mexican singer, songwriter and actress. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Latin Pop", she is considered one of the most ...

(also a singer and actress), Federica, Gabriela, and Ernestina Sodi. Zapata is a singer and dancer. In '' Maria Mercedes'', one of Thalía's first soap operas, Zapata played a villain opposite her sister. She is well known for her antagonist roles in telenovelas. Zapata was married to Juan Eduardo Sodi de la Tijera. She has two sons, Claudio Sodi and Patricio Sodi.

Kidnapping

In September 2002, Zapata and her sister Ernestina Sodi were kidnapped and taken to an unspecified location. The news of their kidnapping made headlines across

Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...

and among the Spanish-speaking television channels of the United States. Their sister

is married to multi-millionaire

Tommy Mottola Thomas Daniel Mottola (born July 14, 1948) is an American businessman, record executive, television producer, theater producer, film producer, investor, and serial entrepreneur. Mottola is the chairman of Mottola Media Group, co-founder of Nter ...

, so it was speculated that their captors would ask for a large sum of money. Instead, Zapata was released 18 days after her kidnapping, and Ernestina was released on the 34th day.

Filmography

Films

Television

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Zapata, Laura 1956 births 20th-century Mexican actresses 21st-century Mexican actresses Actresses from Mexico City Formerly missing Mexican people Kidnapped Mexican people Living people Mexican film actresses Mexican women singers Mexican female dancers Mexican people of Spanish descent Mexican stage actresses Mexican telenovela actresses Mexican television actresses Singers from Mexico City