Míriam Colón Valle (August 20, 1936 – March 3, 2017) was a Puerto Rican actress. She was the founder and director of New York City's

Puerto Rican Traveling Theater The Puerto Rican Traveling Theater is a theater company based at the 47th Street Theater in New York City. It was founded as El Nuevo Círculo Dramatico (The New Drama Circuit) by Míriam Colón and Roberto Rodríguez. It was one of the first Pu ...

. Beginning her career in the early 1950s, she performed on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

and on television. She appeared on television programs from the 1960s to the 2010s, including ''

Sanford and Son ''Sanford and Son'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC from January 14, 1972, to March 25, 1977. It was based on the British sitcom '' Steptoe and Son'', which initially aired on BBC1 in the United Kingdom from 1962 to ...

'' and ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central charact ...

''. She is best known as Mama Montana, the mother of

Al Pacino Alfredo James Pacino ( ; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Known for his intense performances on stage and screen, Pacino is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. His career spans more than five decades, duri ...

's title character in ''

Scarface Scarface may refer to: Gangster-related * Scarface, nickname for Al Capone (1899–1947), an American gangster and a businessman. * ''Scarface'' (novel), a novel by Armitage Trail, loosely based on Capone's rise to power ** ''Scarface'' (1932 ...

''. In 2014, she received the

National Medal of Arts The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and Patronage, patrons of the arts. A prestigious American honor, it is the highest honor given to artists and ar ...

from President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

. She died of complications from a pulmonary infection on March 3, 2017, at the age of 80.

Early life

Míriam Colón Valle was born in Ponce,

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

, on August 20, 1936. In the 1940s, her recently divorced mother moved the family to a public housing project called

Residencial Las Casas Residencial Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas, more commonly known as Residencial Las Casas, Caserio Las Casas or Las Casas, is a public housing complex located in San Juan, Puerto Rico consisting of 417 housing units. It is under the management of the ...

San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to: * San Juan, Puerto Rico * San Juan, Argentina * San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines San Juan may also refer to: Places Arge ...

. She attended

Román Baldorioty de Castro Román Baldorioty de Castro (23 February 1822 – 30 September 1889) was a leading Puerto Rican Abolitionism, abolitionist and spokesman for the right to self-determination of Puerto Rico. In 1870, he was elected as a deputy in the Cortes Ge ...

High School in

Old San Juan Old San Juan () is a historic district located at the "northwest triangle" of the San Juan Islet, islet of San Juan in San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan. Its area roughly correlates to the Ballajá, Old San Juan, Ballajá, Catedral, Old San Juan, ...

, where she took part in plays. Her first drama teacher, Marcos Colón (no relation) believed in her talent, and helped her gain permission to observe the students in the drama department of the

University of Puerto Rico The University of Puerto Rico (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Universidad de Puerto Rico;'' often shortened to UPR) is the main List of state and territorial universities in the United States, public university system in the Commonwealth (U.S. i ...

. She was a good student in high school and was awarded scholarships to the Dramatic Workshop and Technical Institute and

Lee Strasberg Lee Strasberg (born Israel Strassberg; November 17, 1901 – February 17, 1982) was an American acting coach and actor. He co-founded, with theatre directors Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the Group Theatre in 1931, which was hailed ...

Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights located on West 44th Street in Hell's Kitchen in New York City. The studio is best known for its work refining and teaching method actin ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. In New York, she befriended Dean Zayas, another young Puerto Rican actor and future director.

Career

In 1953, Colón debuted as an actress in ''Los Peloteros'' (''The Baseball Players''), a film produced in Puerto Rico, starring Ramón "Diplo" Rivero, and in which she played a character called Lolita. That year, she moved to New York City, where she was accepted by

co-founder

Elia Kazan Elias Kazantzoglou (, ; September 7, 1909 – September 28, 2003), known as Elia Kazan ( ), was a Greek-American film and theatre director, producer, screenwriter and actor, described by ''The New York Times'' as "one of the most honored and inf ...

after a single audition, thus becoming the studio's first Puerto Rican member. In New York, she worked in theater and later landed a role on the

soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

Guiding Light ''Guiding Light'' (known as ''The Guiding Light'' before 1975) is an American radio and television soap opera. ''Guiding Light'' aired on CBS for 57 years between June 30, 1952, and September 18, 2009, overlapping a 19-year broadcast on radio ...

''. She attended a performance of

René Marqués René Marqués (October 4, 1919 – March 22, 1979) was a Puerto Rican people, Puerto Rican short story writer and playwright. Early years Marqués was born, raised and educated in the city of Arecibo. He developed an interest in writing at a ...

' ''La Carreta'' (''The Oxcart'') which motivated her to form the first

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

theater group, with the help of La Carreta's producer, Roberto Rodríguez, called " El Nuevo Círculo Dramatico". James Arness Miriam Colon Gunsmoke

In 1954, she appeared on stage in "In The Summer House" at the Play House in New York City. Between 1954 and 1974, she made guest appearances in television shows such as ''

Peter Gunn ''Peter Gunn'' is an American detective fiction, private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens (actor), Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, lounge singer Edie Hart. The series was broadcast by NBC from Sept ...

'' and ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 ...

''. She appeared mostly in westerns such as ''

'', ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 12, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 431 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running Western, the second-longest-running Western series on ...

'', ''

The High Chaparral ''The High Chaparral'' is an American Western action-adventure drama television series that aired on NBC from 1967 to 1971, starring Leif Erickson and Cameron Mitchell. The series was made by Xanadu Productions in association with NBC Produc ...

'', and ''

Have Gun, Will Travel Have or having may refer to: * the concept of ownership * any concept of ''possession'' * the English verb "to " is used: ** to express possession linguistically, in a broad sense ** as an auxiliary verb ** in constructions such as ''have somet ...

''. She appeared in the 1961 film ''

One-eyed Jacks ''One-Eyed Jacks'' is a 1961 American Western film directed by and starring Marlon Brando, his only directorial credit. Brando portrays the lead character Rio, and Karl Malden plays his partner, "Dad" Longworth. The supporting cast features Pin ...

'' as "the Redhead". In 1962, she was featured as the co-star in a teleplay written by Frank Gabrielsen, and produced for the TV series ''

The DuPont Show of the Week ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

''. The title of the hour-long episode is "The Richest Man in Bogota", airing on 17 June 1962. It starred

Lee Marvin Lee Marvin (February 19, 1924August 29, 1987) was an American film and television actor. Known for his bass voice and prematurely white hair, he is best remembered for playing hardboiled "tough guy" characters. Although initially typecast as th ...

as Juan de Núñez, and Miriam Colón as "Marina" (not Medina-Saroté, as in the original H.G. Wells story, '' The Country of the Blind''). She co-starred as Anita Chavez in ''Thunder Island'' (1963), with the screenplay written by

Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. Nicholson is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of the 20th century, often playing rebels fighting against the social structure. Over his five-de ...

. In 1963, she guest starred on ''

'', playing a Comanche woman who marries a settler and the two must deal with the racial hatred of others due to it in the episode “Shona” (S8E22). In 1979, she starred alongside fellow Puerto Rican actors

José Ferrer José Vicente Ferrer de Otero y Cintrón (January 8, 1912 – January 26, 1992) was a Puerto Ricans, Puerto Rican actor and director of stage, film and television. He was one of the most celebrated and esteemed Hispanic and Latino Americans, Hi ...

Raúl Juliá Raúl Rafael Carlos Juliá y Arcelay (March 9, 1940 – October 24, 1994) was a Puerto Rican actor. He was known for his intense and varied roles on stage and screen. He started his career in the Public Theater before transitioning to film. He ...

, and

Henry Darrow Henry Darrow (born Enrique Tomás Delgado Jiménez; September 15, 1933 – March 14, 2021) was an American character actor of stage and film known for his role as Manolito "Mano" Montoya on the 1960s television series ''The High Chaparral''. In f ...

in ''Life of Sin'', a film in which she portrayed Isabel la Negra, a real-life Puerto Rican brothel owner. In 1983, she was cast as the mother of Tony Montana in ''

'', despite being only 4 years older than

. Colón has said that she based her performance on her own mother. She was also cast as María in the 1999 film ''

Gloria Gloria may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Christian liturgy and music * Gloria in excelsis Deo, the Greater Doxology, a hymn of praise * Gloria Patri, the Lesser Doxology, a short hymn of praise ** Gloria (Handel) ** Gloria (Jenkins ...

'', starring

Sharon Stone Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an American actress and film producer. Known for primarily playing femmes fatales and women of mystery on film and television, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1990s. She is the ...

. In 2013, she was cast in the role of Ultima, a New Mexico Hispanic healer, in the movie ''

Bless Me, Ultima ''Bless Me, Ultima'' is a coming-of-age novel by Rudolfo Anaya centering on Antonio Márez y Luna and his mentorship under his '' curandera'' and protector, Ultima. It has become the most widely read and critically acclaimed novel in the New Mexi ...

'' based on the novel by

Rudolfo Anaya Rudolfo Anaya (October 30, 1937June 28, 2020) was an American author. Noted for his 1972 novel '' Bless Me, Ultima'', Anaya was considered one of the founders of the canon of contemporary Chicano and New Mexican literature. The themes and cult ...

. She appeared in Season 1 of the TV series ''

Better Call Saul ''Better Call Saul'' is an American legal crime drama television series created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould for AMC. Part of the ''Breaking Bad'' franchise, it is a spin-off of Gilligan's previous series, ''Breaking Bad'' (2008–201 ...

'' in 2015, as Abuelita.

Puerto Rican Traveling Theater

In the late 1960s, Colón founded The Puerto Rican Traveling Theater company on

West 47th street ''West 47th Street'' is a documentary film produced by Lichtenstein Creative Media. ''West 47th Street'' is an intimate cinéma vérité portrait of four people with serious mental illness as their lives naturally unfold over a three-year perio ...

Manhattan, New York Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

. The company presents

Off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

productions onsite and also goes on tour. She was the director of the company and she appeared in the following PRTT productions: * ''The Ox Cart'' (1966–1967) * ''The Boiler Room'' (1993) * ''Simpson Street'' * ''Señora Carrar's Rifles'' The play ''The Ox Cart'' (''La Carreta''), written by Puerto Rican dramatist

, was first produced in 1953. It was directed by Roberto Rodríguez and starred Colón. The success of the play allowed Rodríguez and Colón to form the first permanent Hispanic theatrical group, and for the group to have its own space, Teatro Arena, located in Manhattan on Sixth Avenue between 43rd and 44th street.

Recognition

In 1993, Colón received an

Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given since 1956 by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theater artists and groups involved in off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. Starting just after th ...

for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater. In 2000, she received the HOLA

Founders Award, presented by the

Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors The Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors (HOLA) is an active arts service and advocacy organization founded in 1975. It is in the United States and is dedicated to Hispanic artists, actors and actresses. HOLA's Directory of Talent was created in ...

(HOLA). Colón's biography, ''Míriam Colón: Actor and Theater Founder'', was written by Mayra Fernandez in 1994. In 2014, President Barack Obama awarded Colón the National Medal of Arts for her contributions as an actress. The citation reads as follows: "Ms. Colón has been a trailblazer in film, television, and theater, and helped open doors for generations of Hispanic actors."

Personal life

Colón was married to George Paul Edgar from 1966 until his death in 1976. In 1987, she married Fred Valle. She was an avid collector of ancestral arts including pre-Colombian, tribal African, historic Native American, and other tribal art. She collected Mid-East artifacts, abstract paintings, and modern sculpture. A Pablo Picasso sketch she owned, she signed with a crayon, and it was auctioned for $6500 on June 16, 2019. At her death, she owned at least six signed movie posters of Al Pacino's ''Scarface'' and at least seven signed ''Scarface'' soundtrack albums. Her final years were in

Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque ( ; ), also known as ABQ, Burque, the Duke City, and in the past 'the Q', is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Bernal ...

Death

Colón died on March 3, 2017, at the age of 80, in New York City of complications from a pulmonary infection. Among those who paid tribute to her were

Rosalba Rolón Rosalba Rolón (born 25 August 1951) is a Puerto Rican actress and director, who is known for being the founder and current artistic director of the Pregones Theater Company, a Bronx-based touring company that focuses on Latinx stories. Early l ...

Marc Anthony Marco Antonio Muñiz (born September 16, 1968), known professionally as Marc Anthony, is an American singer and actor. He is the top selling salsa artist of all time. A four-time Grammy Award, eight-time Latin Grammy Award and twenty-nine-tim ...

(who she had coached as an actor and briefly appeared with on television), and

Lin-Manuel Miranda Lin-Manuel Miranda (; born January 16, 1980) is an American songwriter, actor, singer, filmmaker, rapper, and librettist. He created the Broadway musicals '' In the Heights'' and ''Hamilton'', and the soundtracks for the animated films '' Moana' ...

Filmography

* 1951 ''Los Peloteros'' as Lolita * 1955 ''

Danger Danger is a lack of safety and may refer Places * Danger Cave, an archaeological site in Utah * Danger Island, Great Chagos Bank, Indian Ocean * Danger Island, alternate name of Pukapuka Atoll in the Cook Islands, Pacific Ocean * Danger Island ...

'' (TV Series) (Season 5 Episode 20: "No Passport for Death") * 1955 ''

Star Tonight ''Star Tonight'', an American television anthology series, aired on ABC from February 3, 1955, to August 9, 1956. It consisted of 80 total episodes, 30 from 1955 and 50 from 1956. Each episode was a self-contained story, usually adapted from fam ...

'' (TV Series) (Season 1 Episode 28: "The Ring of General Maclas") * 1956 '' Crowded Paradise'' * 1956 ''Soraya'' (TV Series) (60 episodes) * 1956-1958 '' Studio One'' (TV Series) **(Season 8 Episode 38: "Flight") (1956) as Rosie **(Season 10 Episode 42: "Tag-Along") (1958) as Mrs. Talavera * 1957 '' The Big Story'' (TV Series) (Season 8 Episode 14: "House Divided") as Esperanza Martinez * 1958 ''

Decoy A decoy (derived from the Dutch ''de'' ''kooi'', literally "the cage" or possibly ''eenden kooi'', " duck cage") is usually a person, device, or event which resembles what an individual or a group might be looking for, but it is only meant to ...

'' (TV Series) (Season 1 Episode 32: "Fiesta at Midnight") as Maria * 1959 ''

Lux Playhouse ''Lux Video Theatre'' is an American television anthology series that was produced from 1950 until 1957. The series presented both comedy and drama in original teleplays, as well as abridged adaptations of films and plays. Overview The ''Lux Vi ...

'' (TV Series) (Season 1 Episode 13: "The Dreamer") as Mrs. Flores * 1959 ''

State Trooper State police, provincial police or regional police are a type of sub-national territorial police force found in nations organized as federations, typically in North America, South Asia, and Oceania. These forces typically have jurisdiction ...

'' (TV Series) (Season 3 Episode 7: "Case of the Barefoot Girl") as Francesca * 1959 ''

One Step Beyond One Step Beyond may refer to: Music * ''One Step Beyond'' (Dungeon album) or the title song, 2004 * ''One Step Beyond'' (Jackie McLean album), 1963 * '' One Step Beyond...'', an album by Madness, or the title song (see below), 1979 * ''One Ste ...

'' (TV Series) (Season 2 Episode 15: "The Hand") as Alma Rodriguez * 1959 ''

Markham Markham may refer to: Biology * Markham's storm-petrel (''Oceanodroma markhami''), a seabird species found in Chile and Colombia * Markham's grass mouse (''Abrothrix olivaceus markhami''), a rodent subspecies found on Wellington Island and the ne ...

'' (TV Series) (Season 1 Episode 2: "Woman of Arles") as Esperanza * 1959 ''

Mike Hammer Michael Hammer or Mike Hammer may refer to: * Michael Hammer (politician) (born 1977), Austrian politician * Michael Armand Hammer (1955–2022), American philanthropist and businessman * Michael Martin Hammer (1948–2008), engineer and author * Mi ...

'' (TV Series) (Season 2 Episode 23: "See No Evil") as Tarano * 1959 ''

'' (TV Series) (Season 1 Episode 37: "The Coffin") as Maria DeCara * 1959 ''

Tales of Wells Fargo ''Tales of Wells Fargo'' is an American Westerns on television, Western television series starring Dale Robertson in 201 episodes that aired from 1957 to 1962 on NBC. Produced by Revue Productions, the series aired in a half-hour format until i ...

'' (TV Series) (Season 4 Episode 2: "Desert Showdown") as Rita * 1959 '' Wanted: Dead or Alive'' (TV Series) (Season 2 Episode 11: "Desert Seed") as Mrs. Gomez * 1961 ''

'' as Redheaded Lady * 1961 '' Battle at Bloody Beach'' as Nahni * 1961 '' The Outsider'' as Anita * 1962 ''

'' (TV Series) (Season 7 Episode 19: "Strange Miracle") as Lolla Siqueras * 1962 '' The New Breed'' (TV Series) (Season 1 Episode 31: "My Brother's Keeper") as Dolores Madero * 1962 ''

'' (TV Series) (Season 1 Episode 28: '' The Richest Man in Bogota'' as Marina * 1962 '' Doctor Kildare'' (TV Series) (2 episodes) **(Season 1 Episode 19: "The Glory Hunter") as Rani Stewart **(Season 2 Episode 8: "The Cobweb Chain") as Pila * 1962 '' The Defenders'' (TV Series) (Season 2 Episode 12: "The Savage Infant") as Carmella Lopez * 1962-1974 ''

'' (TV Series) (8 episodes) **(Season 7 Episode 21: "He Learned About Women") (1962) as Kisla **(Season 8 Episode 22: "Shona") (1963) as Shona **(Season 14 Episode 3: "Zavala") (1968) as Amelita Avila **(Season 15 Episode 7: "Charlie Noon") (1969) as Woman **(Season 16 Episode 1: "Chato") (1970) as Mora **(Season 18 Episode 1: "The River: Part 1") (1972) as Paulette Duvalier **(Season 18 Episode 2: "The River: Part 2") (1972) as Paulette Duvalier **(Season 19 Episode 19: "The Iron Blood of Courage") (1974) as Mignon Anderson * 1963 ''

Have Gun - Will Travel Have or having may refer to: * the concept of ownership * any concept of ''possession'' * the English verb "to " is used: ** to express possession linguistically, in a broad sense ** as an auxiliary verb ** in constructions such as ''have somet ...

'' (TV Series) (Season 6 Episode 24: "Caravan") as Punya * 1963 '' Laramie'' (TV Series) (Season 4 Episode 23: "The Unvanquished") as Winema * 1963 ''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American Western (genre), Western anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program was ...

'' (TV Series) (Season 11 Episode 22: "Phantom Procession") as Maria * 1963 '' Harbor Lights'' as Gina Rosario * 1963 ''

Ben Casey ''Ben Casey'' is an American medical drama television series that aired on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols "♂, ♀, ✳, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member ...

'' (TV Series) (Season 3 Episode 2: "Justice to a Microbe") as Eva Rosario * 1963 '' The Great Adventure'' (TV Series) (2 episodes) as Sarah Crow **(Season 1 Episode 2: "The Death of Sitting Bull") **(Season 1 Episode 3: "The Massacre at Wounded Knee") * 1963 '' Thunder Island'' as Anita Chavez * 1963 ''

The Dick Van Dyke Show ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' is an American sitcom created by Carl Reiner that initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961, to June 1, 1966, with a total of 158 half-hour episodes spanning five seasons. It was produced by Calvada Productions"Calv ...

'' (TV Series) (Season 3 Episode 11: "Turtles, Ties, and Toreadors") as Maria * 1964 '' The Nurses'' (TV Series) (Season 2 Episode 19: "Is There Room for Edward?") as Maria Marissa * 1964 ''

Slattery's People ''Slattery's People'' is a 1964–65 United States, American television series about local politics starring Richard Crenna as title character James Slattery, a state legislator, co-starring Ed Asner and Tol Avery, and featuring Carroll O'Conno ...

'' (TV Series) (Season 1 Episode 6: "Question: "What Became of the White Tortilla?") as Elena Delgado * 1966 '' The Legend of Jesse James'' (TV Series) (Season 1 Episode 16: "The Empty Town") as Theresa * 1966 ''

The Appaloosa ''The Appaloosa'' (also known as ''Southwest to Sonora'') is a 1966 American Western film starring Marlon Brando, Anjanette Comer, and John Saxon, who was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of a Mexica ...

'' as Ana * 1967 '' N.Y.P.D.'' (TV Series) (Season 1 Episode 22: "Macho") as Teresa * 1967 '' The Fugitive'' (TV Series) (Season 4 Episode 24: "The Savage Street") as Mercedes Anza * 1967 '' The Virginian'' (TV Series) (Season 6 Episode 1: "The Reckoning") as Eva Talbot * 1967 ''Christmas in the Marketplace'' (TV Movie) as Virgin Mary / Mercedes * 1968 ''

'' (TV Series) (Season 2 Episode 3: "Follow Your Heart") as Trinidad 'Trini' Butler * 1969 '' Desperate Mission'' (TV Movie) as Claudina, Otilia's Servant * 1969 ''

'' (TV Series) (Season 11 Episode 6: "To Stop a War") as Anita Lavez * 1971 ''

They Call It Murder ''They Call It Murder'' is a 1971 American television film directed by Walter Grauman and starring Jim Hutton. Production ''They Call It Murder'' is a two-hour television film produced by Paisano Productions in association with 20th Century Fox ...

'' (TV Movie) as Anita Nogales * 1972 ''

The Possession of Joel Delaney ''The Possession of Joel Delaney'' is a 1970 horror novel by American writer Ramona Stewart. Its plot follows a woman who comes to believe her brother has been spirit possession, possessed by the spirit of a serial killer. It was adapted into th ...

'' as Veronica * 1974 ''Dr. Max'' (TV Movie) as Mrs. Camacho * 1974 ''

Sanford & Son ''Sanford and Son'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC from January 14, 1972, to March 25, 1977. It was based on the British sitcom ''Steptoe and Son'', which initially aired on BBC1 in the United Kingdom from 1962 to 19 ...

'' (TV Series) (Season 4 Episode 10: "Julio and Sister and Nephew") as Carlotta * 1976 ''The Hemingway Play'' (TV Movie) * 1979 ''

A Life of Sin ''A Life of Sin'' is a 1979 Puerto Rican-American drama film directed by Efraín López Neris and starring Raul Julia, Míriam Colón and José Ferrer. Premise Paulo (Raul Julia), a Caribbean peasant and Isabel ( Miriam Colon), a politician's mis ...

'' as Isabel * 1980 ''

The Edge of Night ''The Edge of Night'' is an American mystery crime drama soap opera, created by Irving Vendig and produced by Procter & Gamble Productions. It debuted on CBS on April 2, 1956, and ran as a live broadcast on that network for most of its ...

'' (TV

) (8 episodes) as Dr. Marie Santos **(Episode 6247) (uncredited) **(Episode 6248) (uncredited) **(Episode 6249) **(Episode 6251) (uncredited) **(Episode 6254) (uncredited) **(Episode 6255) (credit only) **(Episode 6256) (credit only) **(Episode 6258) * 1981 '' Back Roads'' as Angel * 1981 ''

ABC Afterschool Specials ''ABC Afterschool Special'' is an American anthology television series that aired on ABC from October 4, 1972, to January 23, 1997, usually in the late afternoon on weekdays. Most episodes were dramatically presented situations, often controver ...

'' (TV Series) (Season 10 Episode 2: "Starstruck") as Yolanda * 1983 ''

'' (1983) as Mama Georgina Montana * 1984 '' Best Kept Secret'' (TV Movie) as Ina Dietz * 1985 '' Lady Blue'' (TV Series) (Season 1 Episode 7: "Portrait of Death") as Dona Maria * 1986 ''

Kay O'Brien ''Kay O'Brien'' is an American medical drama television series set at fictional Manhattan General Hospital, which aired for one season on CBS from September 25 to November 13, 1986, during the 1986-87 television season. Overview The series star ...

'' (TV Series) (Season 1 Episode 8: "Dollars and Sense") as Mrs. Amaro * 1987 ''

Highway to Heaven ''Highway to Heaven'' is an American fantasy drama television series that ran on NBC from September 19, 1984, to August 4, 1989. The series starred its creator and co-director Michael Landon as Jonathan Smith, an angel sent to Earth to help peo ...

'' (TV Series) (Season 4 Episode 4: "The People Next Door") as Anna Martinez * 1988 ''Deadline: Madrid'' (TV Movie) * 1989-2002 ''

'' (TV

) (4 episodes) **(Episode dated January 18, 1989) as Mother Superior **(Episode dated September 4, 2001) as Maria Santos **(Episode dated Thursday, January 3, 2002) as Maria Santos (uncredited) **(Episode dated Monday, January 16, 2002) as Maria Santos (credit only) * 1991 ''

L.A. Law ''L.A. Law'' is an American legal drama television series created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher for NBC. It ran for eight seasons and List of L.A. Law episodes, 172 episodes from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994. The series cente ...

'' (TV Series) (Season 5 Episode 14: "The Gods Must Be Lawyers") as Gaby Sifuentes * 1991 '' Law and Order'' (TV Series) (Season 1 Episode 18: "The Secret Sharers") as Mrs. Anna Rivers * 1991 '' Lightning Field'' (TV Movie) * 1991 '' City of Hope'' as Mrs. Ramirez * 1992 ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...

'' (TV Series) (Season 8 Episode 19: "Day of the Dead") as Consuela Montejano * 1993 '' The House of the Spirits'' as Nana * 1994 ''

The Cosby Mysteries ''The Cosby Mysteries'' is an American mystery comedy television series starring Bill Cosby that aired on NBC from September 21, 1994, to April 12, 1995. 19 episodes were made. It was the first television series to star Cosby since ''The Cosby ...

'' (TV Series) (Season 1 Episode 4: "Only You") * 1994 ''

NYPD Blue ''NYPD Blue'' is an American police procedural television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwines several plots involving an ensemble ca ...

'' (TV Series) (Season 2 Episode 8: "You Bet Your Life") as Valeria Santiago * 1995 '' Streets of Laredo'' (TV Mini-Series) (3 episodes) as Estrella **(Season 1 Episode 1) **(Season 1 Episode 2) **(Season 1 Episode 3) * 1995 ''

Sabrina Sabrina may refer to: People and fictional characters * Sabrina (given name), a feminine given name, including a list of persons and fictional characters with the name * Hafren, known in English as Sabrina, a British princess in Welsh mythology ...

'' as Rosa * 1995 ''

All My Children ''All My Children'' (often shortened to ''AMC'') is an American television soap opera that aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from January 5, 1970, to September 23, 2011, and on The Online Network (TOLN) from April 29 to September 2, 2 ...

'' (TV

) as Lydia Flores * 1996 '' Edipo alcalde'' as Deyanira * 1996 ''

Lone Star Lone Star, Lone Starr, Lone Stars or Lonestar may refer to: Communities in the United States * Lone Star, Arizona, a populated place * Lone Star, Fresno County, California, an unincorporated community * Lone Star, Humboldt County, California ...

'' as Mercedes Cruz * 1996 ''

Mistrial In law, a trial is a coming together of parties to a dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court. The tribunal, ...

'' (TV Movie) as Mrs. Cruz * 1996 '' Cosby'' (TV Series) (Season 1 Episode 8: "The Two Mr. Lucases") as Lillian * 1996-1997 ''

One Life to Live ''One Life to Live'' (often abbreviated as ''OLTL'') is an American soap opera broadcast on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC television network for more than 43 years, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012, and then on the internet as ...

'' (TV

) as Maria 'Abuelita' Delgado * 1999 ''

'' as María * 2000 '' For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story'' (TV Movie) as Cirita Sandoval * 2000 '' All the Pretty Horses'' as Doña Alfonsa * 2001 ''

Third Watch ''Third Watch'' is an American crime drama television series created by John Wells and Edward Allen Bernero that aired on NBC from September 23, 1999, to May 6, 2005, with a total of 132 episodes spanning over six seasons. It was produced ...

'' (TV Series) (2 episodes) as Theresa Caffey **(Season 2 Episode 15: "Requiem for a Bantamweight") **(Season 2 Episode 16: "Unfinished Business") * 2001 '' The Blue Diner'' as Meche * 2001 '' Almost a Woman'' (TV Movie) as Tata * 2005 ''

Jonny Zero ''Jonny Zero'' is an American television action-crime drama series, created and written by R. Scott Gemmill and executive produced by John Wells, that premiered on Fox on January 14, 2005. The series principally stars Franky G as Jonny Calvo ...

'' (TV Series) (2 episodes) as Lupe **(Season 1 Episode 1: "Pilot") **(Season 1 Episode 4: "Who's Your Daddy") * 2005 '' Goal!'' as Mercedes * 2007 '' Goal! 2: Living the Dream...'' as Mercedes * 2007 '' The Cry'' as Gloria The Curandera * 2009 '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (TV Series) (Season 10 Episode 19: "Selfish") as Yolanda * 2009 '' Goal! 3: Taking on the World'' as Mercedes (uncredited) * 2010-2011 '' How to Make It in America'' (TV Series) (6 episodes) as Cam's Grandma **(Season 1 Episode 1: "Pilot") (2010) **(Season 1 Episode 2: "Crisp") (2010) **(Season 1 Episode 5: "Big in Japan") (2010) **(Season 1 Episode 8: "Never Say Die") (2010) **(Season 2 Episode 1: "I'm Good") (2011) **(Season 2 Episode 7: "The Friction") (2011) * 2011 '' Gun Hill Road'' as Gloria * 2011 '' The Bay'' (TV Series) (Episode: "Far from the Bay: Part 1") as Grandma Andrews * 2011 '' Hawthorne'' (TV Series) (2 episodes) as Mama Renata **(Season 3 Episode 3: "Parental Guidance Required") **(Season 3 Episode 6: "Just Between Friends") * 2011 '' Foreverland'' as Esperanza * 2013 ''

'' as Ultima * 2013 '' Unhallowed'' as Bruja (rumored) * 2014 ''

Top Five ''Top Five'' is a 2014 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Chris Rock. Produced by Scott Rudin and Eli Bush, the film stars Rock, Rosario Dawson, and Gabrielle Union, and follows New York City comedian and film star And ...

'' as Chelsea's Grandmother * 2014 ''On Painted Wings'' (not distributed) as Manuela * 2015 ''

'' (TV Series) (2 episodes) as Abuelita Salamanca **(Season 1 Episode 1: "Uno") **(Season 1 Episode 2: " Mijo") * 2015 '' The Girl Is in Trouble'' as Grandma * 2015 ''The Southside'' as Abuelita Sanchez

Broadway

*''In The Summer House'' (1954) *''The Innkeepers'' (1956) *''The Wrong Way Lightbulb'' (1969)

References

External links

* * * * *
Miriam Colón bio
at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
The Puerto Rican Traveling TheaterMiriam Colon's Interview on NBC Latino

Miriam Colon Interview
at th
WNYC Archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Colon, Miriam 1936 births 2017 deaths Obie Award recipients Puerto Rican film actresses Puerto Rican television actresses Puerto Rican soap opera actresses Puerto Rican stage actresses Actresses from Ponce, Puerto Rico Western (genre) television actors United States National Medal of Arts recipients Respiratory disease deaths in New York (state) Infectious disease deaths in New York (state) Deaths from respiratory tract infection

Early life

Career

Puerto Rican Traveling Theater

Recognition

Personal life

Death

Filmography

Broadway

See also

References

External links