Lupe Ontiveros (born September 17, 1942) is an American film and television actress. Ontiveros has acted in numerous films and television shows, most often playing a maid or, more recently, an all-knowing grandmother; the actress estimates she has played a maid between 150 and 300 times on screen. "Playing the Human Role," LA Weekly, March 6, 2002
Has worked part-time as a social worker.
Graduate of Texas Women's University, with majors in psychology and social work.
Has three sons.
She estimates she has played a maid in at least 150 films or plays. She narrated a documentary, "Maid in America".
She is best known in the Latino community for her portrayal of Yolanda Saldivar, the murderer of Selena in the movie Selena, and to Anglo audiences as the housekeeper on Goonies, The (1985).
Two of Lupe's three sons are hearing impaired. Lupe, as a young woman, worked in her own mother's small factory for a few months with women not unlike those working in the sweatshop in 'Real Women Have Curves (2002)'
