A lifetime goes by in a blink of an eye. One day you are taking dance classes from Walter Mercado (yes, that Walter Mercado) in your native Puerto Rico and the next thing you know you are being honored for you life’s work with the Lupe Ontiveros Image Award at the La Femme Film Festival in Los Angeles. That is the journey of actress Ivonne Coll who is now known to millions of viewers as Alba Villanueva, the abuela on the CW’s hit dramedy Jane the Virgin. Her performance earned her the label of People’s Choice Award winner and a Golden Globe nominee. Ivonne Coll impressive career has taken her from the beautiful island of Puerto Rico and on an exciting journey into film, TV and theater. www.ivonnecoll.com.
Although dance was a passion for Ivonne, she decided pursue a career in the field of phycology. While attending the University of Puerto Rico, the opportunity to compete for the Miss. Puerto Rico came up. Ivonne had her sights on the $10,000 prize, that would help her pay for her college education.
After representing Puerto Rico in the Miss Universe Pageant, which she was sure she would win, Ivonne had been signaled out by a producer who gave her own variety show based on what he saw her do during the talent portion of the pagent. Comparisions to the legendary Rita Hayworth was a major plus in getting the attention of the producers. However, Ivonne knew that looks alone do not get you very far and she proceeded to get the best training available once she moved to the States. She trained in drama directly with Lee Strasberg, comedy with Lucille Ball and music theater with David Craig. In 1972 she performed for the troops as part of the USO Tour making her the first Puertorican performer to sing for the troops stationed in Vietnam.
Franics Fod Coppola gave Ivonne her first film role, she debuted on the big screen in 1974 as the “redheaded Yolanda” in Coppola’s The Godfather II. She received international acclaim and was one of the first Puerto Rican actresses to cross over from the Latin world to Hollywood.
On Broadway, she has starred and performed alongside luminaries such as Katie Bates and Jane Alexander in Goodbye Fidel and played the role of Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. She also starred in the Tony nominated Chronicle of a Death Foretold to great reviews. In 2006 she was cast as the lead in Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage with the Berkeley Repertory Theatre and Tony Award winning La Jolla Playhouse, a vivid revival directed by Obie Award-winner Lisa Peterson. Her performance of Mother Courage won her a Best Actress Nomination by the San Francisco Bay Area Critics Circle.
The awards for her work began coming in early and they continue to this day. Ivonne received the ACE Award by the NY Hispanic Media for her performance in Orinoco with the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater. She is also the recipient of the Craig Noel Award for Outstanding Performance by the San Diego Critics Circle and was nominated for the Jefferson Award as Best Supporting actress by the Actors Equity Association. Her work on television was recognized with the prestigious Agueybana de Oro in Puerto Rico for her performance in the highly rated soap Coralito.
This past October 18th she was recognized for her lifetime of work that also includes TV. Coll has appeared in just about every important television show including: Nip Tuck, An American Family, Chicago Hope, NYPD Blue, The Practice, The Division, Saturday Night Live, Cold Case, Joan of Arcadia, LA LAW, Wings, The Bold & The Beautiful, Days of our Lives and has had recurring roles as Adriana in the ABC Family show Switched at Birth as well as on the hit TV show Glee on Fox.
Upon receiving her Lupe Ontiveros Image Award was presented by Jane the Virgin cast member Andrea Navedo and Elias Ontiveros, son of the late Lupe Ontiveros, Ivonne who was friends with Lupe said, ”What a wonderful human being, woman, actress, mom, grandma, wife, community activist and friend Lupe Ontiveros was. This Image award will force me to be better in all the areas that I might fill in her shoes, and I have a long way to go,” said an emotional Ivonne Coll who continued in sign language to Elias Ontiveros, “I love your mother and I love you”.
As Ivonne reflected on the recognition and the struggle Latinas in Hollywood for better roles. She reflected on how things have changed (or not) since she came to L.A., recalling that one of the first things she did was host a meeting at her house when Latina in Hollywood staged a protest in front NewLine Cinema when they overlooked the working Latinas in favor of casting Laura San Giacomo as Frida Kahlo in the iconic Mexican role.
La Femme International Film Festival celebrates, supports and advances content creation by Women Producers, Writers and Directors from around the world. The festival has advanced the careers of over 1,000 artists and it continues to offer educational seminars, programming and networking events in a nurturing indie environment.
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