Ara Celi
Encyclopedia
Ara Celi is an American actress active in American
film and television. She had a starring role in the minor 1997
dance movie Looking for Lola, but she is probably best known for her role as Ampata Gutierrez aka "Inca Mummy Girl" from season two of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
, one of six children. She attended J. M. Hanks High School
, graduating in 1992. While at Hanks, she appeared in student productions of Splendor in the Grass, Crimes of the Heart, and The Wiz. She later attended the University of Texas at El Paso
. While there, she entered and won the GuyRex Mrs. Texas Pageant (1994), later becoming a semifinalist in The GuyRex Miss World USA pageant (also 1994).
. She made several other guest appearances in television series including Nip/Tuck
and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
In 1999, she played Raquel Dion Santos in a nine-month attachment to All My Children
. She was also in Bruce Almighty
, American Beauty
and From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter
, playing Esmeralda. She acted in the 2000 independent feature film Go Fish, directed by Lawrence L. Simeone. She has also provided her voice as Katarina DeLeon in Pirates: The Legend of Black Kat
. She recently played a reporter in Robert Rodriguez' film Machete
(2010).
near San Antonio to start a family. They have two children, a boy and a girl. Celi is a spokesperson for a local automotive dealership and she and her husband own a barbering franchise in San Antonio.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film and television. She had a starring role in the minor 1997
1997 in film
-Events:* The original Star Wars trilogy's Special Editions are released.* Production begins on Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.* Titanic becomes the first film to gross US$1,000,000,000 at the box office making it the highest grossing film in history until Avatar broke the record in 2010.*...
dance movie Looking for Lola, but she is probably best known for her role as Ampata Gutierrez aka "Inca Mummy Girl" from season two of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Early life
Celi, a Mexican-American, was born Araceli Valdez in El Paso, TexasEl Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
, one of six children. She attended J. M. Hanks High School
J. M. Hanks High School
J.M. Hanks High School, commonly referred to as Hanks High School, is one of seven public secondary schools in Ysleta Independent School District, which encompasses much of east El Paso, Texas. Hanks' primary feeder schools are Desert View Middle School and Indian Ridge Middle School...
, graduating in 1992. While at Hanks, she appeared in student productions of Splendor in the Grass, Crimes of the Heart, and The Wiz. She later attended the University of Texas at El Paso
University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso is a four-year state university, and is a component institution of the University of Texas System. Its campus is located on the bank of the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas. The school was founded in 1914 as The Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy,...
. While there, she entered and won the GuyRex Mrs. Texas Pageant (1994), later becoming a semifinalist in The GuyRex Miss World USA pageant (also 1994).
Film career
She moved to Mexico at age 18 where she had a role on a Spanish language soap opera. After three months she decided to move to Los Angeles where she landed a guest appearance on Saved by the Bell: The College YearsSaved by the Bell: The College Years
Saved by the Bell: The College Years is a sequel to the Saved by the Bell series which ran from September 14, 1993 to February 8, 1994, lasting one season...
. She made several other guest appearances in television series including Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck is an American drama series created by Ryan Murphy, which aired on FX in the United States. The series focuses on McNamara/Troy, a plastic surgery practice, and follows its founders, Sean McNamara and Christian Troy...
and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
In 1999, she played Raquel Dion Santos in a nine-month attachment to All My Children
All My Children
All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
. She was also in Bruce Almighty
Bruce Almighty
Bruce Almighty is a 2003 American comedy film directed by Tom Shadyac and written by Steve Koren, Mark O'Keefe and Steve Oedekerk. It stars Jim Carrey as Bruce Nolan, a down-on-his-luck TV reporter who complains to God that He isn't doing His job correctly, and is then offered the chance to try...
, American Beauty
American Beauty (film)
American Beauty is a 1999 American drama film directed by Sam Mendes and written by Alan Ball. Kevin Spacey stars as Lester Burnham, a middle-aged magazine writer who has a midlife crisis when he becomes infatuated with his teenage daughter's best friend, Angela...
and From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter
From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter
From Dusk till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter is a 2000 American horror film, a prequel to the 1996 film From Dusk till Dawn. It was released straight to video and nominated for the Best Home Video Release Saturn Award.-Plot:...
, playing Esmeralda. She acted in the 2000 independent feature film Go Fish, directed by Lawrence L. Simeone. She has also provided her voice as Katarina DeLeon in Pirates: The Legend of Black Kat
Pirates: The Legend of Black Kat
Pirates: The Legend of Black Kat is an action-adventure video game developed by Westwood Studios and published by Electronic Arts for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox...
. She recently played a reporter in Robert Rodriguez' film Machete
Machete (film)
Machete is a 2010 action film directed by Robert Rodriguez and Ethan Maniquis. The "Machete" character originates from the 2001 Spy Kids film, written and directed by Robert Rodriguez. This film is an expansion of a fake trailer that was released together with Rodriguez's and Quentin Tarantino's...
(2010).
Personal life
She was married in 2000 to Robert Godines, a financial advisor, and in 2006 they moved to the Texas Hill CountryTexas Hill Country
The Texas Hill Country is a vernacular term applied to a region of Central Texas featuring tall rugged hills consisting of thin layers of soil atop limestone or granite. It also includes the Llano Uplift and the second largest granite monadnock in the United States, Enchanted Rock, which is located...
near San Antonio to start a family. They have two children, a boy and a girl. Celi is a spokesperson for a local automotive dealership and she and her husband own a barbering franchise in San Antonio.