Lillian Hurst
Encyclopedia
Lillian Hurst is a Puerto Rican
actress and comedienne
. Hurst made her debut as a television comedian in the early 1960s. She participated in various Off-Broadway and movie productions in the United States.
, where the middle class families live. Her father was the owner of the "Farmacia Imperial" (Imperial Pharmacy) located in the neighborhood of Barrio Obrero. Hurst is also a cousin of Puerto Rican television producer
Tommy Muñiz
. She received her primary and secondary education in the capital.
At a young age, Hurst told her parents that she wanted to be an actress. They enrolled her in the modeling academy of Ana Santisteban. In 1960, when she was 17 years old, she was clowning around with her friends while waiting for her turn at the academy. Producer Gaspar Pumarejo happened to encounter Hurst when he entered the academy looking for "fresh" talent for a new show that he was producing.
. Later, she hosted La Hora del Niño (The Children's Hour) on Channel 6. Some of the other comedies in which she participated in the 1960s were Casos y Cosas de la Casa (Cases and Things of the House) with actor Braulio Castillo
and Matrimonio y Algo Más (Marriage and Something More). In 1969, Hurst was contracted by Panamericana de Television of Lima, Peru to work in the program El Hit del Momento (The Hit of the Moment), for one year.
When Hurst returned to Puerto Rico, she went to work in some of the programs produced by her cousin, Tommy Muñiz
. She also participated in various theater productions for the first time. Among them were La Casa de las Hojas Azules (The House with the Blue Leaves) and La Verdadera Historia de Pedro Navaja
(The True Story of Pedro Navaja). In 1980, Hurst wrote and produced a stage show which she presented at the Condado Beach Hotel in San Juan.
where she worked for a short time on some Off-Broadway
productions. Then in 1989, she moved to Los Angeles, California
where she enrolled in Santa Monica College
and majored in psychology
. Hurst was able to work in both Spanish
and English language
productions. She landed a role as "Mrs. Maris" in Windows (1991), which was presented at the Taper Forum Theater and as "Lola" in La Balada de Tina Jaurez (The Ballad of Tina Juarez) (1992). She was also the founder of an acting school for Hispanic
children.
. She has also made over thirty television guest appearances in programs such as JAG
, NYPD Blue
, The King Of Queens
, The X-Files
, ER
, Lost
, and a recurring role in Dharma and Greg, where she played the role of "Celia" in sixteen episodes. She also appeared in the Ugly Betty
episode "A Tree Grows in Guadalajara
" as Yolanda Salazar, the grandmother of Betty Suarez
. In 2009 she appeared on Nip/Tuck
as Liz Cruz
mother, Mariela. , Lillian Hurst was residing in Los Angeles, California, continuing her work as an actress.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
actress and comedienne
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
. Hurst made her debut as a television comedian in the early 1960s. She participated in various Off-Broadway and movie productions in the United States.
Early years
Hurst was born in the Villa Palmera section of San Juan, Puerto RicoSan Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, where the middle class families live. Her father was the owner of the "Farmacia Imperial" (Imperial Pharmacy) located in the neighborhood of Barrio Obrero. Hurst is also a cousin of Puerto Rican television producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
Tommy Muñiz
Tommy Muñiz
Lucas Tomás Muñiz Ramírez , better known as Tommy Muñiz, was a Puerto Rican comedy and drama actor, media producer, businessman and network owner...
. She received her primary and secondary education in the capital.
At a young age, Hurst told her parents that she wanted to be an actress. They enrolled her in the modeling academy of Ana Santisteban. In 1960, when she was 17 years old, she was clowning around with her friends while waiting for her turn at the academy. Producer Gaspar Pumarejo happened to encounter Hurst when he entered the academy looking for "fresh" talent for a new show that he was producing.
Television debut
That year Hurst was contracted and she starred in the television comedy Pompilia y su Familia (Pompilia and her Family), which was broadcast on WAPA-TVWAPA-TV
WAPA-TV is an independent television station located in San Juan, Puerto Rico transmitting over digital channel 27, virtual channel 4. The station is owned by InterMedia Partners and is branded as WAPA Television....
. Later, she hosted La Hora del Niño (The Children's Hour) on Channel 6. Some of the other comedies in which she participated in the 1960s were Casos y Cosas de la Casa (Cases and Things of the House) with actor Braulio Castillo
Braulio Castillo
Braulio Castillo Cintrón was a telenovela actor in Latin America. His two sons, Braulio Castillo, Jr. and Jorge Castillo, are also actors....
and Matrimonio y Algo Más (Marriage and Something More). In 1969, Hurst was contracted by Panamericana de Television of Lima, Peru to work in the program El Hit del Momento (The Hit of the Moment), for one year.
When Hurst returned to Puerto Rico, she went to work in some of the programs produced by her cousin, Tommy Muñiz
Tommy Muñiz
Lucas Tomás Muñiz Ramírez , better known as Tommy Muñiz, was a Puerto Rican comedy and drama actor, media producer, businessman and network owner...
. She also participated in various theater productions for the first time. Among them were La Casa de las Hojas Azules (The House with the Blue Leaves) and La Verdadera Historia de Pedro Navaja
Pedro Navaja
Pedro Navaja is a salsa song written and performed by Rubén Blades from the 1978 album Siembra, about a criminal of the same name. "Navaja" means knife or razor in Spanish. Inspired by the song Mack the Knife, it tells the story of a panderer's life and his presumed death...
(The True Story of Pedro Navaja). In 1980, Hurst wrote and produced a stage show which she presented at the Condado Beach Hotel in San Juan.
Career in the United States
Hurst went to New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
where she worked for a short time on some Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
productions. Then in 1989, she moved to Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
where she enrolled in Santa Monica College
Santa Monica College
Santa Monica College is a two-year, public, junior college located in Santa Monica, California.Santa Monica College was first opened in 1929 as Santa Monica Junior College. Current enrollment is over 30,000 students in more than 90 fields of study...
and majored in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
. Hurst was able to work in both Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
productions. She landed a role as "Mrs. Maris" in Windows (1991), which was presented at the Taper Forum Theater and as "Lola" in La Balada de Tina Jaurez (The Ballad of Tina Juarez) (1992). She was also the founder of an acting school for Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
children.
Later years
Hurst has participated in twenty movies, including the 2005 film English as a Second LanguageEnglish language learning and teaching
English as a second language , English for speakers of other languages and English as a foreign language all refer to the use or study of English by speakers with different native languages. The precise usage, including the different use of the terms ESL and ESOL in different countries, is...
. She has also made over thirty television guest appearances in programs such as JAG
JAG (TV series)
JAG is an American adventure/legal drama television show that was produced by Belisarius Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television and, for the first season only, NBC Productions...
, NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...
, The King Of Queens
The King of Queens
The King of Queens is an American sitcom that originally ran on CBS from September 21, 1998, to May 14, 2007.This show was produced by Hanley Productions and CBS Productions , CBS Paramount Television ,and CBS Television Studios in association with Columbia TriStar Television , and Sony Pictures...
, The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
, ER
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
, and a recurring role in Dharma and Greg, where she played the role of "Celia" in sixteen episodes. She also appeared in the Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
episode "A Tree Grows in Guadalajara
A Tree Grows in Guadalajara
"A Tree Grows in Guadalajara" is the twenty-second episode from the dramedy series Ugly Betty, which aired on May 10, 2007. Originally this was supposed to be the season finale, but ABC extended its full season order to 23, thus the change in the scheduling and the extension in the storylines.-The...
" as Yolanda Salazar, the grandmother of Betty Suarez
Betty Suarez
Beatriz "Betty" U. Suarez is a central fictional character and heroine of the American dramedy series Ugly Betty. She is portrayed by America Ferrera, who won a 2007 Golden Globe and 2007 SAG award for her portrayal of the character, as well as the Outstanding Actress in a Comedy award for the role...
. In 2009 she appeared on 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...
as Liz Cruz
Liz Cruz
Dr. Elizabeth "Liz" Troy is a fictional character in the American television series Nip/Tuck, and is portrayed by Roma Maffia.-Character history:...
mother, Mariela. , Lillian Hurst was residing in Los Angeles, California, continuing her work as an actress.