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Maria Canals

Latina actress Maria Canals-Barrera is best known as matriarch Theresa Russo on the wildly popular Disney Channel series "Wizards of Waverly Place." Long before Canals-Barrera became involved with that production, however, she was a working actor, first appearing on an episode of the undercover-cop show "21 Jump Street" in 1990. Numerous TV roles followed, including a stint on the short-lived comedy series "Key West," set in her real-life home state of Florida, along with guest spots on various sitcoms, including "Caroline in the City" and "Veronica's Closet." In 1997, she joined the cast of "The Tony Danza Show," appearing in all of the series episodes before its cancellation. In addition to being featured on a run of the Latino-themed show "American Family," starring Edward James Olmos, Canals-Barrera began working extensively as a voice actor, portraying characters on the animated superhero programs "Static Shock" and "Justice League," among others. She signed on as Theresa on "Wizards of Waverly Place," and the show eventually garnered a huge following, even leading to a 2009 TV movie where she reprised her role. Well-established as a Disney Channel regular, Canals-Barrera also appeared in the hit TV movie "Camp Rock" as the mother of Demi Lovato's character, and returned for the sequel, "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam." She is married to actor David Barrera, and the couple has two children together.