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Miriam Colon

Míriam Colón was one of Puerto Rico's most beloved actresses, enjoying a diverse career on both stage and screen. Born on August 20, 1936 in Ponce, Puerto Rico, Colón first became interested in acting while attending high school in Old San Juan. Thanks to her good grades, she was able to study her craft at both the Dramatic Workshop and Technical Institute and The Lee Strasburg Acting Studio in New York City. After making her film debut in the Puerto Rican film "Los Peloteros" (1953), Colón moved to New York City, where she auditioned for a spot in the Actors Studio, and was accepted into the group by its co-founder, Elia Kazan. In addition to appearances on the New York stage, Colón made many appearances on television, including guest spots on "Guiding Light" (CBS, 1952-2009), "Gunsmoke" (CBS, 1955-1975), "Bonanza" (NBC, 1959-1973), and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (CBS, 1955-1960;1962-1964/NBC, 1960-1962; 1964-1965). As the '60s drew to a close, Colón founded the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater, an off-Broadway touring theater company who focused on Latino voices and productions. Colón's best-known performance came in 1983, when she was cast as Mama Montana, mother to Cuban drug kingpin Tony Montana (Al Pacino) in Brian De Palma's remake of "Scarface" (1983). In 2014, Colón received the National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama, shortly before filming what would be her final onscreen appearance: a cameo on the first season of the "Breaking Bad" (AMC, 2008-2013) spinoff "Better Call Saul" (AMC, 2015-). Míriam Colón died on March 3, 2017, due to complications from a pulmonary infection. She was 80 years old.