Vanessa Marquez

Sweet-voiced California native Vanessa Marquez had a passion for acting from an early age and wanted to be a child actress like young starlets she admired, such as Judy Garland, Shirley Temple, and Bessie Love. She sent letters to producers and agents hoping to be noticed, and as they went unanswered she still never lost sight of her dream. She finally got her big break in 1987 as the adorable and academically-adept Ana Delgado in the inspiring teacher drama Stand and Deliver (1988). As the script stated, Ana was a flower ready to bloom; so was Vanessa.

When Jaime Esalante, the real-life teacher who inspired the movie Stand and Deliver (1988), developed cancer, Vanessa Marquez helped raise money for his treatment. She was later one of the pallbearers at his funeral.

Her television work includes guest spots on popular programs including Seinfeld (1989) and Melrose Place (1992) and recurring roles on ER (1994) and Malcolm & Eddie (1996).

Her success with Stand and Deliver led to a full-fledged film and television career: she had roles in films like the gangster epic Blood In, Blood Out (1993) and the thought-provoking independent flick Twenty Bucks (1993).

Playwright José Rivera named the character of Vanessa Marquez in his 2000 play Sonnets for an Old Century after her, who had appeared in his 1997 play The Street of the Sun.

She recently appeared on the new reality series on A&E called Intervention. She was featured with a severe shopping addiction accompanied by depression, OCD, and other psychological problems. The show was hoping to help her overcome her problems. [March 2005]