▁an ▁up ward ly ▁mobile ▁family ▁of ▁mixed ▁Irish ▁and ▁Mexican ▁her itage . ▁She ▁also ▁had ▁rec urr ing ▁guest ▁roles ▁in ▁the ▁series ▁Ver onica ' s ▁Cl os et , ▁for ▁which ▁she ▁won ▁an ▁AL MA ▁Award ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁short - l ived ▁soap ▁opera ▁Pas ad ena . ▁She ▁was ▁a ▁guest ▁star ▁in ▁Hill ▁Street ▁Blues , ▁Red ▁Sho e ▁Di aries , ▁Res urre ction ▁Bl vd ., ▁C ory ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁and ▁King ▁of ▁the ▁Hill , ▁among ▁many ▁other ▁series . ▁ ▁Stage ▁After ▁dec iding ▁she ▁wanted ▁an ▁acting ▁career , ▁Ont iver os ▁began ▁in ▁earnest , ▁following ▁up ▁full - day ▁sessions ▁at ▁her ▁first ▁career ▁with ▁evening ▁work ▁at ▁N os ot ros , ▁a ▁community ▁the ater ▁in ▁Los ▁Angeles . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁she ▁was ▁cast ▁as ▁Dol ores ▁in ▁Luis ▁Val de z ' s ▁historic ▁play ▁Z oot ▁Su it ▁in ▁her ▁first ▁major ▁the atr ical ▁role . ▁She ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁repr ise ▁the ▁role ▁on ▁Broadway — it ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁Mexican ▁American ▁the atr ical ▁production ▁ever ▁to ▁play ▁there — and ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁film ▁version . ▁She ▁was ▁a ▁found ing ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Lat ino ▁Theater ▁Company . ▁ ▁Char ity ▁work ▁In ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁the ▁Kaiser ▁P erman ente ▁ins urance ▁company ▁announced ▁that ▁Ont iver os