▁back ▁to ▁school ▁for ▁a ▁n urs ing ▁degree ▁when ▁she ▁saw ▁an ▁article ▁about ▁a ▁need ▁for ▁local ▁film ▁ex tras . ▁With ▁her ▁husband ' s ▁encourag ement , ▁she ▁took ▁the ▁job ▁and ▁par lay ed ▁it ▁into ▁a ▁long ▁stage ▁and ▁screen ▁career . ▁Prior ▁to ▁acting , ▁she ▁had ▁worked ▁for ▁ 1 8 ▁years ▁as ▁a ▁social ▁worker , ▁and ▁she ▁continued ▁as ▁an ▁activ ist ▁with ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁causes ▁with ▁which ▁she ▁worked ▁in ▁that ▁profession , ▁such ▁as ▁domestic ▁violence ▁prevent ion ▁and ▁A ID S ▁aw aren ess ▁and ▁prevent ion . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁Film ▁Ont iver os ▁once ▁estimated ▁that ▁she ▁had ▁played ▁a ▁ma id ▁at ▁least ▁ 1 5 0 ▁times ▁on ▁stage ▁and ▁screen ; ▁she ▁wanted ▁to ▁see ▁more ▁diverse ▁roles ▁available ▁to ▁Lat ina ▁actors , ▁not ing ▁" I ' m ▁proud ▁to ▁represent ▁those ▁hands ▁that ▁labor ▁in ▁this ▁country . ▁I ' ve ▁given ▁every ▁ma id ▁I ' ve ▁ever ▁port rayed ▁soul ▁and ▁heart ." ▁In ▁part ▁because ▁of ▁her ▁history ▁in ▁this ▁role , ▁she ▁was ▁chosen ▁as ▁the ▁narr ator ▁for ▁the ▁document ary ▁Ma id ▁in ▁America . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁Ont iver os ' ▁most ▁prominent ▁early ▁movie ▁roles ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁Gregory ▁N ava ▁film ▁El ▁Norte , ▁in ▁which ▁she ▁played ▁a ▁se am str ess ▁and ▁ma id ▁who ▁acts ▁as ▁ment or ▁to ▁a ▁newly ▁arrived ▁imm