سيرة
Renée Victor was an American actress best known for her extraordinary role as the wisecracking, feisty Lupita in the landmark television series "Weeds." She received considerable acclaim for her role as the cagey and crafty housekeeper, hurling clever barbs at unsuspecting characters, avoiding any hint of a stereotype. Before and since, Renée remained an indelible presence for her pageant of other widely diverse and memorable character roles in motion pictures, television, theater and radio. Whether comedy or drama, Renée carefully and artfully pursued the challenge of roles that exude bravura, honesty, and a keen attention for authenticity. Renée worked alongside many of Hollywood's elite including Robert Duvall, Christopher Walken, William Hurt, Josh Brolin, Gena Rowlands, Mary Louise Parker, Scarlett Johansson and more. In addition to acting, Renée also garnered a wealth of accolades in other performing disciplines including singing, dancing, choreography, animation, voice-over, interpreter-translator, television program host, and segment producer.
Early Years
Renée was born in San Antonio, Texas. Both parents were working professionals and raised their children in a traditional Catholic family environment. From grammar school studies through high school she attended San Antonio's prestigious all-girls St. Teresa's, St. Mary's and Divine Providence Academies. She excelled academically as an honor student, was class president numerous times and voted most talented girl throughout high school. Although she excelled academically, she had already exhibited an early interest in performing and pursued these studies throughout her education. Her dancing debut in the San Antonio production in the opera Carmen at the age of 10, set her future and it was a prophetic start.
Early Career
Renée's professional career as a singer/dancer began in Las Vegas at the Stardust Hotel and her subsequent acclaimed work throughout the celebrated Nevada circuit was a preamble to her succeeding stage-work in Europe, Latin America, the Far East, Australia and New Zealand. Renée's international success as performer lead to repeated contracts around the world, setting the stage for more critically-acclaimed television appearances, cabaret engagements, commercials and finally a stint hosting a popular television variety show in Australia.
Expanding Horizons
After her Australia and New Zealand successes Renée returned to Los Angeles and hosted KTLA's popular talk show, "Pacesetters." At the same time, she continued singing in local venues and was a popular choice for a wide range of choreography assignments. Other surprisingly diverse career paths include translator-interpreter for the 1984 Summer Olympics at the Los Angeles International Broadcasting Center; translating and adapting a program for the California Museum of Science and Industry on AIDS, hosted by Edward James Olmos; and translating the "The Nutcracker Suite" into Spanish for the BBC of London. She was also segment producer for the "Paul Rodriguez Show"; narrated "The Art of the Pacific Rim-Meso American Art" for the L.A. County Museum of Art; and "La Ofrenda - The Day of the Dead," a Women in Films entry at the Los Angeles Film Festival. While journalist/reporter for Pacifica Radio KPFK she produced and hosted a special on world acclaimed award-winning novelist Carlos Fuentes. Other credits include vocals for commercial jingles for RC Cola, Hoffy Hot Dogs and Twin Dragon Chinese Cookies. An unforgettable moment in her singing career was the creative collaboration she shared with famed Latin jazz pianist Eddie Cano ("A Taste of Honey") when she retained him as her accompanist for a six-month singing engagement. Reflected Renée: "This was a very special moment in my singing experience."
Acting
Film
Renée then set her sights on acting and she soon began landing some very choice roles. Other notable parts include the Hispanic-Evangelical interpreter in Robert Duvall's critically acclaimed "The Apostle" holding her own, literally side-by-side, with one of America's most beloved and greatest actors. Impressed with her work in "The Apostle," Duvall subsequently cast Renée in two of his other films, including "Assassination Tango" and "A Night in Old Mexico."
Renée always chose her roles with care and her instincts were right in "Libertad." For her title role in the indie film, Renée received the Best Actress Award at the Napa Valley Film Festival, portraying the strong family matriarch battling to keep her fractured family together. Director Miguel Najera said: "Without Renée's magnificent performance in my first film, 'Libertad,' it would not have received the accolades that it did. Her portrayal of Libertad, a strong, independent woman tempered with tenderness, personified how the Mexican female spirit survived in a man's world. Her presence filled the screen and the hearts of all those fortunate enough to witness how effortlessly she moved them from laughter to tears to triumph."
Inarguably, even industry notables praised Renée Victor's work. Director Frank Aragon: "Renée Victor's many portrayals create magical moments when actress and character fuse absolutely. She so deftly balances the humor and drama in an astonishing style. Renée unleashes colorful, quirky personas that tickle the funny bone of anyone who might recall her many roles. She often steals the scene but always steals your heart."
Other film roles include the superstitious grandmother Irma in Paramount's 2014 release "Paranormal Activity 5: The Marked Ones," in which she breaks up the horror with a key, much needed comic relief scene. The foremost online horror weekly "Lighting Bug's Lair" acknowledged her all-Spanish performance as "rewarding" and "pitch perfect, conveying everything the audience wants to know without the need for translation." So, it's no surprise then, that after seeing her dying scene midway through the film, Paramount executives decided her presence should remain in the final cut, adding, "She cannot die. She's too lovable and the audience won't accept it."
Television & Radio
Renée performed on public radio, KCRW, for the prestigious Los Angeles Theater Classics "The Play's the Thing," In addition to her role as Lupita, Renée's other television work includes the recurring role of the heartfelt Florina Lopez in "ER." Other performances include the tragic grandmother Regina in "Major Crimes," a witch in Lifetime's Series "The Witches of East End," "Children's Hospital," "Women's Murder Club," "All You've Got," "Strong Medicine," "Mister Sterling," "Elian Gonzales" and many more. More recent television series include "Snowpiercer," "Undone," "Gentified," "Vida," (her supporting performance was submitted for Emmy consideration), the award-winning You Tube series "Dead to Me," and "All Rise," In addition to her role as Lupita in "Weeds," other roles include the heartfelt role of Florina Lopez in E.R. and her flair for broader comedy is a stand-out as the colorful Consuela Hernandez in "Tyler Perry's House of Payne." In 2021, Renée started her first season on the Amazon series "With Love," Amazon's one-hour romantic comedy series from Gloria Calderón Kellett's GloNation Studios and Amazon.
"Weeds"
When Renée landed her signature role as "Weeds" irrepressible Lupita, her presence and personality made the producers not only extend her role and gave her character some of the best lines, but her unique delivery made those lines special and memorable. Her spin on only three simple words "the coffee table," was devastating and the critics noticed.
"Renée Victor, as Nancy's maid, is the best lippy servant since Rosario on Will & Grace (1998) wrote Terry Morrow of the Scripps Howard News Service. New York Post's TV critic Linda Stasi wrote: "Lastly [and bestly] there's 'Lupita' (Renée Victor) the Botwin's housekeeper ("I'm nobody's maid") who delivers some of the funniest lines on television in the last 10 years. And I mean that!" She later wrote "Thank God Lupita (Renée Victor), who had the best line in all of television last season (the one about the coffee table), is back, and by episode two, she's had two more potentially best lines. The woman's a comic genius and I love her so." Referring to her classic coffee table quip in "Weeds," co-star Kevin Nealon (after her priceless delivery) asked her "What's it like not only delivering the best line in the show but one that's become a TV classic?"
Stage
After her considerable career in front of a live audience, Renée extended her acting into critically-acclaimed roles in several theatrical venues. On her performance at San Jose Repertory Theater's production of "My Visits with MGM," Victor opens the play singing the classic and heartfelt Valentina, torch style, a capella. Victor's rendition was a special moment setting the entire mood of the play. Judith Green of the San Jose Mercury News wrote: "Renée Victor, a tiny, joyous, enchanting performer gives Grandmother Marta enough fizz for a magnum of champagne and has a special beauty appropriate to a play that takes place largely in the faded colors of the past. She is also an accomplished dancer, which she puts to good use here to the delight of the audience." On her repeat performance of "My Visits with MGM" at Milwaukee Repertory Theater, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinal's Damien Jacques wrote: "Renée Victor gives Marta Grande an amazing amalgam of warmth, humor, strength and sexiness." In the play "Our Lady of The Tortilla" at the Phoenix Theater, Julie Amparano of the Arizona Republic wrote: "Victor's performance is a highlight. With a surprised naïveté Victor plays Dolores as a Hispanic version of Edith Bunker."
Voiceover
Renée was equally acclaimed as a voice-over artist including the English voice of Helena in Ingmar Bergman's "Fanny and Alexander"; Ginger in Federico Fellini's "Ginger & Fred"; the Spanish voice of the female gargoyle in Disney's "the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Also, "Valentino, "Undone," "Fairfax" and the reptilian voices in Bethesda Softworks 2011 award-winning video game, "Skyrim: The Elder Scrolls V, Victor."
Unquestionably the complex and pivotal character of Abuelita in the highly-anticipated Disney-Pixar release "Coco," represented a major step in Renee's voice-over goals. Her Abuelita character provided the necessary dramatic impetus in driving the story forward and providing other characters needed motivations. With its ability to maintain a mature story line without compromising its entertainment value and signature Disney humor, "Coco" was widely considered one of animation's greatest films. It's not surprising that voiceover work of this caliber was a tremendous source of personal and professional satisfaction for Renee.
Studies
Renée studied at the University of Texas, the American Film Institute, Jackie Cowgill of AADA, Improv with Gary Austin, Shirley Prestia, Kip King , the Sydney Conservatory of Music, Columbia School of Broadcasting and the Hollywood Scriptwriter's Institute.
Personal Life
The multi-lingual Renée was single, enjoyed movies, theater, museums, music and travel and poetry, especially Pablo Neruda, Sor Juana Inez de la Cruz & Michael Hannon. When she was not providing dance instruction by request and her schedule allowed, she studied and remained very active in all forms of dance art. It's no additional surprise that long ago her tango friends bestowed her with the title "La Maestra" while those in salsa circles affectionately dubbed her "La Reina."
She incorporated her flair for the dramatic with her culinary creativity, her tiny hands preparing extravagant dishes for small intimate gatherings for friends and family. Her most important and lasting creations though, were daughters Margo and Raquel, with whom she enjoyed an especially deep relationship.
