Strap in for a thrilling conversation with the extraordinary Latina powerhouse Maria Conchita Alonso, whose stellar career graces a staggering 80 movies, 10 telenovelas, and three Grammy nominations. As Maria unwraps the layers of her remarkable journey, from her hometown in Venezuela to making her film debut on "Moscow on the Hudson," I can't help but notice her undying zeal for storytelling. The tales of this formidable trailblazer are bound to spark a fire in the hearts of budding performers of every culture.
My conversation takes an engaging turn into Maria's stint in beauty pageants, her singing career, and her strong voice in the world of freedom of opinion. Immediately, we hear her deep-rooted commitment to animal rescue and a first-hand account of the communist grip on Cuba and Venezuela.
But there are mindset nuggets, too! From embracing our divine feminine to the importance of not letting money be the sole driving force in life, my chat with Maria Conchita wouldn't be complete without a sneak peek into her upcoming projects, events, and performances - including a spellbinding Masquerade Casino Night event for her foundation. This episode is nothing short of a treasure chest, filled with nuggets of wisdom from a woman whose spirit continues to illuminate the entertainment industry.
This episode was sponsored by The Eden Magazine.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This Heart of Show Business episode has been
brought to you by its sponsor,the Eden Magazine.
The Eden Magazine focuses onawareness and educational
articles to promote andemphasize humane and
environmental content for thenext generation of animal lovers
.
The Eden Magazine is availableonline and in print to take you
(00:22):
to the world of living ahealthier, in harmony and
cruelty-free world.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Welcome to the Heart of Show Business.
I am your host, alexia Melochi.
I believe in great storytellingand that every successful
artist has a deep desire toexpress something from the heart
to create a ripple effect inour society.
Emotion and entertainment areclosely tied together.
My guests and I want to giveyou insider access to how the
(00:55):
film, television and musicindustry works.
We will cover dreams come true,the road, less travel, journey
beginnings and a lot of insightand inspiration in between.
I am a successful film andtelevision entrepreneur who came
to America as a teenager topursue my show business dreams.
Are you ready for someunfiltered real talk with
(01:17):
entertainment visionaries fromall over the world?
Then let's roll sound andaction.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Hello to all my listeners of the Heart of Show
Business.
It has been a few months.
I have been busy.
I was at the Canthal Festival.
What a timely coincidence thatas I get back from the Canthal
Festival, I get to interview atrue and real movie star, maria
Conchita Lonzo, who I feel sheis a trailblazer when it comes
(01:49):
to be one of the first realLatina stars I think that the
only two people.
When you think about the realLatina star, I think to me only
two names come to mind.
I mean I'm not going to mentionthe name of the film star the
actress, producer, singer.
She has three Grammynominations, 80 movies, 10
(02:19):
telenovela.
She's been on like 100 plus TVshows and you know what?
She's been even on Broadwaywith Kiss of the Spider Woman.
So I mean we have so much totalk about here and so, without
much ado, welcome to our show,maria Conchita.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
Thank you.
Thank you, it's my pleasure tobe here.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
It is so wonderful to have you like I'm literally
having goosebumps because, as Iwas saying to you right before
that, I feel that life is awonderful combination of
synchronicities and when I firstmoved to America back in 1984,
I was living in Westwood in oneof those condos and I wanted to
see movies and experience moviesin the real theaters and we had
(03:08):
the Afco theater that was downon Walsher in Westwood, and the
first movie that I ended upseeing was Moscow on the Hudson,
which, of course, was verytimely, not just because of the
story and the immigrants.
I was an immigrant myself, butI just loved it.
I actually think I saw it threetimes, so I feel it.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
I played an Italian.
It was very funny.
People did think that I was anItalian.
And I was driving with mymother one day and we see it
announced in it and I'm like, ohmy God, they're probably going
to show the trails.
You know, let's go inside andsee.
(03:53):
So we enter the movie theater,we saw the trailer and we're
like, oh my God, I can't believemy first thing.
And then we left.
We did that twice.
You know, we just went in thetheater, bought the tickets just
to see the trailer and then wedidn't say to see the movie.
You know, it was so funny.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
My mom and I were so excited, it was so exciting to
see you and I'm not going to lieNow that I remember at the
beginning I was like who is thiswoman?
How dare she play an Italian?
But you did a great job.
I mean, I didn't think for asecond that you were not.
And I'm curious as and I knowit's it's a little just only
five years ago we're going tosay, right, just five years ago.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
But I wish, I wish it was just five years ago.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Those were better times.
Oh, they were Maria Cocci.
But we all know time is just anidea, so we're just going to
pretend it was five years ago.
And you know, I'm curious tosee if there were other Italian
actresses that were up for therole.
And what made the castingdirector think well, we're going
to go with this gorgeousVenezuela beauty born in Cuba,
(05:02):
versus like an actual Italianactress.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
I know that, I know or nail, a multi was the other
one and I can't remember ifthere was a third one, but I
think at the end it was justbetween or nail and me and Paul
Mozersky, the writer, director,here, have my baby cookie.
She had eye surgery.
(05:27):
She had cataract eye surgery.
So you know, just four days ago, and she sees already, she sees
.
I can't believe it, but she hasto, she has to be very relaxed
because one of her eyes has highpressure and that's very
(05:48):
dangerous.
So anyway, cookie is here withus.
And so, yeah, paul Mozersky, whowas that director writer, he
went to the audition with withRobin and he could not stop
laughing.
He and I'm like, why is helaughing so much?
(06:09):
You know it's I didn't think itwas so funny what I did and he
just couldn't stop.
And then it took.
It took them like I think itwas about three weeks, between
three to four weeks for me to toget it.
So you can imagine that therewas so nervous, so nervous, and
I and I I used to do back thensomewhere between five and six
(06:34):
classes a day of jazz balletexercise and I was in a ballet
class when they came to.
Let me know that I had gottenthe part.
You know the head of the balletused to be called Dupré.
It was the best dance academyhere.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Remember that one.
Yes.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
Yeah, so the owner or the manager of Dupré.
She came and knocked on thewindow and you know, and they
called me and they said that Igot the part.
Oh my God, everybody was crazyand it was so much fun, so much
fun.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
What an incredible journey, and you know, of course
.
I wanna ask you, because youknow the Latino voices are
finally being heard, right, butit's been a very, very long
journey.
Did you find for yourself thatyou were being typecast?
You know, after, obviously,moscow and the Hudson, in doing
(07:38):
solely and only roles of animmigrant, whether it's Latina,
you know, european or where itwas more open to giving chances
at the time.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
No, I never felt that .
In fact, the movie that I didwith Arnold Schwarzenegger,
ronny Mann, that character, hername was Ambar and that
character didn't have to beLatina.
They didn't specify where shecame from.
(08:13):
I did one.
The other one with Nicolas Cage, vampire's Kiss, she didn't
need to be Latina either.
Colors yes, pray out to two.
But I never felt that I wastypecasted.
And just by playing an Italian,you know, yeah, italians are
(08:35):
Latinos, but you know European,but you know I wasn't really
typecasted as a Latina.
When I got the part, you know Iwas an Italian.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
So that was great, that is so wonderful and, by the
way, I love having your dog inthe show.
Also, I interviewed DiddyPfeiffer you know Michelle
Pfeiffer's sister from Big Skyand when she came onto my
interview she was on locationand she brought in all her
animals and she had her cockatoowith her and all of a sudden
(09:10):
that during the interview we'rehaving the cockatoo blowing into
the interview and say hello.
So this is just wonderful.
I have three cats, so you knowanimals.
I have one cat, love that so.
I feel it's such a blessing,such a blessing.
And, of course, you've had alsoreally really great career as a
singer and a performer and ashowwoman, right, and I was
(09:34):
going to ask you what was thefirst instinct for you?
Was it being more of an actress?
Was it to be a singer?
How did that whole thing?
Speaker 4 (09:44):
flow.
It just happened at the sametime really.
I started my career in beautypageants and I was 15 when I won
the Miss Teenager of Venezuelaand then I won Miss Teenager of
(10:06):
the World in Portugal and thatopened the doors.
I became a big model inVenezuela and then from there,
then I went to Miss.
I was a model and then I wentto the Miss Venezuela pageant
and I was Miss Venezuela for theMiss World in London Back then
(10:29):
it used to be always done inLondon and which, by the way, I
was like the second favorite andthen I gained weight because I
was very nervous and we weregoing every day.
You know, I'd go to breakfastand lunches and dinners and
cocktails and all this, and whatI do when I'm nervous is that I
(10:51):
eat.
So I gained one size, one size.
So anyway, I became six runnerup.
My father used to say you lostbecause you were fat, you put
sweat on you, you know whatever.
So but then simultaneously Istarted doing soap operas in
(11:15):
Venezuela when the first, myfirst album that's what it was
called back then, my first CDwould be called today came out
and it was in English, it wascalled Love Maniac and it was
Disco Music, so that was myfirst number one.
(11:37):
Back then you didn't travel toperform in other countries, you
didn't tour, you just stayed.
You know, singers didn't go toother countries, you just stayed
in yours.
So I would say, like the firstthree albums were done in
Venezuela and then, when I movedto LA, I was signed by A&M
(12:02):
Records and that was my firstalbum in Spanish, which was my
first number one internationaland my first Grammy nomination.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
That's amazing.
That's incredible and I know so.
That One of the things that Ihave so many things to talk to
you about.
But the thing is that one ofthe things that I love and I
think I saw that in recentinterviews that you were talking
about being as outspoken andnever really holding back your
opinion about anything in theworld.
Then we live in a country where, unfortunately, everything is
(12:36):
so politically correct.
One of the things that they sayto you here in America that the
three things you can never talkabout are politics, sex and
religion, and being European orLatina.
We all know that at the dinnertable, we can cast each other
out.
We can say all kinds of thingsabout any opinion about life,
(12:56):
politics, religion, it doesn'tmatter.
We're all very respectfultowards another.
There is never a shock.
So I love that you are stayingtrue to who you are.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
We have to agree to disagree and we don't all have
to think alike.
A lot of my friends in LA it'sa town where, politically
speaking, I'm not what this townis and I've never hidden it and
(13:30):
a lot of my friends are from apolitical point of view that is
very different than mine.
I don't care, they're myfriends and I love them because
they are good people.
So obviously I could not haveas a friend a communist.
That I couldn't because, comingfrom Cuba and Venezuela, I've
(13:55):
seen, I've lived a lot of thingsand I know where, what that is.
But hey, if you're from theleft, which I'm not, I don't
care.
You're not a communist, I mean,you're not an extreme leftist.
I think that would be hard forme to be with people that are
(14:16):
extreme leftist?
Speaker 3 (14:18):
Yeah, me too, because , as you know, I come from Italy
and I grew up in communistItaly and I saw the effects that
it had.
That's why I moved to America.
Right, I think we all moved toAmerica for the same reasons,
you know, and for everythingthat it represents.
So I know I have the same hardof time and at some point I said
you know what I am, who I am.
(14:39):
I think the way I think I'mgoing to express my opinions,
whether it's politics, whetherit's spiritual, whatever it is,
animal rescues I'm obviouslyvery spoken.
I cast people out.
I know that you are very, veryactive, which is why you are
also on the cover of the Edenmagazine.
Tell me a little bit whatanimals, how animals, are
(15:00):
affecting your life and why it'sso important that we try to
protect them.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
Oh, my God, because they have feelings, because they
, you know, they suffer like wedo, they get hungry like we do,
they have pain like we do, theyneed love like we do.
You know, when I saw, whenChavez came to Venezuela and a
(15:28):
lot of people started toemigrate, millions of people
left the country and they would,a lot of them would live behind
their dogs on the streets.
They would just throw them onthe streets.
There's so many puddles, it'sincredible.
There's so many puddles thathave been rescued from the
(15:52):
streets and they're still on thestreets.
So when I saw that, I'm like, ohmy God, what's going on?
What's the word?
What's the humanity of people?
What is that?
So I I I've always been, youknow, an activist, but I used to
help here in Los Angeles, otherfoundations and stuff.
But then, when I saw what'shappening in Venezuela, then I'm
(16:15):
like, okay, I got toconcentrate on Venezuela.
And that's when I opened my, myfoundation, my nonprofit
foundation called VEE V fauna,which means Venezuela endorses
the fauna, and what I do is I doevents, to, to send money.
(16:36):
You know, I don't have animalsin my foundation, I just I just
send money to veterinarians, to,to, to foundations, for them to
buy food for medicine.
It's really, really, reallyhorrible, and nowadays it's even
(16:56):
worse because people are nothelping.
People are not helping and this, these little things are, you
know, I, I, I trust morenowadays.
I prefer to be nowadays morewith with an animal which
shouldn't call them animals,with these beautiful beans, than
(17:19):
with people.
You know not, I don'tgeneralize, but it's, it's
incredible.
They're here to, to give uslove and they I always say that
the animals don't speak, becausethey are showing us what love
(17:40):
is through their actions andthey're teaching us that.
That's what you've realized,really, if it's true love or not
, because the words you can say,so many things you can, you
know, and it goes with the wind,but it's your actions are what
(18:01):
really shows what love is.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
What a beautiful way to explain the unconditional
love of the animal species.
I had not thought about thisbefore.
It's true, they do not need tospeak.
We already know everything justby looking at their beautiful
eyes, like this baby here waslike looking at the camera.
And another thing thatimpressing about you, maria
(18:25):
Conchita, is that you talkedabout your mom, who's your best
friend and my mom is my bestfriend, by the way.
She's my business partner.
She's been my business partnersince I was 19 years old and she
taught me everything aboutmyself, about you know,
conducting myself in businessand in life, and I tell me about
your relationship with yourmama.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
Yeah, well, my mom passed away it's going to be six
years ago and but she was.
She was fun, she was crazy, shewas gorgeous, she was funny,
she was very hard worker, shewas a very honest person, she
(19:09):
had no fear, and that's that'swhy I am the way I am, because
she taught me a lot of what'simportant in life to respect, to
accept people whatever they are, even if you are not like that,
(19:30):
you have to accept peoplebecause you don't know what
makes them happy.
Whatever makes people happy,you got to say, well, that's
what makes them happy.
I don't know why, but hey, it'snot up to me to point the
finger at them if they're nothurting others, they're just
(19:50):
living their life because it'swhatever they like, because it's
what makes them happy anyway.
So my mom was always like that.
She was always someone that justwent through life, not seeing
others.
She was very friendly.
We know what others were doing.
(20:11):
She had a lot of girlfriendsand she was not a jealous or an
envious person.
She was gorgeous, but shealways had great women friends
like I do, and I think that'svery important.
It's very important becausethere's a lot of women that
(20:32):
can't have another woman asfriend and I love to have my
girlfriends and to go out withmy girlfriends, and the prettier
they are, the better.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
I love that too.
I feel that we have to embraceour divine feminine and it's so
great to be with that energybecause we are natural empaths
and especially when you areinternational, I feel there is a
little bit less of thatinsecurity.
This is what I've seen.
I have a lot of.
(21:05):
My girlfriends are all from allover the world, all ages, all
professions, but we all shareinto supporting one another and
lifting each other up, and Iknow that you have some really
great points of view about life.
Another thing that I saw aboutyou, where you were talking
about how much you love money,that there is no shame about
(21:28):
wanting to have money, and Ibelieve it's the same thing.
Money is not a sin.
Money helps us to save animals,helps us to help our friends,
help us to be able to elevateour souls and our spirit and
just reward ourselves for ourhard work.
Speaker 4 (21:46):
I just think that, as long as you don't do things
because of money, money is verymuch welcome and needed and it's
wonderful, but I'm not going tosell myself for money.
I'm not going to be with anyonefor money.
I'm not going to accept thepart in a movie that I don't
(22:07):
like just for money.
My mom used to say as long ifyou're able to sleep well at
night is because you've donesomething right, and when your
mind is in the right path, youknow there's nothing that you
(22:29):
should feel ashamed of, then youcan sleep.
And so what I hate that is goingon right now is how greedy
people are.
You know it's horrible howpeople care more about what you
have than who you are.
(22:52):
You know they care more aboutthe car you're driving and not
about what do you think about alot of things in life, what's
your heart about?
Where's your soul at?
So, yeah, so I hate that whenpeople do things just for money.
(23:14):
That's not me.
That's not me.
But hey, give me more.
Yeah, I wish I wouldn't havespent so much money through my
whole life, because I could havebeen helping a lot more, and I
always say that when I die, if Ionly have $1,000 left in the
(23:36):
bank, $500 left in the bank,it's because I did something
good, something right.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
And you know what, if you become the energetic match
of what you desire, that's whatyou get.
So the good money the goodmoney, not the money with
compromise and the money withselling your soul will come to
you.
The good friends, the goodexperiences, the good adventures
.
You know, you just have to bean energetic match to it.
(24:04):
So we always have to rememberwhere is our energy at?
You are such a beautiful energy, I mean it's showing.
I mean no wonder you performabove and beyond being on screen
.
I mean I can't wait to see youperform.
When are you going to?
I want to come see you Now thatthings are open again.
Speaker 4 (24:24):
where are you going to be at my friends.
Well, I just came.
I just had a concert inColombia and I had a concert in
Guatemala and the next one.
I can't tell you what I'm doingbecause it's a project that is
very much, very much advancedalready.
It's been created with thiscompany in Florida and Mexico.
(24:48):
That it's very high end andwe're going to be doing
something that starts inSeptember in Miami and what I'm
going to be singing.
But besides that, there's goingto be something else that I
can't talk about, but you willknow because we're going to
(25:09):
start promoting it.
I think beginning of August,something like that, end of July
, beginning of August, we'regoing to start promoting it.
And I have also an event inMiami for my foundation for the
(25:30):
fauna, which is calledMasquerade Casino Night.
It's going to be October 28.
I'm just going to be adisguised event fun music
performers, live performers.
There's going to be a casino.
So that's going to be October28.
And you'll see more through myInstagram, maria Conchita,
(25:56):
underscore A, and all my socialmedia.
You will be seeing that.
Also, I've been writing songs.
I just finished writing abeautiful song in English for a
movie that I'm going to do inEngland.
We don't have yet the date, butI wrote this blues called
(26:23):
Tonight.
That is amazing, the song,amazing, a ballad.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
Wow.
Well, I look forward tohopefully coming to your ball,
because I have so many friendsin Florida who moved after the
pandemic Obviously they all wentto Florida, so over there, and
they would love to come andattend and support your
foundation.
You know, they have deeppockets and they're very
humanitarian and very charitableand I'm sure they would love to
(26:51):
come and support, and I love tocome and support you.
I'll be, you know, going toToronto Film Festival, of course
, and then I have the AmericanFilm Market, but in between, you
know, I'd love to come and we'dlove to support you, because I
think we want to see actors andartists more than just actors,
(27:12):
more artists like yourselves,who are multi hyphenates.
This is the era of the multihyphenate, the bottom story, the
era of multi hyphenate.
So that means a person that isdoing many things.
So you don't give yourself alabel where you're like, oh, I'm
an actress, you know you aresomebody who has great talents
(27:35):
on so many areas that are, ofcourse, many times in similar
categories, right?
So, in other words, that youdon't have to define yourself
saying Maria Conchita, actress,you are the singer, you are the
producer, you are the composer,you are the head of a foundation
(27:55):
.
So I think this is somethingthat the world is changing into
and all of us who want to makethe world a better place we must
become.
That I feel and I love that youare doing that.
Speaker 4 (28:08):
I remember years ago, years and years ago, if you did
more than one thing, it waswrong.
Is it a weird?
No, she's weird.
Oh yeah, she mustn't be.
Maybe not good doing and likewhat.
No too many things and likewhat.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
Yeah, remember they used to make fun of every
actress that wanted to be asinger, or every singer that you
wanted to be an actor.
And they were looking down andthen going, oh come on, it's
just an ego.
She want or he or she,depending on who that person is.
They want, oh, come on.
But why don't they stick towhat they know best?
It's like, but why?
Why put ourselves in a box?
(28:48):
Why not live outside the box,if we're there to create and to
make the word a better place?
They used to ask me too.
They're like oh, what are you?
Are you a producer?
Are you a distributor?
You have a pop.
I'm like, I'm all of that baby.
Yeah, of course, of course.
Yeah, why not?
Why not?
(29:09):
So to close it off, maria Cunci,I'm going to ask you something.
I asked all my guests and Iknow I'm not going to put you on
the spot, but you could, youcould.
So you can choose or you can doboth.
You can either define yourselfin three words, what that wrap
up where you are, and then giveme what is your life mantra,
(29:30):
that thing that, when you are ina moment of darkness, gets you
out.
What do you tell yourself ifyou ever experience those
moments.
You can answer both or you cananswer just one of the two.
I'll leave it up to you, okay.
Speaker 4 (29:47):
I am.
I am fearless, I am a good,good friend and I am honest.
And I could continue.
Speaker 3 (30:01):
Of course.
Why just have three?
Those are the core ones.
Speaker 4 (30:05):
Yeah, and then what do I do?
Oh man, I don't know, I can.
I can play guitar or I canpaint, or I can watch TV, a
movie.
When I was younger, I used todrive motorcycles in Venezuela.
(30:31):
So when I was younger, I wouldjust grab my bike without a
helmet horrible, horrible andjust go crazy in this, the
freeway that we have in Caracas,the capital of Venezuela, the
freeway next to the mountain ElÁvila, and it goes from one
(30:54):
point of the city to the otherpoint of the city, and I would
just go and you know I wanted tofeel like invincible and I
wanted to be.
You know, I wanted to leteverything go, like I was so
angry for or sad or whatever Iwould use.
(31:14):
I used to do that, not anymore.
Speaker 3 (31:18):
And I was like, why not racing while knowing that
like it's kind of dangerousactually?
Speaker 4 (31:25):
Man, I was in my twenties.
I was in my twenties.
Speaker 3 (31:27):
Okay, maybe we can raise speed boats, maybe we can
get on this speed boat and justkeep going and just yeah, that's
fun Do.
Why not?
Why not?
This has been such a wonderfulconversation and, honestly, I am
so excited that we finally madethis happen.
I wish you nothing but the mostamazing rest of your life
(31:51):
success, awards, grammys, oscars, emmys, lots of movies and lots
of saves of beautiful animalsin Venezuela.
Anything that that MariaConchita alone so touches may
turn into gold for you for youpersonally and for other people
whose life you touch.
And thank you for being on myshow.
Speaker 4 (32:12):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 3 (32:17):
Hi everyone.
If you like the show, pleaserate, subscribe and review, and
I will be dropping all the linksso that you can follow Maria
Conchita's journey both the past, but especially the future one.
Thank you all for listening.
Speaker 2 (32:35):
Thank you for listening to this week's episode
of the heart of show business.
If you enjoyed it, please shareit with a friend.
You can also subscribe, rateand review the show on your
favorite podcast player.
If you have any questions orcomments or feedback for us, you
can reach me directly at theheart of showbusinesscom.
This Heart of Show Business episode has been
brought to you by its sponsor,the Eden Magazine.
The Eden Magazine focuses onawareness and educational
articles to promote andemphasize humane and
environmental content for thenext generation of animal lovers
.
The Eden Magazine is availableonline and in print to take you
(00:22):
to the world of living ahealthier, in harmony and
cruelty-free world.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Welcome to the Heart of Show Business.
I am your host, alexia Melochi.
I believe in great storytellingand that every successful
artist has a deep desire toexpress something from the heart
to create a ripple effect inour society.
Emotion and entertainment areclosely tied together.
My guests and I want to giveyou insider access to how the
(00:55):
film, television and musicindustry works.
We will cover dreams come true,the road, less travel, journey
beginnings and a lot of insightand inspiration in between.
I am a successful film andtelevision entrepreneur who came
to America as a teenager topursue my show business dreams.
Are you ready for someunfiltered real talk with
(01:17):
entertainment visionaries fromall over the world?
Then let's roll sound andaction.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Hello to all my listeners of the Heart of Show
Business.
It has been a few months.
I have been busy.
I was at the Canthal Festival.
What a timely coincidence thatas I get back from the Canthal
Festival, I get to interview atrue and real movie star, maria
Conchita Lonzo, who I feel sheis a trailblazer when it comes
(01:49):
to be one of the first realLatina stars I think that the
only two people.
When you think about the realLatina star, I think to me only
two names come to mind.
I mean I'm not going to mentionthe name of the film star the
actress, producer, singer.
She has three Grammynominations, 80 movies, 10
(02:19):
telenovela.
She's been on like 100 plus TVshows and you know what?
She's been even on Broadwaywith Kiss of the Spider Woman.
So I mean we have so much totalk about here and so, without
much ado, welcome to our show,maria Conchita.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
Thank you.
Thank you, it's my pleasure tobe here.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
It is so wonderful to have you like I'm literally
having goosebumps because, as Iwas saying to you right before
that, I feel that life is awonderful combination of
synchronicities and when I firstmoved to America back in 1984,
I was living in Westwood in oneof those condos and I wanted to
see movies and experience moviesin the real theaters and we had
(03:08):
the Afco theater that was downon Walsher in Westwood, and the
first movie that I ended upseeing was Moscow on the Hudson,
which, of course, was verytimely, not just because of the
story and the immigrants.
I was an immigrant myself, butI just loved it.
I actually think I saw it threetimes, so I feel it.
Speaker 4 (03:29):
I played an Italian.
It was very funny.
People did think that I was anItalian.
And I was driving with mymother one day and we see it
announced in it and I'm like, ohmy God, they're probably going
to show the trails.
You know, let's go inside andsee.
(03:53):
So we enter the movie theater,we saw the trailer and we're
like, oh my God, I can't believemy first thing.
And then we left.
We did that twice.
You know, we just went in thetheater, bought the tickets just
to see the trailer and then wedidn't say to see the movie.
You know, it was so funny.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
My mom and I were so excited, it was so exciting to
see you and I'm not going to lieNow that I remember at the
beginning I was like who is thiswoman?
How dare she play an Italian?
But you did a great job.
I mean, I didn't think for asecond that you were not.
And I'm curious as and I knowit's it's a little just only
five years ago we're going tosay, right, just five years ago.
Speaker 4 (04:38):
But I wish, I wish it was just five years ago.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Those were better times.
Oh, they were Maria Cocci.
But we all know time is just anidea, so we're just going to
pretend it was five years ago.
And you know, I'm curious tosee if there were other Italian
actresses that were up for therole.
And what made the castingdirector think well, we're going
to go with this gorgeousVenezuela beauty born in Cuba,
(05:02):
versus like an actual Italianactress.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
I know that, I know or nail, a multi was the other
one and I can't remember ifthere was a third one, but I
think at the end it was justbetween or nail and me and Paul
Mozersky, the writer, director,here, have my baby cookie.
She had eye surgery.
(05:27):
She had cataract eye surgery.
So you know, just four days ago, and she sees already, she sees
.
I can't believe it, but she hasto, she has to be very relaxed
because one of her eyes has highpressure and that's very
(05:48):
dangerous.
So anyway, cookie is here withus.
And so, yeah, paul Mozersky, whowas that director writer, he
went to the audition with withRobin and he could not stop
laughing.
He and I'm like, why is helaughing so much?
(06:09):
You know it's I didn't think itwas so funny what I did and he
just couldn't stop.
And then it took.
It took them like I think itwas about three weeks, between
three to four weeks for me to toget it.
So you can imagine that therewas so nervous, so nervous, and
I and I I used to do back thensomewhere between five and six
(06:34):
classes a day of jazz balletexercise and I was in a ballet
class when they came to.
Let me know that I had gottenthe part.
You know the head of the balletused to be called Dupré.
It was the best dance academyhere.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Remember that one.
Yes.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
Yeah, so the owner or the manager of Dupré.
She came and knocked on thewindow and you know, and they
called me and they said that Igot the part.
Oh my God, everybody was crazyand it was so much fun, so much
fun.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
What an incredible journey, and you know, of course
.
I wanna ask you, because youknow the Latino voices are
finally being heard, right, butit's been a very, very long
journey.
Did you find for yourself thatyou were being typecast?
You know, after, obviously,moscow and the Hudson, in doing
(07:38):
solely and only roles of animmigrant, whether it's Latina,
you know, european or where itwas more open to giving chances
at the time.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
No, I never felt that .
In fact, the movie that I didwith Arnold Schwarzenegger,
ronny Mann, that character, hername was Ambar and that
character didn't have to beLatina.
They didn't specify where shecame from.
(08:13):
I did one.
The other one with Nicolas Cage, vampire's Kiss, she didn't
need to be Latina either.
Colors yes, pray out to two.
But I never felt that I wastypecasted.
And just by playing an Italian,you know, yeah, italians are
(08:35):
Latinos, but you know European,but you know I wasn't really
typecasted as a Latina.
When I got the part, you know Iwas an Italian.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
So that was great, that is so wonderful and, by the
way, I love having your dog inthe show.
Also, I interviewed DiddyPfeiffer you know Michelle
Pfeiffer's sister from Big Skyand when she came onto my
interview she was on locationand she brought in all her
animals and she had her cockatoowith her and all of a sudden
(09:10):
that during the interview we'rehaving the cockatoo blowing into
the interview and say hello.
So this is just wonderful.
I have three cats, so you knowanimals.
I have one cat, love that so.
I feel it's such a blessing,such a blessing.
And, of course, you've had alsoreally really great career as a
singer and a performer and ashowwoman, right, and I was
(09:34):
going to ask you what was thefirst instinct for you?
Was it being more of an actress?
Was it to be a singer?
How did that whole thing?
Speaker 4 (09:44):
flow.
It just happened at the sametime really.
I started my career in beautypageants and I was 15 when I won
the Miss Teenager of Venezuelaand then I won Miss Teenager of
(10:06):
the World in Portugal and thatopened the doors.
I became a big model inVenezuela and then from there,
then I went to Miss.
I was a model and then I wentto the Miss Venezuela pageant
and I was Miss Venezuela for theMiss World in London Back then
(10:29):
it used to be always done inLondon and which, by the way, I
was like the second favorite andthen I gained weight because I
was very nervous and we weregoing every day.
You know, I'd go to breakfastand lunches and dinners and
cocktails and all this, and whatI do when I'm nervous is that I
(10:51):
eat.
So I gained one size, one size.
So anyway, I became six runnerup.
My father used to say you lostbecause you were fat, you put
sweat on you, you know whatever.
So but then simultaneously Istarted doing soap operas in
(11:15):
Venezuela when the first, myfirst album that's what it was
called back then, my first CDwould be called today came out
and it was in English, it wascalled Love Maniac and it was
Disco Music, so that was myfirst number one.
(11:37):
Back then you didn't travel toperform in other countries, you
didn't tour, you just stayed.
You know, singers didn't go toother countries, you just stayed
in yours.
So I would say, like the firstthree albums were done in
Venezuela and then, when I movedto LA, I was signed by A&M
(12:02):
Records and that was my firstalbum in Spanish, which was my
first number one internationaland my first Grammy nomination.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
That's amazing.
That's incredible and I know so.
That One of the things that Ihave so many things to talk to
you about.
But the thing is that one ofthe things that I love and I
think I saw that in recentinterviews that you were talking
about being as outspoken andnever really holding back your
opinion about anything in theworld.
Then we live in a country where, unfortunately, everything is
(12:36):
so politically correct.
One of the things that they sayto you here in America that the
three things you can never talkabout are politics, sex and
religion, and being European orLatina.
We all know that at the dinnertable, we can cast each other
out.
We can say all kinds of thingsabout any opinion about life,
(12:56):
politics, religion, it doesn'tmatter.
We're all very respectfultowards another.
There is never a shock.
So I love that you are stayingtrue to who you are.
Speaker 4 (13:07):
We have to agree to disagree and we don't all have
to think alike.
A lot of my friends in LA it'sa town where, politically
speaking, I'm not what this townis and I've never hidden it and
(13:30):
a lot of my friends are from apolitical point of view that is
very different than mine.
I don't care, they're myfriends and I love them because
they are good people.
So obviously I could not haveas a friend a communist.
That I couldn't because, comingfrom Cuba and Venezuela, I've
(13:55):
seen, I've lived a lot of thingsand I know where, what that is.
But hey, if you're from theleft, which I'm not, I don't
care.
You're not a communist, I mean,you're not an extreme leftist.
I think that would be hard forme to be with people that are
(14:16):
extreme leftist?
Speaker 3 (14:18):
Yeah, me too, because , as you know, I come from Italy
and I grew up in communistItaly and I saw the effects that
it had.
That's why I moved to America.
Right, I think we all moved toAmerica for the same reasons,
you know, and for everythingthat it represents.
So I know I have the same hardof time and at some point I said
you know what I am, who I am.
(14:39):
I think the way I think I'mgoing to express my opinions,
whether it's politics, whetherit's spiritual, whatever it is,
animal rescues I'm obviouslyvery spoken.
I cast people out.
I know that you are very, veryactive, which is why you are
also on the cover of the Edenmagazine.
Tell me a little bit whatanimals, how animals, are
(15:00):
affecting your life and why it'sso important that we try to
protect them.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
Oh, my God, because they have feelings, because they
, you know, they suffer like wedo, they get hungry like we do,
they have pain like we do, theyneed love like we do.
You know, when I saw, whenChavez came to Venezuela and a
(15:28):
lot of people started toemigrate, millions of people
left the country and they would,a lot of them would live behind
their dogs on the streets.
They would just throw them onthe streets.
There's so many puddles, it'sincredible.
There's so many puddles thathave been rescued from the
(15:52):
streets and they're still on thestreets.
So when I saw that, I'm like, ohmy God, what's going on?
What's the word?
What's the humanity of people?
What is that?
So I I I've always been, youknow, an activist, but I used to
help here in Los Angeles, otherfoundations and stuff.
But then, when I saw what'shappening in Venezuela, then I'm
(16:15):
like, okay, I got toconcentrate on Venezuela.
And that's when I opened my, myfoundation, my nonprofit
foundation called VEE V fauna,which means Venezuela endorses
the fauna, and what I do is I doevents, to, to send money.
(16:36):
You know, I don't have animalsin my foundation, I just I just
send money to veterinarians, to,to, to foundations, for them to
buy food for medicine.
It's really, really, reallyhorrible, and nowadays it's even
(16:56):
worse because people are nothelping.
People are not helping and this, these little things are, you
know, I, I, I trust morenowadays.
I prefer to be nowadays morewith with an animal which
shouldn't call them animals,with these beautiful beans, than
(17:19):
with people.
You know not, I don'tgeneralize, but it's, it's
incredible.
They're here to, to give uslove and they I always say that
the animals don't speak, becausethey are showing us what love
(17:40):
is through their actions andthey're teaching us that.
That's what you've realized,really, if it's true love or not
, because the words you can say,so many things you can, you
know, and it goes with the wind,but it's your actions are what
(18:01):
really shows what love is.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
What a beautiful way to explain the unconditional
love of the animal species.
I had not thought about thisbefore.
It's true, they do not need tospeak.
We already know everything justby looking at their beautiful
eyes, like this baby here waslike looking at the camera.
And another thing thatimpressing about you, maria
(18:25):
Conchita, is that you talkedabout your mom, who's your best
friend and my mom is my bestfriend, by the way.
She's my business partner.
She's been my business partnersince I was 19 years old and she
taught me everything aboutmyself, about you know,
conducting myself in businessand in life, and I tell me about
your relationship with yourmama.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
Yeah, well, my mom passed away it's going to be six
years ago and but she was.
She was fun, she was crazy, shewas gorgeous, she was funny,
she was very hard worker, shewas a very honest person, she
(19:09):
had no fear, and that's that'swhy I am the way I am, because
she taught me a lot of what'simportant in life to respect, to
accept people whatever they are, even if you are not like that,
(19:30):
you have to accept peoplebecause you don't know what
makes them happy.
Whatever makes people happy,you got to say, well, that's
what makes them happy.
I don't know why, but hey, it'snot up to me to point the
finger at them if they're nothurting others, they're just
(19:50):
living their life because it'swhatever they like, because it's
what makes them happy anyway.
So my mom was always like that.
She was always someone that justwent through life, not seeing
others.
She was very friendly.
We know what others were doing.
(20:11):
She had a lot of girlfriendsand she was not a jealous or an
envious person.
She was gorgeous, but shealways had great women friends
like I do, and I think that'svery important.
It's very important becausethere's a lot of women that
(20:32):
can't have another woman asfriend and I love to have my
girlfriends and to go out withmy girlfriends, and the prettier
they are, the better.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
I love that too.
I feel that we have to embraceour divine feminine and it's so
great to be with that energybecause we are natural empaths
and especially when you areinternational, I feel there is a
little bit less of thatinsecurity.
This is what I've seen.
I have a lot of.
(21:05):
My girlfriends are all from allover the world, all ages, all
professions, but we all shareinto supporting one another and
lifting each other up, and Iknow that you have some really
great points of view about life.
Another thing that I saw aboutyou, where you were talking
about how much you love money,that there is no shame about
(21:28):
wanting to have money, and Ibelieve it's the same thing.
Money is not a sin.
Money helps us to save animals,helps us to help our friends,
help us to be able to elevateour souls and our spirit and
just reward ourselves for ourhard work.
Speaker 4 (21:46):
I just think that, as long as you don't do things
because of money, money is verymuch welcome and needed and it's
wonderful, but I'm not going tosell myself for money.
I'm not going to be with anyonefor money.
I'm not going to accept thepart in a movie that I don't
(22:07):
like just for money.
My mom used to say as long ifyou're able to sleep well at
night is because you've donesomething right, and when your
mind is in the right path, youknow there's nothing that you
(22:29):
should feel ashamed of, then youcan sleep.
And so what I hate that is goingon right now is how greedy
people are.
You know it's horrible howpeople care more about what you
have than who you are.
(22:52):
You know they care more aboutthe car you're driving and not
about what do you think about alot of things in life, what's
your heart about?
Where's your soul at?
So, yeah, so I hate that whenpeople do things just for money.
(23:14):
That's not me.
That's not me.
But hey, give me more.
Yeah, I wish I wouldn't havespent so much money through my
whole life, because I could havebeen helping a lot more, and I
always say that when I die, if Ionly have $1,000 left in the
(23:36):
bank, $500 left in the bank,it's because I did something
good, something right.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
And you know what, if you become the energetic match
of what you desire, that's whatyou get.
So the good money the goodmoney, not the money with
compromise and the money withselling your soul will come to
you.
The good friends, the goodexperiences, the good adventures
.
You know, you just have to bean energetic match to it.
(24:04):
So we always have to rememberwhere is our energy at?
You are such a beautiful energy, I mean it's showing.
I mean no wonder you performabove and beyond being on screen
.
I mean I can't wait to see youperform.
When are you going to?
I want to come see you Now thatthings are open again.
Speaker 4 (24:24):
where are you going to be at my friends.
Well, I just came.
I just had a concert inColombia and I had a concert in
Guatemala and the next one.
I can't tell you what I'm doingbecause it's a project that is
very much, very much advancedalready.
It's been created with thiscompany in Florida and Mexico.
(24:48):
That it's very high end andwe're going to be doing
something that starts inSeptember in Miami and what I'm
going to be singing.
But besides that, there's goingto be something else that I
can't talk about, but you willknow because we're going to
(25:09):
start promoting it.
I think beginning of August,something like that, end of July
, beginning of August, we'regoing to start promoting it.
And I have also an event inMiami for my foundation for the
(25:30):
fauna, which is calledMasquerade Casino Night.
It's going to be October 28.
I'm just going to be adisguised event fun music
performers, live performers.
There's going to be a casino.
So that's going to be October28.
And you'll see more through myInstagram, maria Conchita,
(25:56):
underscore A, and all my socialmedia.
You will be seeing that.
Also, I've been writing songs.
I just finished writing abeautiful song in English for a
movie that I'm going to do inEngland.
We don't have yet the date, butI wrote this blues called
(26:23):
Tonight.
That is amazing, the song,amazing, a ballad.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
Wow.
Well, I look forward tohopefully coming to your ball,
because I have so many friendsin Florida who moved after the
pandemic Obviously they all wentto Florida, so over there, and
they would love to come andattend and support your
foundation.
You know, they have deeppockets and they're very
humanitarian and very charitableand I'm sure they would love to
(26:51):
come and support, and I love tocome and support you.
I'll be, you know, going toToronto Film Festival, of course
, and then I have the AmericanFilm Market, but in between, you
know, I'd love to come and we'dlove to support you, because I
think we want to see actors andartists more than just actors,
(27:12):
more artists like yourselves,who are multi hyphenates.
This is the era of the multihyphenate, the bottom story, the
era of multi hyphenate.
So that means a person that isdoing many things.
So you don't give yourself alabel where you're like, oh, I'm
an actress, you know you aresomebody who has great talents
(27:35):
on so many areas that are, ofcourse, many times in similar
categories, right?
So, in other words, that youdon't have to define yourself
saying Maria Conchita, actress,you are the singer, you are the
producer, you are the composer,you are the head of a foundation
(27:55):
.
So I think this is somethingthat the world is changing into
and all of us who want to makethe world a better place we must
become.
That I feel and I love that youare doing that.
Speaker 4 (28:08):
I remember years ago, years and years ago, if you did
more than one thing, it waswrong.
Is it a weird?
No, she's weird.
Oh yeah, she mustn't be.
Maybe not good doing and likewhat.
No too many things and likewhat.
Speaker 3 (28:27):
Yeah, remember they used to make fun of every
actress that wanted to be asinger, or every singer that you
wanted to be an actor.
And they were looking down andthen going, oh come on, it's
just an ego.
She want or he or she,depending on who that person is.
They want, oh, come on.
But why don't they stick towhat they know best?
It's like, but why?
Why put ourselves in a box?
(28:48):
Why not live outside the box,if we're there to create and to
make the word a better place?
They used to ask me too.
They're like oh, what are you?
Are you a producer?
Are you a distributor?
You have a pop.
I'm like, I'm all of that baby.
Yeah, of course, of course.
Yeah, why not?
Why not?
(29:09):
So to close it off, maria Cunci,I'm going to ask you something.
I asked all my guests and Iknow I'm not going to put you on
the spot, but you could, youcould.
So you can choose or you can doboth.
You can either define yourselfin three words, what that wrap
up where you are, and then giveme what is your life mantra,
(29:30):
that thing that, when you are ina moment of darkness, gets you
out.
What do you tell yourself ifyou ever experience those
moments.
You can answer both or you cananswer just one of the two.
I'll leave it up to you, okay.
Speaker 4 (29:47):
I am.
I am fearless, I am a good,good friend and I am honest.
And I could continue.
Speaker 3 (30:01):
Of course.
Why just have three?
Those are the core ones.
Speaker 4 (30:05):
Yeah, and then what do I do?
Oh man, I don't know, I can.
I can play guitar or I canpaint, or I can watch TV, a
movie.
When I was younger, I used todrive motorcycles in Venezuela.
(30:31):
So when I was younger, I wouldjust grab my bike without a
helmet horrible, horrible andjust go crazy in this, the
freeway that we have in Caracas,the capital of Venezuela, the
freeway next to the mountain ElÁvila, and it goes from one
(30:54):
point of the city to the otherpoint of the city, and I would
just go and you know I wanted tofeel like invincible and I
wanted to be.
You know, I wanted to leteverything go, like I was so
angry for or sad or whatever Iwould use.
(31:14):
I used to do that, not anymore.
Speaker 3 (31:18):
And I was like, why not racing while knowing that
like it's kind of dangerousactually?
Speaker 4 (31:25):
Man, I was in my twenties.
I was in my twenties.
Speaker 3 (31:27):
Okay, maybe we can raise speed boats, maybe we can
get on this speed boat and justkeep going and just yeah, that's
fun Do.
Why not?
Why not?
This has been such a wonderfulconversation and, honestly, I am
so excited that we finally madethis happen.
I wish you nothing but the mostamazing rest of your life
(31:51):
success, awards, grammys, oscars, emmys, lots of movies and lots
of saves of beautiful animalsin Venezuela.
Anything that that MariaConchita alone so touches may
turn into gold for you for youpersonally and for other people
whose life you touch.
And thank you for being on myshow.
Speaker 4 (32:12):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 3 (32:17):
Hi everyone.
If you like the show, pleaserate, subscribe and review, and
I will be dropping all the linksso that you can follow Maria
Conchita's journey both the past, but especially the future one.
Thank you all for listening.
Speaker 2 (32:35):
Thank you for listening to this week's episode
of the heart of show business.
If you enjoyed it, please shareit with a friend.
You can also subscribe, rateand review the show on your
favorite podcast player.
If you have any questions orcomments or feedback for us, you
can reach me directly at theheart of showbusinesscom.
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