Vanessa Marquez

Sweet-voiced California native 'Vanessa Marquez' (qv) 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)_ (qv). As the script stated, Ana was a flower ready to bloom; so was Vanessa. 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)_ (qv) and the thought-provoking independent flick _Twenty Bucks (1993)_ (qv). Her television work includes guest spots on popular programs including _Seinfeld (1989)_ (qv) and _Melrose Place (1992)_ (qv) and recurring roles on _ER (1994)_ (qv) and _Malcolm & Eddie (1996)_ (qv). Also a talented vocalist, she lent her voice to the 2000 thriller _Under Suspicion (2000)_ (qv).::rwood-10