Biography

Maria Costa is a groundbreaking actress, comedian, and writer whose unique brand of "funny, brilliant, and sexy" humor has made her an influential voice of social relevance on stages, screens, and tours worldwide. Her roster of hilarious and original characters has critics calling her "the woman of a thousand faces."

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Her award-winning one-woman stand-up performance, Macho Men and the Women Who Love Them, has sold out prestigious venues including the Kodak Theatre, toured 16 cities across 6 countries, and set college campuses on fire with over 80 campus appearances nationwide. The concert film, shot live at the Kodak Theatre, is distributed worldwide by Image Entertainment and available on Amazon and other vendors. The film won an Imagen Award for Best Theatrical Production and a Maverick Award from Los Angeles Women in Theater.

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Maria also wrote and starred in Viva America, a variety special that captures the best of this multi-talented comedic dramatist. The pilot was an Imagen Award nominee for Excellence in Latino Film and TV, alongside ABC's Dancing with the Stars and NBC's The Voice.

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On television, Maria's Cuban fire has spread to primetime. Milestone achievements include her popular role as Valerie on ABC's Ugly Betty, her role in Universal Remote on Showtime, guest appearances on Lifetime's Strong Medicine and CBS's Joan of Arcadia, and series regular roles in Bravo's The It Factor LA and ABC's Dangerous Minds.

 

She is an ALMA Award-nominated actress (Best Actress in a Dramatic Series) and winner of a Nosotros Golden Eagle Award and a Screen Actors Guild Hispanic Heritage Honor for her work in media. She has also worked as a writer, producer, and on-air talent for national programming on PBS.

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The Kresge Foundation Detroit awarded her a prestigious performing artist fellowship to improve Detroit through content that speaks to the Latino community. Maria Created a variety special Viva America that captures the best of this multi-talented comedic dramatist.

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She co-hosted the Urban Wheel Awards alongside actor Morris Chestnut.

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She began her career as a classically trained actress in productions by renowned playwright Ron Milner, starring in Anthony and Cleopatra and For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf at the Hillberry Theater, and Latinologues at South Coast Repertory Theatre.

 

Her original sketch comedy troupe, No-Spic Inglish, performed regularly at the Ice House and the Improv in Los Angeles. Her previous one-person show, AfroSpic, is among her many original plays.

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Maria received her formal training at Wayne State University's College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts, and studied with theater legend Uta Hagan as well as international mime master Marcel Marceau.

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A strong advocate for empowering minority children through the arts, Maria contributes to high-risk youth through her arts program, La Bella.

Awards and Nominations 

 

• Motown Walk of Fame Star Recipient – Category: Arts and Entertainment  

• Imagen Award Nominee – Honoring Excellence in TV/Film, Category: Best Film Short for “Viva America”, Maria Starring, Written, and Co-Produced by Maria Costa 

• Kresge Foundation Artist Fellowship – Category: Performing Arts Read More

• Viva America Pilot Kresge Foundation 2nd Grant Matching Funds Second Grant Awardee 

• Michigan Development Development Corporation – Category: Business Grant Award  

• Imagen Award Winner – Category: Film – Best Theatrical Production 

• Made History as the First Latina to Star at the Kodak Theater in a Theatrical Capacity, Performed Macho Men and the Women Who Love Them

• Tech Town Entrepreneur Award – Category: Best Entrepreneur 

• Screen Actors Guild Hispanic Heritage Award – Category: Contributions to Positive Images of Latinos in TV/Film  

• Alma Award Nominee – Category: Best Actress in a Dramatic Series for her Series Regular Role as Blanca in the ABC Drama “Dangerous Minds” 

• Los Angeles Women in Theater Maverick Award – Category: Maverick Award, an Honor given to actress Lilly Tomlin the Year prior 

• Armed Forces Top 10 Performances of the Year – European Armed Forces Tour Headliner 16 City Tour.  Other nominees this year included Sinbad and D.L. Hughley

• LA Weekly Theater Awards Nominee, Category: Best Solo Performance 

 

 

TV/Film Credits

 

• Comedy Concert DVD Live from the Kodak Theater, Distributed Worldwide by Image Entertainment 

• Viva America Pilot, Oro Entertainment - in Development with PBS as Series 

• Lead Rumba Dancer Starring with Andy Garcial in International Bacardi Commercial

• Ugly Betty ABC – Guest Starring as Valerie, owner of the Beauty School in “Secretary Day” Episode/ABC 

• Portrayed Joe Montanya’s Assistant in CBS series Joan of Arcadia in Guest Starring role 

• Guest Starred on the Lifetime Series “Strong Medicine” 

• The It Factor – Series Regular as herself, series followed 7 Actors including Maria, Jeremy Riener (Born Legacy) and LisaRaye McCoy (All of Us, The Players Club) and others BRAVO TV

• Chris Gains/M.O.V Starring as Garth Brooks Love Interest/VH1 See More

• Soul Train – Guest Starring, Maria interwiewed Ferggi and Eric Bene/Host WB

• Brimstone – Recurring Regular /FOX

• Oh Baby Guest Starring /Lifetime

• Union Square Guest Starring /NBC

• In the House Guest Starring as LL Cool J’s stalker /UPN

• Nick Freno Guest Starring /WB

• Keenen Ivory Wayans Show – Guest Starring /FOX

• Family Matters – Guest Starring ABC

• Club Connect – Series Regular Host, Show & Segment Producer & Writer/PBS

• AT&T – Lead Actress & Dancer Staring with David Arquett