- Born
- Died
- Birth nameVanessa Rosalia Marquez
- Height5′ 3″ (1.60 m)
- Sweet-voiced California native Vanessa Marquez 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). 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) and the thought-provoking independent flick Twenty Bucks (1993). Her television work includes guest spots on popular programs including Seinfeld (1989) and Melrose Place (1992) and recurring roles on ER (1994) and Malcolm & Eddie (1996). Also a talented vocalist, she lent her voice to the 2000 thriller Under Suspicion (2000).
- IMDb mini biography by: rwood-10 - After battling physical and mental health issues for years, Vanessa was shot to death in a standoff with police at her home in South Pasadena in August of 2018. She had been suffering from seizures, perhaps related to her celiac disease, and paramedics were attempting to get her to agree to be hospitalized. She refused. The situation escalated for 90 minutes, until she aimed her BB gun at police officers, who then shot her, and she died at the scene.
- IMDb mini biography by: George Pappas
- When Jaime Esalante, the real-life teacher who inspired the movie Stand and Deliver (1988), developed cancer, Vanessa Marquez helped raise money for his treatment. She was later one of the pallbearers at his funeral.
- On December 7, 1989 Vanessa Marquez took part in a rally and then a march to protest the exposure of farm workers to pesticides used on grapes alongside Cesar Chavez, Martin Sheen, and other activists.
- She recently appeared on the new reality series on A&E called Intervention. She was featured with a severe shopping addiction accompanied by depression, OCD, and other psychological problems. The show was hoping to help her overcome her problems.
- Playwright José Rivera named the character of Vanessa Marquez in his 2000 play Sonnets for an Old Century after her, who had appeared in his 1997 play The Street of the Sun.
- Any film that not only allows you to dream, but LIVE the dream, is worthy of every accolade. Thirty something years later, the body may be weak but the heart and mind and soul are just as inspired perhaps even more so. You see, for some of us, it's not just a movie. It's become a way of life, a way of thinking, living and dealing with the world around us in the most hopeful, inspired and spiritual of ways.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content
