Ivonne Coll
Encyclopedia
Ivonne Coll is a former Miss Puerto Rico
turned actress who played the role of "Yolanda" in the movie The Godfather II.
where she received her primary and secondary education. She was an honor student and graduated from "Nuestra Señora del Pilar" school. She then enrolled in the University of Puerto Rico
(Universidad de Puerto Rico) where she studied Social Sciences
.
Coll started her career as a fashion model. In 1966, she represented the town of Fajardo
in the Miss Puerto Rico
pageant and won. In 1967, she represented the island as Miss Puerto Rico
in the "Miss Universe
" pageant which was celebrated in Miami, Florida
.
when Benitez won the first prize in the "First Latin Song Festival of the World" which took place in Mexico. She also served as back-up for Chucho Avellanet
, a popular teen idol in Latin America during the 1960s and 1970s.
In 1971, Coll debuted as an actress in a local soap opera
(telenovela
), called "El Sirviente" (The Servant). In the same year she also debuted as a solo singer in the "Club Ocho Puertas (Eight Doors Club)" located in San Juan
.
spotted Ivonne's talent. Channel 11's competitor had a show with a young starlet by the name of Iris Chacón
. Mr. Perry believed that Coll could have a show of her own that would be able to compete with the other channels and with Chacon's show. Therefore, he sponsored the show which was called "Una chica llamada Ivonne Coll" (A girl named Ivonne Coll) and which ran from 1971 to 1975.
In 1976, Coll moved to Los Angeles, California
, where she took dance and singing classes in the Academy of Stage and Cinema Arts. She landed a part in a theater play called "Burning Beach", which was presented in the American Place Theater.
It was in New York that movie director Francis Ford Coppola
recruited her for the role of "Yolanda", a Havana night club singer in the movie The Godfather II. Even though her role was a small one, the experience gained would serve her well in the future. She was credited as "Yvonne Coll".
Coll also participated in the following productions:
She won an A.C.E. Award for best actress for "Orinoco". When Coll wasn't acting, she was taking classes. She attended the H.B. Studios and the Lee Strasberg
Acting Studio.
Among the television appearances which she made in the United States were:
.
Miss Puerto Rico
Miss Puerto Rico is the common name or sash used to identify a Puerto Rican representative in an international pageant. Currently, Miss Universe Puerto Rico, Miss Mundo de Puerto Rico and Miss Earth Puerto Rico are the official national preliminaries to the Miss Universe, Miss World and Miss Earth...
turned actress who played the role of "Yolanda" in the movie The Godfather II.
Early years
Coll (birth name: Ivonne Coll Mendoza ) was born in Fajardo, Puerto RicoFajardo, Puerto Rico
Fajardo is a small city in Puerto Rico located in the east region of the island, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, north of Ceiba and east of Luquillo.Fajardo is spread over 7 wards and Downtown Fajardo , which serves as the administrative center of the city...
where she received her primary and secondary education. She was an honor student and graduated from "Nuestra Señora del Pilar" school. She then enrolled in the University of Puerto Rico
University of Puerto Rico
The University of Puerto Rico is the state university system of Puerto Rico. The system consists of 11 campuses and has approximately 64,511 students and 5,300 faculty members...
(Universidad de Puerto Rico) where she studied Social Sciences
Social sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
.
Coll started her career as a fashion model. In 1966, she represented the town of Fajardo
Fajardo, Puerto Rico
Fajardo is a small city in Puerto Rico located in the east region of the island, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, north of Ceiba and east of Luquillo.Fajardo is spread over 7 wards and Downtown Fajardo , which serves as the administrative center of the city...
in the Miss Puerto Rico
Miss Puerto Rico
Miss Puerto Rico is the common name or sash used to identify a Puerto Rican representative in an international pageant. Currently, Miss Universe Puerto Rico, Miss Mundo de Puerto Rico and Miss Earth Puerto Rico are the official national preliminaries to the Miss Universe, Miss World and Miss Earth...
pageant and won. In 1967, she represented the island as Miss Puerto Rico
Miss Puerto Rico
Miss Puerto Rico is the common name or sash used to identify a Puerto Rican representative in an international pageant. Currently, Miss Universe Puerto Rico, Miss Mundo de Puerto Rico and Miss Earth Puerto Rico are the official national preliminaries to the Miss Universe, Miss World and Miss Earth...
in the "Miss Universe
Miss Universe
Miss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The pageant is the most publicized beauty contest in the world with 600 million viewers....
" pageant which was celebrated in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
.
Artistic debut
In 1969, Coll was a back-up singer for Lucecita BenítezLucecita Benítez
Luz Esther Benítez , better known in the music world as Lucecita, is a Puerto Rican singer.-Biography:Lucecita was a member of what is historically known in Puerto Rico as the New Wave, or Nueva Ola of popular music, created by Alfred D. Herger, alongside Lissette and Chucho Avellanet, among others...
when Benitez won the first prize in the "First Latin Song Festival of the World" which took place in Mexico. She also served as back-up for Chucho Avellanet
Chucho Avellanet
Armando Hipólito Avellanet González , nicknamed "Chucho" is a Puerto Rican singer and comedic actor...
, a popular teen idol in Latin America during the 1960s and 1970s.
In 1971, Coll debuted as an actress in a local soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
(telenovela
Telenovela
A telenovela is a limited-run serial dramatic programming popular in Latin American, Portuguese, and Spanish television programming. The word combines tele, short for televisión or televisão , and novela, a Spanish or Portuguese word for "novel"...
), called "El Sirviente" (The Servant). In the same year she also debuted as a solo singer in the "Club Ocho Puertas (Eight Doors Club)" located in San Juan
Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
Old San Juan is the oldest settlement within Puerto Rico and it is the historic colonial section of San Juan, Puerto Rico.-Location:...
.
"Una chica llamada Ivonne Coll" (A girl named Ivonne Coll)
At the end of 1971, the owner of television channel 11 in Puerto Rico, Mr. Rafael Perez PerryRafael Perez Perry
Rafael Pérez Perry , was a businessman and a pioneer in Puerto Rico's radio and television broadcasting industry. He owned one of the most successful radio stations on the island and in 1954 founded Puerto Rico's television Channel 11, which now is known as Tele Once and owned and operated by...
spotted Ivonne's talent. Channel 11's competitor had a show with a young starlet by the name of Iris Chacón
Iris Chacón
Iris Chacón is a dancer, singer, and entertainer. She enjoys great popularity in Puerto Rico and in other Latin American countries, as well as such US locales as New York, Miami, and Los Angeles.-Career:Chacon has been known by various nicknames, such as "La Bomba de Puerto Rico" Iris Chacón...
. Mr. Perry believed that Coll could have a show of her own that would be able to compete with the other channels and with Chacon's show. Therefore, he sponsored the show which was called "Una chica llamada Ivonne Coll" (A girl named Ivonne Coll) and which ran from 1971 to 1975.
In 1976, Coll moved to Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, where she took dance and singing classes in the Academy of Stage and Cinema Arts. She landed a part in a theater play called "Burning Beach", which was presented in the American Place Theater.
In the United States
In 1979, Coll moved to New York, where she participated in various Off Broadway productions such as:- "Spain 1980",
- "As You Like ItAs You Like ItAs You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600 and first published in the folio of 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has been suggested as a possibility...
", - "Romeo and JulietRomeo and JulietRomeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
" and - "MacbethMacbethThe Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
".
It was in New York that movie director Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...
recruited her for the role of "Yolanda", a Havana night club singer in the movie The Godfather II. Even though her role was a small one, the experience gained would serve her well in the future. She was credited as "Yvonne Coll".
Coll also participated in the following productions:
- "Orinoco",
- "The Masses Are AssesThe Masses Are AssesThe Masses Are Asses can refer to:*A 1974 play by Pedro Pietri*A 1997 song by the female punk rock group L7 appearing on the album The Beauty Process: Triple Platinum...
", - "Medio Comuñas",
- "Goodbye CastroFidel CastroFidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
", and - "Pancho Diablo" with Fernando AllendeFernando AllendeFernando Allende is a Mexican singer, actor, painter, film producer, and film director. Allende began singing in 1959, at the age of seven.-Private life:...
and Sully DiazSully DiazSully Diaz is an American actress and singer born to Christian, Puerto Rican parents. Sully's career started in Puerto Rican television with her first starring role as Coralito in the "novela" called "Coralito"...
.
She won an A.C.E. Award for best actress for "Orinoco". When Coll wasn't acting, she was taking classes. She attended the H.B. Studios and the Lee Strasberg
Lee Strasberg
Lee Strasberg was an American actor, director and acting teacher. He cofounded, with directors Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford, the Group Theatre in 1931, which was hailed as "America's first true theatrical collective"...
Acting Studio.
Among the television appearances which she made in the United States were:
- "Pacific BluePacific Blue (TV series)Pacific Blue is an American crime drama series about a team of police officers with the Santa Monica Police Department who patrolled its beaches on bicycles. The show ran for five seasons on the USA Network, from March 2, 1996 to April 9, 2000, with a total of one hundred and one episodes...
", - "Crisis Center",
- "An American FamilyAn American FamilyAn American Family is an American television documentary filmed from May 30 through December 31, 1971 and first aired in the United States on the Public Broadcasting Service in early 1973. After being edited down from about 300 hours of raw footage, the series ran 12 episodes and one season...
", - "The Bold and the BeautifulThe Bold and the BeautifulThe Bold and the Beautiful is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS Daytime. It premiered on March 23, 1987....
", - "Chicago HopeChicago HopeChicago Hope is an American medical drama series created by David E. Kelley that ran from September 18, 1994, to May 5, 2000. It takes place in a fictional private charity hospital.-Premise:The show stars Mandy Patinkin as Dr...
", - "Malibu ShoresMalibu ShoresMalibu Shores is an American primetime teen drama/soap opera that aired from March to June 1996 for ten episodes on NBC. Created by Aaron Spelling and starring Keri Russell and Tony Lucca, the program followed the exploits of Southern California teens....
", - "NYPD BlueNYPD BlueNYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...
", - "L.A. LawL.A. LawL.A. Law is a US television legal drama that ran on NBC from September 15, 1986 to May 19, 1994. L.A. Law reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s and many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot topic issues such as abortion, racism, gay rights,...
", - "Under CoverUnder Cover-Personnel:*Ozzy Osbourne – vocals*Jerry Cantrell – guitars*Chris Wyse – bass*Mike Bordin – drumsGuest musicians*Ian Hunter – vocals on "All the Young Dudes"*Leslie West – guitar solo on "Mississippi Queen"...
". - "GleeGleeGlee may refer to:* Glee , an English type of song music* Glee , an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media* Glee * Glee...
".
Later years
When Coll returned to Puerto Rico, she was invited to participate in the following productions: "La verdadera historia de Pedro Navaja" and "Paper Flowers". She also had a role in the locally produced movie "La gran Fiesta" (The Grand Party) and in the TV show "Cuqui". In 2002 she was in the movie "Besos de Fuego". As of October, 2006, she has played the title role in Berthold Brecht's "MOTHER COURAGE" at the Berkeley Rep Theater in Berkeley, CaliforniaBerkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
.
See also
- Irish immigration to Puerto RicoIrish immigration to Puerto RicoFrom the 16th to the 19th century, there was considerable Irish immigration to Puerto Rico, for a number of reasons. During the 16th century many Irishmen, who were known as "Wild Geese," fled the English Army and joined the Spanish Army. Some of these men were stationed in Puerto Rico and...
- List of famous Puerto Ricans