Majandra Delfino
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Notes
The Venezuela-born actress on her early casting struggles: "'Everytime I'd go for a commercial, they'd be like 'You don't look American enough' she remembers, and was disheartened that an acting career seemed to be based 'solely on the way you look'.However, things were different when Majandra auditioned for her first feature film, 'Zeus and Roxanne'. 'There were all these really pretty girls in the waiting room at the audition, but they picked me,' she recalls. 'Finally, the acting portion in an acting career kicked in!'" --from a profile of Delfino in THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER SHOWBIZ KIDS SPECIAL ISSUE, November 18-24, 1997
Biography
A multi-cultural and versatile entertainer, Majandra Delfino kick-started her Hollywood career with a memorable role on the television drama "Roswell" (The WB, 1999-2001; UPN, 2001-02). Playing a teenaged waitress who encounters a group of extra-terrestrial beings in the mysterious New Mexico town launched Delfino to stardom, making her a household name with young adults and science-fiction fans. While making her mark on the small screen with "Roswell," Delfino delivered a solid performance as a young drug addict, appearing alongside seasoned actors such as Michael Douglas and Benicio del Toro in the Academy Award-winning film "Traffic" (2000). Delfino ventured into music territory throughout her career, releasing a couple of independent albums that showcased her sultry vocals and eclectic musicality. In 2011, Delfino returned to series television with the comedy "State of Georgia" (ABC Family), a role that transformed her from a former teen star into an accomplished actress.
Marialejandra Delfino was born on Feb. 20, 1981 in Caracas, Venezuela, and raised in Miami, FL by her Cuban and Venezuelan parents. The future star took an interest in performing arts at a young age, from dancing in a Miami Ballet production of "The Nutcracker" when she was 10, to forming an all-girls singing group named China Doll along with her best friend Samantha Gibb (the daughter of Bee Gees' Maurice Gibb). Delfino pursued acting when she was 14 after her mother reportedly granted her a six-month window to book a job. Within that time, Delfino landed a supporting role opposite Steve Guttenberg and Kathleen Quinlan in the family comedy "Zeus and Roxanne" (1997). She starred in her first feature two years later as an angst-ridden teen who discovers her father (Eugene Levy) is having an affair in "The Secret Life of Girls" (1999). With her acting dreams coming to fruition, Delfino moved to Los Angeles, and soon landed her breakout television role.
In 1999, Delfino was cast in the science fiction drama "Roswell," based on the young adult book series Roswell High (1998-2000) written by Melinda Metz. She played Maria DeLuca, a straight-talking and peppy teen living in Roswell, New Mexico - the site of a mysterious extra-terrestrial crash in 1947 - along with her best friend and fellow diner waitress Liz Parker (Shiri Appleby). The show also starred Katherine Heigl, Jason Behr and Brendan Fehr as a trio of aliens whose spaceship crashed during the 1947 incident. "Roswell" garnered favorable reviews from critics and drew in audiences who enjoyed similar sci-fi shows such as the cult hit "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (The WB, 1997-2001). The series even aired after "Buffy" on its third and final season. During her hiatus from "Roswell," Delfino landed a minor role in the critically acclaimed film "Traffic" (2000) The Steven Soderbergh-directed crime drama explored illegal drug trading in the United States and featured an A-list ensemble, including Michael Douglas, Benicio del Toro and Catherine Zeta-Jones. In the film Academy Award-winning film, Delfino played a privileged junkie.
Following the success of "Roswell" and showcasing her versatile acting in "Traffic," Delfino returned to her music roots in 2000 and independently released three songs on the Internet as Majandra. The following year, she released the EP The Sicks on her own label Dripfeed Records. Delfino's second studio album Tarte (2007) featured blended indie rock, electronic, and dark cabaret genres. Delfino landed another regular television role on the short-lived drama "Quarterlife" (NBC, 2007) about a group of young professionals and artists whose lives are connected via a social networking site. One of her co-stars on the show was actor David Walton, whom Delfino married in March 2011. She reunited with "Roswell" costar Katherine Heigl in the romantic comedy "Life as We Know It" about two single adults (Heigl and Josh Duhamel) who are left to raise their best friends' orphaned daughter. In 2011, Delfino co-starred with Raven-Symoné on the comedy series "State of Georgia." She played a science geek living in New York who takes in her aspiring actress friend (Symoné) as a roommate.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Cast (TV Mini-Series)
Life Events
1984
Moved with family to Miami at age three (date approximate)
1992
Joined the pop quartet China Doll; group also included Samantha Gibb (daughter of Bee Gee Maurice Gibb)
1997
Was featured in the children's film "Zeus and Roxanne" as the elder daughter of a marine scientist
1997
Played Tina DiMeo, the rebellious street-smart teenage daughter, on NBC's "The Tony Danza Show" (NBC)
1999
Starred as a girl who finds that her college professsor father (Eugene Levy) is carrying on an affair with one of his students in the 1970s-set coming-of-age comedy-drama "The Secret Life of Girls"
1999
Had a recurring role on the brief run of The WB's comedy series "Katie Joplin", playing the precocious teenage daughter of a talk radio station manager
1999
Appeared in the feature drama "The Learning Curve"
1999
Had a regular role on the sci-fi teen drama "Roswell" (The WB, 1999-2001; UPN, 2001- ), playing a earthling best friend of a girl who is in love with an alien in human form and must keep his secret
2000
Was featured in the horror spoof "Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the 13th"; aired on USA Network before its release on video
2000
Made cameo appearance in "Traffic"
Family
Companions
Bibliography
Notes
The Venezuela-born actress on her early casting struggles: "'Everytime I'd go for a commercial, they'd be like 'You don't look American enough' she remembers, and was disheartened that an acting career seemed to be based 'solely on the way you look'.However, things were different when Majandra auditioned for her first feature film, 'Zeus and Roxanne'. 'There were all these really pretty girls in the waiting room at the audition, but they picked me,' she recalls. 'Finally, the acting portion in an acting career kicked in!'" --from a profile of Delfino in THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER SHOWBIZ KIDS SPECIAL ISSUE, November 18-24, 1997
