Laura Patalano
Laura Patalano was born on June 11th, to Carolina Villanueva Treviño, a cashier for an insurance company & Manuel Escalante Marin, a travel agent. Patalano was raised in Mexico City by her single mother. She is a talented actress whose passion for the craft was ignited by watching plays as a young girl. It was in high school where she decided to take drama classes, and it was there that she met Alejandro Bichir, who would become her mentor and encourage her to pursue acting as a career. Patalano enrolled in El Instituto de Arte Escénico, where she was part of the first class to graduate. After graduating, she starred in numerous movies and theater plays, captivating audiences with her exceptional talent and dedication to her craft.
In 1989, Patalano's life took a new turn when she became the mother of a set of twins, Brittany Patalano and Harlow Patalano. Faced with the responsibilities of raising her children and providing for her family, she made the difficult decision to put her acting career on hold. She transitioned into a new role as a kindergarten teacher, where she dedicated herself to shaping young minds for the next 10 years.
In 2003, she moved to New York where she juggled multiple jobs to support her twins while also trying to revive her acting career. In 2011, at the age of 53, she made the bold decision to leave her twins behind and move to LA to pursue acting full time. Patalano has over 80 IMDB credits. Her breakthrough role came in 2022 when she portrayed Esperanza in the critically acclaimed Hulu’s This Fool as a series regular. She also had several recurring roles such as Beatriz in Netflix’s Gentefied, Nana in Showtime’s The L Word: Generation Q and as Grandma Chata in Cartoon Network’s Victor and Valentino back in 2019. Her flawless depiction of the characters earned her rave reviews from both critics and audiences.
In 2023 Patalano participated in the Oscar qualifying short film The Ballad of Tita and the Machines as the lead which premiered in Tribeca Film Festival and was accepted to several prestigious Film Festivals such as TIFF and Festival Internacional de Cine de Morelia among many others. The short film has had great reviews and has won several awards. The performances not only showcased her remarkable talent but also showcased her versatility and range as an actress. Since then, Patalano has consistently delivered exceptional performances across a wide range of genres and mediums. Whether it be intense dramas or comedies, she has effortlessly breathed life into every character she portrays, leaving an indelible mark on the industry. Her ability to portray complex emotions with authenticity and nuance has made her a sought-after actress by directors and producers alike.