Roswell

Background:

“I prefer to hear myself sing than see myself in a movie.” Majandra Delfino

Venezuelan import Majandra Delfino is perhaps best known to television audiences as Maria DeLuca on the successful science fiction teen series “Roswell” (The WB, 1999-2001; UPN, 2001-2002), from which she picked up an ALMA and Young Artist nomination. She also received roles in the short lived sitcoms “The Tony Danza Show” (NBC, 1997) and “Katie Joplin” (The WB, 1999). Delfino made her feature film debut in “Zeus and Roxanne” (1997). Additional movie credits include “The Secret Lives of Girls” (1999), the Oscar winner “Traffic” (2000), “The Learning Curve” (2001), “Reeseville” (2003), “Celeste in the City” (2004, TV), “Don't Come Knocking” (2005) and “State's Evidence” (2006). Also an accomplished singer, the former member of the teen pop group China Doll released the EP “The Sicks” in 2003 and the album “Tarte” in 2007.

Majandra once dated costar Brendan Fehr from the cast of “Roswell.” After the relationship ended, she was briefly married to costar Devon Gummersall.

In 2009, Majandra starred as Abby in the television thriller “Web of Lies.” In 2010, she will appear in Greg Berlanti’s “Life as We Know It.”

China Doll

Childhood and Family:

Marialejandra Delfino was born on February 20, 1981, in Caracas, Venezuela, to a Venezuelan father and Cuban-American mother. Along with her older sister Marieh Delfino (born on September 24, 1977), who gave her the nickname Majandra, she spent the first three years of her life there before her family relocated to Miami, Florida. A standout student, Majandra attended the New World School of the Arts in Miami, Florida, and developed a passion for the arts while taking acting, ballet and singing lessons. She performed with the Miami Ballet in a production of “The Nutcracker” when she was 10 years old and joined an all-girls vocal group called China Doll the following year. It was with the Latin styled pop group “China Doll,” whose member also included Samantha Gibb, the daughter of the Bee Gees' Maurice Gibb, that she had the opportunity to share the stage with the Bee Gees at a benefit concert in Miami Beach. After leaving the group, Majandra decided to concentrate on acting.

Majandra was briefly married to actor Devon Gummersall (2007-2008). He worked with her in the series “Roswell.”

Tarte

Career:

Born in Venezuela and raised in Florida, Majandra Delfino had emerged as a talented performer by the age of 12. In addition to participating in school productions and community theater musicals, she danced in a Miami Ballet production of “The Nutcracker” and served as an opening act (as part of China Doll) at a Bee Gees concert in Miami Beach. She made her professional acting debut with a supporting part as the daughter of Kathleen Quinlan in George Miller's adventure family film “Zeus & Roxanne” (1997). Later that same year, she ventured to television playing Tony Danza's rebellious teen daughter, Tina DiMeo, on the NBC short lived sitcom “The Tony Danza Show.” The role brought Majandra a 1998 ALMA nomination for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Television Series in a Crossover Role.

Two years later, Majandra landed a recurring role on another brief lived comedy series, “Katie Joplin” (The WB, 1999), where she portrayed Sara Shotz. She returned to the big screen to play Linda Hamilton and Eugene Levy's daughter, Natalie, in the coming-of-age drama “The Secret Lives of Girls” (1999). However, she did not hit the big time until she was cast in the role of Maria DeLuca in the science fiction teen series “Roswell,” which was aired on the WB before moving to UPN in 2001. The show was a success and so was Majandra’s performance. Her portrayal of the best friend of Liz (played by Shiri Appleby), a girl who falls for an alien in human form, garnered her an ALMA nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series and a Young Artist nomination for Best Performance in a TV Drama Series - Leading Young Actress (both 2000).

In addition to her coveted TV role, Majandra could be seen as Martina in the horror spoof “Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth” (2000), opposite Tom Arnold, Tiffani Thiessen and Coolio. She also made a cameo appearance in Steven Soderbergh's critically acclaimed drama “Traffic” (2000), which starred Benicio Del Toro, Jacob Vargas and Michael Douglas. She then appeared in the festival screened “The Learning Curve” (2001, as Ashley) and the comedy “R.S.V.P.” (2002), which was written and directed by Mark Anthony Galluzzo.

After the demise of “Roswell” in 2002, Majandra costarred with Brad Hunt in director/writer Christian Otjen's thriller “Reeseville” (2003), starred as a small town girl named Celeste Blodgett in the television film “Celeste in the City” (2004) and acted alongside her sister, Marieh Delfino, in the Sam Shepard scripted drama “Don't Come Knocking” (2005). She also landed guest spots on the series “Boston Public” (2004), “Three Moons Over Milford” and “Help Me Help You” (both 2006) and portrayed Suzette on the TV series pilot “Ultra” (2006), starring Lena Headey. Also in 2006, Majandra delivered a memorable supporting performance as Trudi in the dramatic film “State's Evidence,” for director Benjamin Louisand and writer Mark Brown.

In 2008, Majandra returned to series television as a regular on “Quarterlife,” where she played Vanessa. Costars of the series included Bitsie Tulloch, Maite Schwartz and David Walton. She also completed a voiceover assignment for “Heidi 4 Paws” (2008), a live action retelling of Johanna Spyri's children's classic “Heidi.”

Majandra has never forgotten her singing roots and released an EP in October 2001 called “The Sicks.” Produced under her own record label, Dripfeed, the album was comprised of six tracks (which she wrote) and inspired by Icelandic singer Björk and the band Portishead. Two years later, she recorded “Le Prince Bleu,” a duet sang with French singer RoBERT. In 2007, she launched the album “Tarte” with Red Velvet Cake Records. She wrote the eleven songs on the album.

In 2009, Majandra starred as Abby in the television thriller “Web of Lies.” In 2010, she will appear in Greg Berlanti’s “Life as We Know It.”

Awards:
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