Alex Meneses
Born in Chicago to a Mexican-American father and a Ukrainian-American mother, actress Alexandra Estella DeAnna Meneses began her career as a model. Though she was passionate about acting, and studied at Chicago's Second City Improvisational Theater during summers, she got a modeling contract immediately after graduating from high school. The contract required that she move to Milan, Italy where she was to remain for three months, but after falling in love with Italy, she elected to stay for two years. Upon her return to the United States, Meneses relocated to Los Angeles where she began studying acting at the Lee Strasberg Institute. Meneses' first television appearance came in 1994, when she appeared in an episode of "Hot Line" (Cinemax, 1994-96). She followed this effort with a recurring role on nighttime soap opera "Sherman Oaks" (Showtime, 1995-97). Meneses made guest appearances on a number of shows in the '90s, including "Friends" (NBC, 1994-2004), "The John Larroquette Show" (NBC, 1993-96) and "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman " (CBS, 1993-1998). Meneses also appeared in several feature films including "Selena" (1997), and "The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas" (2000). Meneses had a recurring role on "Everybody Loves Raymond" (NBC, 1996-2005). In 2015 Meneses was cast as an aging soap opera star in the comedy series "Telenovela" (NBC 2015-16), starring Eva Longoria.