User talk:Legadopr

Miluka Rivera www.legadopuertorriquenohollywood.com Miluka Rivera, author of the acclaimed book Legado Puertorriqueño en Hollywood: Famosos y Olvidados, (about the Puerto Rican and Latino Legacy in Hollywood), was awarded "Exceptional Women of 2010" by La Opinión newspaper, has been an actress since an early age, a multi-awarded activist, a poet, a writer and a producer. She has made significant contributions to the advancement of the arts, the Latino community and to the welfare of the Latino actors nationwide. Ms. Rivera exemplary and outstanding achievements have been awarded and recognized by the cities of New York, Burbank, Los Angeles and Puerto Rico.

After that she continued working at Barbizon and on the WAPA television show “Super Show Goya” with Enrique Maluenda and Lillian Hurst, while attending college. In 1973 she was elected to represent Puerto Rico, as Miss Puerto Rico in the Caribbean and Haiti. In the seventy's she moved to New York City to explore new opportunities. Then, she was hired to do bit parts in (French and Italian) operas at the New Year State Theater with famous opera singers, while she was also training as an actress at Herbert Berghof Studios. Her television commercial career took off and she became one of the most in demand Latina actresses. While in New York, she participated in several classic films such as: “Taxi Driver” with Jodi Foster and Robert De Niro, “Saturday Night Fever” with John Travolta, “Kramer versus Kramer” with Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep and “All That Jazz” directed by Bob Fosse. She also worked in several local plays, including a multi-awarded Spanish version of “The Diary of Ann Frank,” as Margot (with great reviews) directed by Raúl Dávila at the Thalia Theater, followed by “Barefoot in the Park” as the leading lady and her last participation was in the play in English, directed also by Raúl Dávila, “La Morena: (“The dark One”) as La Morena, with Elizabeth Peña, at the Henry Street Settlement Theater in New York City. “La Morena” was a big hit and it won inclusion in the book of all the best off-off Broadway shows of that year.

In the early 80's Rivera, chaired the NY SAG Latino Subcommittee and was one of the founding members of the existing SAG Spanish Language TV/Radio Commercial Agreement. She also chaired the SAG Spanish TV/Radio Commercial Agreement Committee, during some negotiations. Rivera’s efforts were rewarded by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) who bestowed her with the 1983 “Joseph C. Riley“ Outstanding Achievement Award (becoming the first and only Hispanic to this day to be awarded in this category by the Guild.) In the nineties, Miluka Rivera became a National Board Director of SAG. She also chaired the Los Angeles SAG Latino Subcommittee for several years.

Not long ago, Miluka Rivera was the co-host of the TV pilot “Chef Piero’s & Friends” and hosted and produced a weekly radio show “Living Legends with Miluka Rivera” on KIEV 870 AM, in Glendale, Ca. As a filmmaker she directed, wrote and produced two documentaries: “Ignacio Gomez: Against All Odds” (the life of one of the foremost artists, best known for his “Zoot Suit” Poster.) Her second documentary: “Hollywood Latinos Offspring” (HLO), based of her poem of the same name, highlights the valuable contributions of Latinos in film. Henry Darrow, Olga San Juan, Roselyn Sánchez, Eddie Vélez, Maria O’Brien and young actors Élan Lixander and Miluette Nalin appeared in the HLO short.

In 2004, Miluka Rivera co-founded with her husband Navarre Matlovsky, a Broadway performer, the Kumaras Center for the Arts & Etiquette. The Center was awarded the “Best of Burbank” (LA Times/Burbank Leader) three times.

As a journalist Ms. Rivera articles and interviews of high profile celebrities have appeared in; LA Times, El Nuevo Día, El Vocero, Variedades, Mundo Latino newspapers, Writers Guild of America West Journal, Screen Actor, Cristina and Valiente magazines, among others.

Miluka Rivera’s never slackening labors on behalf of the Latino actors and its community, earned her inclusion for several years in the coveted and prestigious Marquis’s Editions, “Who’s Who in the World” and Who’s Who in America,” among others. She is the mother of two children, Elan and Miluette Nalin Matlovsky.

To view book Legado Puertorriqueño clips go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMQZsXTObvw. website:www.legadopuertorriquenohollywood.com.