Lillian Hurst(I)
- Actress
- Director
Hurst was born in the Villa Palmera section of San Juan, Puerto Rico,
where the middle class families live. Her father was the owner of the
"Farmacia Imperial" (Imperial Pharmacy) located in the neighborhood of
Barrio Obrero. Hurst is also a cousin of Puerto Rican television
producer Tommy Muñiz. She received her primary and secondary education
in the capital.
At a young age, Hurst told her parents that she wanted to be an
actress. They enrolled her in the modeling academy of Ana Santisteban.
In 1960, when she was 17 years old, she was clowning around with her
friends while waiting for her turn at the academy. Producer Gaspar
Pumarejo happened to encounter Hurst when he entered the academy
looking for "fresh" talent for a new show that he was producing.
That year Hurst was contracted and she starred in the television comedy
Pompilia y su Familia (Pompilia and her Family), which was broadcast on
WAPA-TV. Later, she hosted La Hora del Niño(The Children's Hour) on
Channel 6. Some of the other comedies in which she participated in the
1960s were Casos y Cosas de la Casa (Cases and Things of the House)
with actor Braulio Castillo and Matrimonio y Algo Mas (Marriage and
Something More). In 1969, Hurst was contracted by Panamericana de
Television of Lima, Peru to work in the program El Hit del Momento (The
Hit of the Moment), for one year.
When Hurst returned to Puerto Rico, she went to work in some of the
programs produced by her cousin, Tommy Muñiz. She also participated in
various theater productions for the first time. Among them were La Casa
de las Hojas Azules (The House with the Blue Leaves) and La Verdadera
Historia de Pedro Navaja (The True Story of Pedro Navaja). In 1980,
Hurst wrote and produced a stage show which she presented at the
Condado Beach Hotel in San Juan.
Hurst went to New York were she worked for a short time on some
Off-Broadway productions. Then in 1989, she moved to Los Angeles,
California where she enrolled in Santa Monica College and majored in
psychology. Hurst was able to work in both Spanish and English language
productions. She landed a role as "Mrs. Maris" in Windows (1991), which
was presented at the Taper Forum Theater and as "Lola" in La Balada de
Tina Jaurez (The Ballad of Tina Juarez) (1992). She was also the
founder of an acting school for Hispanic children.
Hurst has participated in twenty movies, including the 2005 film
English as a Second Language. She has also made over thirty television
guest appearances in programs such as JAG, NYPD Blue, The X-Files, ER,
Lost, and a recurring role in Dharma and Greg, where she played the
role of "Celia" in sixteen episodes. She also appeared in the Ugly
Betty episode "A Tree Grows in Guadalajara" as Yolanda Salazar, the
grandmother of Betty Suarez. As of 2007, Lillian Hurst was residing in
Los Angeles, California, continuing her work as an actress.
where the middle class families live. Her father was the owner of the
"Farmacia Imperial" (Imperial Pharmacy) located in the neighborhood of
Barrio Obrero. Hurst is also a cousin of Puerto Rican television
producer Tommy Muñiz. She received her primary and secondary education
in the capital.
At a young age, Hurst told her parents that she wanted to be an
actress. They enrolled her in the modeling academy of Ana Santisteban.
In 1960, when she was 17 years old, she was clowning around with her
friends while waiting for her turn at the academy. Producer Gaspar
Pumarejo happened to encounter Hurst when he entered the academy
looking for "fresh" talent for a new show that he was producing.
That year Hurst was contracted and she starred in the television comedy
Pompilia y su Familia (Pompilia and her Family), which was broadcast on
WAPA-TV. Later, she hosted La Hora del Niño(The Children's Hour) on
Channel 6. Some of the other comedies in which she participated in the
1960s were Casos y Cosas de la Casa (Cases and Things of the House)
with actor Braulio Castillo and Matrimonio y Algo Mas (Marriage and
Something More). In 1969, Hurst was contracted by Panamericana de
Television of Lima, Peru to work in the program El Hit del Momento (The
Hit of the Moment), for one year.
When Hurst returned to Puerto Rico, she went to work in some of the
programs produced by her cousin, Tommy Muñiz. She also participated in
various theater productions for the first time. Among them were La Casa
de las Hojas Azules (The House with the Blue Leaves) and La Verdadera
Historia de Pedro Navaja (The True Story of Pedro Navaja). In 1980,
Hurst wrote and produced a stage show which she presented at the
Condado Beach Hotel in San Juan.
Hurst went to New York were she worked for a short time on some
Off-Broadway productions. Then in 1989, she moved to Los Angeles,
California where she enrolled in Santa Monica College and majored in
psychology. Hurst was able to work in both Spanish and English language
productions. She landed a role as "Mrs. Maris" in Windows (1991), which
was presented at the Taper Forum Theater and as "Lola" in La Balada de
Tina Jaurez (The Ballad of Tina Juarez) (1992). She was also the
founder of an acting school for Hispanic children.
Hurst has participated in twenty movies, including the 2005 film
English as a Second Language. She has also made over thirty television
guest appearances in programs such as JAG, NYPD Blue, The X-Files, ER,
Lost, and a recurring role in Dharma and Greg, where she played the
role of "Celia" in sixteen episodes. She also appeared in the Ugly
Betty episode "A Tree Grows in Guadalajara" as Yolanda Salazar, the
grandmother of Betty Suarez. As of 2007, Lillian Hurst was residing in
Los Angeles, California, continuing her work as an actress.