Carmen Belén Richardson (September 14, 1930 âˆ' August 9, 2012) was a
Puerto Rican actress and comedian.Richardson was born in Santurce. Her
parents felt that she had a special talent for acting at an early age
and in 1939 when she was nine years old they had her audition for a
child's role in a radio soap opera on the WNEL Radio Station. The
people at the station were so impressed with her that they hired her
on the spot. She attended the Central High School of Santurce where
she actively participated in her school plays. On one occasion when
she was 14 years old, Juan Ramón Jiménez, the Spanish Nobel Prize
winner, was present for one of her presentations. He was impressed by
what he saw to the point that he offered to pay Richardson's
university tuition.Richardson enrolled at the University of Puerto
Rico where she studied Dramatic Arts. In 1954, after she graduated,
Puerto Rican television pioneer and producer Tommy Muñiz, offered her
a role in his new program El Colegio de la Alegria. She played the
part of "Lirio Blanco", a funny, extremely tall girl who could open
her eyes in amazement extremely wide. Thus, Richardson became the
first black Puerto Rican actress in Puerto Rico's television industry.
She was also to act as a comedian in other television shows such as La
Criada Malcriada in the role of JazmÃn, Hogar Dulce Hogar as MarÃa
Antonieta de los à ngeles Monroig López and in Esto No Tiene Nombre.
In Esto No Tiene Nombre, she made comical imitations of many
personalities. Among those who she imitated were Angela Davis and
Roberta Flack.During the 1970s, Richardson worked in comedies Black
Power and Ja, ja, ji, ji, jo, jo con Agrelot alongside comedian José
Miguel Agrelot. During that decade Puerto Rico witnessed one of the
largest labor disputes between the Actors Union and Tommy Muñiz
Productions. The lack of work forced Richardson to leave Tommy Muñiz
Productions. She then joined and worked for ASTRA Productions. With
ASTRA Productions Richardson found work in the televised programs AhÃ
va eso and Sin ton ni son.
Puerto Rican actress and comedian.Richardson was born in Santurce. Her
parents felt that she had a special talent for acting at an early age
and in 1939 when she was nine years old they had her audition for a
child's role in a radio soap opera on the WNEL Radio Station. The
people at the station were so impressed with her that they hired her
on the spot. She attended the Central High School of Santurce where
she actively participated in her school plays. On one occasion when
she was 14 years old, Juan Ramón Jiménez, the Spanish Nobel Prize
winner, was present for one of her presentations. He was impressed by
what he saw to the point that he offered to pay Richardson's
university tuition.Richardson enrolled at the University of Puerto
Rico where she studied Dramatic Arts. In 1954, after she graduated,
Puerto Rican television pioneer and producer Tommy Muñiz, offered her
a role in his new program El Colegio de la Alegria. She played the
part of "Lirio Blanco", a funny, extremely tall girl who could open
her eyes in amazement extremely wide. Thus, Richardson became the
first black Puerto Rican actress in Puerto Rico's television industry.
She was also to act as a comedian in other television shows such as La
Criada Malcriada in the role of JazmÃn, Hogar Dulce Hogar as MarÃa
Antonieta de los à ngeles Monroig López and in Esto No Tiene Nombre.
In Esto No Tiene Nombre, she made comical imitations of many
personalities. Among those who she imitated were Angela Davis and
Roberta Flack.During the 1970s, Richardson worked in comedies Black
Power and Ja, ja, ji, ji, jo, jo con Agrelot alongside comedian José
Miguel Agrelot. During that decade Puerto Rico witnessed one of the
largest labor disputes between the Actors Union and Tommy Muñiz
Productions. The lack of work forced Richardson to leave Tommy Muñiz
Productions. She then joined and worked for ASTRA Productions. With
ASTRA Productions Richardson found work in the televised programs AhÃ
va eso and Sin ton ni son.
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