Victoria Cartagena

Victoria Cartagena
Born Victoria Luz Cartagena
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Education
Occupation Stage, film, and television actress
Years active 2006–present
Known for
Height 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)

Victoria Luz Cartagena is an American theater, film, and television actress. Cartagena is known for her role as Zoe Lopez in The Bedford Diaries and as Renee Montoya in Gotham.[2]

Early life

Victoria was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Victor and Lucy Cartagena.[1] She attended Penn State University,[1] where she earned a degree in education. She was later accepted into the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. Cartagena has starred in numerous theater productions and participated in various plays and workshops for New York's Lark Theater.

Career

"I keep saying the word 'fascinating', because I can’t really find another word. I think Renee is absolutely just the most fascinating character I’ve ever had the privilege to play. She has so much to admire and yet she’s really flawed. She’s quite reserved in many ways, which is a big challenge, acting-wise. It’s always great, as an actor, to try to tackle a challenge, because it keeps you on your toes. The characterization of her, in the comics, it informs pretty much all of the characters in Gotham, so I’m able to draw from there; it’s an additional source to help me with my choices. It’s like I’m doing homework, which I love. And just the opportunity to be on a show like Gotham is like catnip for any actor. Just the caliber of the production, and the writing and the talent on the show, so I would say that it was the whole package that attracted me to the role."[3]

—Cartagena, on Gotham. (2015)

Most recently, Victoria appeared on the WB television series The Bedford Diaries, NBC's Kidnapped, and the 2008 season finale of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. She has appeared on several different TV shows throughout her career.

Gotham

Cartagena appeared as Renee Montoya in the FOX TV series Gotham.[2] In the first episode she was credited as recurring. Cartagena would have a contract role starting in the second episode.[4] She said in an interview with Lucia I. Suarez, “I’ve seen them all,” the actress told Fox News Latino, adding that she loved that there was a character Vicki Vale in the comics. “Everyone knows Batman.”[5] In an interview with Graeme McMillan, "I feel lucky to be playing someone who’s so important," the actress tells THR. “She’s pretty amazing,” she tells The Hollywood Reporter. “I’m playing such an iconic character, and I feel lucky to be playing someone who’s so important to the [LGBTQ] community.”[6] She states to Leeds in an interview, "I never read a comic before the show! But now, because I’m on the show, I really want to know everything about her. So I find myself reading comic books more and really enjoying them."[3] Cartagena states about her gay character on Gotham, "I guess both. It’s definitely a straight-up fact of who she is as a person — she’s a woman, she’s a cop, she’s Latina, she’s gay. But that said, her perspective on things adds a voice to the conversation by virtue of her background that wouldn’t necessarily be there, or expected to be there."[3] She states in the interview with Leeds, "I believe that Renee really did break it off because of her sobriety. And I believe that she really, really loves Barbara. But I think that Renee is at a point in her life where she is more self-aware than she ever was — and I don’t know if that’s because she’s gone through recovery — and she’s just willing to step away from the person that she loves in order to save herself. Because she’s been there with Barbara before, and it ended badly. So at least, at this point, she has the benefit of hindsight."[3] In August 2015, it was reported that Cartagena would not be returning as a member of the main cast for season two.[7]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2004 Baby Fat Feisty Latina
2006 Sorry Ain't Enough Lillian
2010 Salt Portico Checkpoint Agent
2016 Pastor, TheThe Pastor Mercia Alvarez
2016 Blowtorch Rita Completed

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2006 Bedford Diaries, TheThe Bedford Diaries Zoe Lopez Main role
2006 Kidnapped Diane Weaver "Special Delivery"
2007 Protect and Serve Anita Esparza TV film
2008 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Cecelia Cruz "Cold"
2009 Army Wives Carmen Richards "Fire in the Hole"
2009 Good Wife, TheThe Good Wife Teresa Reyes "Crash"
2011 Unforgettable Maria Ortiz "Check Out Time"
2011 Gifted Man, AA Gifted Man Maria "In Case of Memory Loss"
2013 Blue Bloods Letitia Williams "Warriors"
2013 Elementary Hope "Déjà Vu All Over Again"
2014-2015 Gotham Renee Montoya Main role
2016 Path, TheThe Path Evelyn Hernandez "Breaking and Entering", "Refugees", "The Shore"

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Victoria Cartagena". TV Guide. OpenGate Capital Magazine, CBS Interactive, and CBS Corporation. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 Goldberg, Lesley (May 12, 2014). "Fox's 'Gotham' Promotes Three to Series Regular". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Leeds, Sarene (January 5, 2015). "Victoria Cartagena Talks of Breaking Barbara Kean's Heart in 'Gotham'". blogs.wsj.com. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  4. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (May 12, 2014). "Fox's 'Gotham' Promotes Three to Series Regular". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  5. ↑ Suarez, Lucia I. (September 22, 2014). "'Gotham' star Victoria Cartagena gushes about 'Batman' prequel: 'I've seen them all'". latino.foxnews.com/. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  6. ↑ McMillan, Graeme (February 9, 2015). "'Gotham's' Victoria Cartagena Talks Montoya's Strength, Sexuality and "Gaytham"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  7. ↑ Ausiello, Michael (August 2, 2015). "Ask Ausiello: Spoilers on Big Bang, Arrow, Bates, Sleepy, Castle, Twin Peaks, UnREAL, Gotham, Dome and More". TV Line. Retrieved August 3, 2015. Matt Mitovich did some digging around and learned that, as suspected, neither Victoria Cartagena nor Andrew Stewart-Jones (AKA Montoya and Allen) will return as regulars
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