Begonya Plaza is a bilingual actor, writer, and filmmaker. At age nine she starred in the independent Hollywood film, "Big Sister".
For most of Begonya's formative years she bounced around between: Guernica in Northern Spain, (where her father and her mother's father are from), Colombia, where she was born, and the United States.
Some of the directors Begonya has worked with, in film, television, and stage, include: Walter Hill, Oliver Stone, Michael Mann, Amy Jones, Tim Hunter, Clint Eastwood, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Ellen Kuras. She has acted opposite, Tom Cruise, Nick Nolte, Robert De Niro, Willem Dafoe, Roddy McDowall, and Carroll O'Connor, among others.
Begonya has worked with the Labyrinth Theatre Company, originating the role of Ms. Reyes in Stephen Adly Guirgis' "In Arabia We'd all be Kings" directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman. At the Beverly Hills Playhouse she originated the role of Rose in "Old Friends" written by Martin Zurla, directed by Richard Zavaglia, and produced by Dan Lauria. At New York City's avant-garde Gas Station, Begonya performed erotic songs and poems of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, in a one-woman musical with Austria's theatre company, and directed by Kurt Palm. Begonya originated the role of Hannah, in Ronensbourgh at IATI theatre, directed by Ignacio Garcia-Bustelo, and at the Ensemble Studio Theatre West, she played Garcia Lorca's, Yerma. Begonya has collaborated with Culture Clash, Rachel Rosenthal, and Barry Gifford.
While in high school Begonya wrote and presented the news in English and Spanish for the Emmy Award television news program, Student News. In college she studied at Los Angeles Theatre Academy, and in New York with the National Shakespeare Company, Geraldine Page, Bill Hickey, Herbert Berghof, Eric Morris, and Michael Howard. Begonya studied dance at Alvin Ailey, and voice with Graham Bernard. She attended independent writing courses at NYU, UCLA, AFI, and with Robert McKee.
Between acting jobs, Begonya spent a year in the Basque country, writing, producing, directing, and editing alongside Emmy Award winning editor, Jack Tucker, her documentary, "Gernika Lives". The 40" film is about the bombing of Gernika and the 50th anniversary remembrance ceremonies. Begonya interviews family, and distinguished survivors of that tragic event during the Spanish Civil War. The documentary is narrated by, John Randolph, with whom Begonya collaborated on many socially conscious projects. Begonya played the female lead in the CBS television series, "Dark Justice". A co-production with Catalán tv, and shot in Barcelona, where also her daughter, Caterina, was born.
Begonya wrote, filmed, edited, and produced the documentary, “Souvenir Views” about a young man's self-imposed, rite-of-passage experience in New York, post 9/11. The film premiered at the 2003 Tribeca Film Festival, Los Angeles Film Festival, La Habana International Festival, aired on The Independent Film Channel throughout two consecutive years, and traveled to East Coast universities, including Wagner College and Dartmouth University.
Begonya wrote “Teresa’s Ecstasy” a three-character, full-length play, and also performed in the Off-Broadway run opposite, Shawn Elliott, and Linda Larkin, at Cherry Lane Theatre. Directed by Will Pomerantz and produced by Jack Sharkey and Jim Weiner. Is published by Broadway Play Publishing, Inc.
Begonya wrote the screenplay, The Persistence of Memory, about one year in the life of Salvador Dalí and his wife, Gala, seen from the eyes of a young lover. The script garnered letters of interest from celebrated actress, Glenn Close, and director of photography, Juan Ruiz Anchía. Instead of pursuing funding and a film production, Begonya wrote a rendition for stage, and is currently completing the novel version.
Begonya's poem, "Love" was published in "Silver Tongued Devil Anthology / Rimes of the Ancient Mariner", Celebrating 5 years of East Village Poetry, and her poem "To Caterina from her Mother" will be published in Beyond Words Magazine, November 2021, for its Happy Birthday 20th edition, both in print & online.
Link to work-related stills & click on each photo.