Lupe Ontiveros of 'Selena' and 'Desperate Housewives' dies at 69

07/27/2012 by Kristina Lopez

Lupe Ontiveros, a Mexican-American actress known for her roles in "Selena" and "Desperate Housewives," has died at age 69.

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The actress died of liver cancer at Presbyterian Hospital in Whittier, Calif., her son Elias confirmed to OnTheRedCarpet.com on Friday, July 27. Her family was at her bedside.

Ontiveros had a long career in Hollywood but was likely best known for playing Yolanda Saldivar, the woman who murdered singer Selena in 1995. Ontiveros co-starred in the 1997 film "Selena" with a young Jennifer Lopez, who played the famed singer.

Ontiveros also played Juanita Solis, the mother-in-law of Eva Longoria's character Gabrielle on "Desperate Housewives." Ontiveros earned an Emmy nomination for Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for the role in 2004.

Longoria spoke about Ontiveros' death in a Tweet on July 27 saying, "I'm deeply saddened at the news of my dear friend Lupe Ontiveros passing. She was more than a colleague to me, she was my family. My heart is with your family Lupe."

Ontiveros also appeared in films like "As Good As It Gets," "Real Women Have Curves," and "The Goonies." She had television roles on "Weeds," "Southland" and, most recently, "Rob!"

TMZ was the first to report on her death. She is survived by her husband and three adult sons.