Biography
Irene Cara Escalera (1959–2022) was an American actress and singer. She began performing as a child on Spanish-language television and appeared on Broadway and in series such as The Electric Company before making her film debut in Sparkle (1976).
Cara rose to prominence playing Coco Hernandez in the musical film Fame (1980), in which she also sang the title song and the ballad Out Here on My Own. She later co-wrote and performed Flashdance... What a Feeling for the 1983 film Flashdance, winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
