---
name: "Miriam Colon"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/miriam-colon"
fi1m_id: "miriam-colon"
imdb_id: "nm0173125"
tmdb_id: 1163
wikidata_id: "Q454951"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "20 August 1936"
died: "3 March 2017"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 81
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-09-26T14:19:40.403484+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Miriam Colon

## Identity

Miriam Colon

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/miriam-colon
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** miriam-colon
- **IMDb ID:** nm0173125
- **TMDB ID:** 1163
- **Wikidata ID:** Q454951
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%ADriam_Col%C3%B3n, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q454951, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0173125/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1163

Actor. Born 20 August 1936 in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Died 3 March 2017.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 20 August 1936, Ponce, Puerto Rico
- **Died:** 3 March 2017
- **Active:** 1961–1996
- **Also known as:** Myriam Colón, Miriam Colón, میریام کولون
- **Average Fi1m score:** 81, as actor, over 3 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1960s 78 (1), 1980s 79 (1), 1990s 86 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 81 to 77 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 1 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 3 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 3, Western 2, Action 1, Crime 1, Mystery 1
- **Screen time:** 7 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $84m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%ADriam_Col%C3%B3n, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q454951, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0173125/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1163

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Lone Star*](https://film.one/film/lone-star.md) (86), [*One-Eyed Jacks*](https://film.one/film/one-eyed-jacks.md) (78)
- **Netflix:** [*Scarface*](https://film.one/film/scarface.md) (79)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Miriam Colon

> Miriam Colon made stern mothers and community elders feel like people entitled to be heard. We value the dignity she brought to such parts, while wishing the films had more often let her be something else.

In *Scarface* (1983), Miriam Colon plays a mother who is prepared to stand up to Tony Montana. As Mama Montana, she gives that disapproval enough conviction to matter beside Al Pacino's ferocious performance. We felt relieved by her defiance, because someone in Brian De Palma's film was refusing to be impressed by its criminal protagonist. The film sometimes insists on what we have already understood, but Colon's sternness has a purpose: family does not oblige her character to approve of wrongdoing.

Her early film and television work often confined her to one-dimensional ethnic supporting parts. That history makes us wary of treating the familiar maternal roles as evidence of everything she could do. Later work continued to favour grandmothers and matriarchs; we would have liked more parts that asked something other than authority of her.

*Lone Star* (1996) gives her a more complicated place in the story as Mercedes Cruz, a Tejana restaurateur in John Sayles's Texas border town. Questions of identity and family give the character more to negotiate than a simple distinction between good and bad behaviour. Sayles's patient ensemble drama is the stronger of the two films, though its connections can become too neat, and Colon belongs comfortably among people whose histories matter to their present conduct. There is more for her to work with here than the question of whether a mother will tolerate her son's behaviour.

The later *Bless Me, Ultima* (2013) offers a useful contrast, giving her the lead as Ultima, a New Mexican healer, in an adaptation of Rudolfo Anaya's novel. That leading role is a welcome exception to the supporting mothers and grandmothers that recur in her screen work. For a first encounter, we recommend *Lone Star*, with *Scarface* for the sharper, narrower use of her sternness. Pacino need not have all the attention.

## On Fi1m (3)

- *Lone Star* (1996), Fi1m 86, as Mercedes Cruz — [page](https://film.one/film/lone-star.md)
- *Scarface* (1983), Fi1m 79, as Mama Montana — [page](https://film.one/film/scarface.md)
- *One-Eyed Jacks* (1961), Fi1m 78, as Redhead — [page](https://film.one/film/one-eyed-jacks.md)

## Complete filmography (85)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Girl Is in Trouble* (2015), as Grandma
- *Better Call Saul* (2015), series, as Abuelita — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/better-call-saul.md)
- *Bless Me, Ultima* (2013), as Ultima
- *Foreverland* (2011), Actor
- *Gun Hill Road* (2011), as Gloria
- *How to Make It in America* (2010), series, as Cam's Grandma
- *The Cry* (2007), as Gloria the Curandera
- *Goal II: Living the Dream* (2007), as Mercedes Muñez
- *A Look At: Puerto Rico* (2006), as Narrator
- *Goal!* (2005), as Mercedes Muñez
- *Jonny Zero* (2005), series, as Lupe
- *Almost a Woman* (2002), as Tata
- *Julia, toda en mí* (2002), Actor
- *The Blue Diner* (2001), as Meche
- *All the Pretty Horses* (2000), as Alfonsa
- *For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story* (2000), as Cirita Sandoval
- *Third Watch* (1999), series, as Theresa Caffey
- *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit* (1999), series, as Yolanda Gonzales
- *Gloria* (1999), as Maria
- *El callejón de los cuernos* (1998), Actor
- *Mistrial* (1996), as Mrs. Cruz
- *Oedipus Mayor* (1996), as Deyanira
- *Lone Star* (1996), as Mercedes Cruz — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/lone-star.md)
- *Sabrina* (1995), as Rosa
- *Streets of Laredo* (1995), series, as Estrella
- *The House of the Spirits* (1993), as Nana
- *City of Hope* (1991), as Mrs. Ramirez
- *The Lightning Incident* (1991), as Dolores' mother
- *Law & Order* (1990), series, as Mrs. Anna Rivers — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md)
- *Deadline: Madrid* (1988), as Pilar
- *Kay O'Brien* (1986), series, Actor
- *L.A. Law* (1986), series, as Gaby Sifuentes
- *Lady Blue* (1985), series, Actor
- *Murder, She Wrote* (1984), series, as Consuella Montejano
- *Highway to Heaven* (1984), series, Actor
- *Best Kept Secrets* (1984), as Ina Dietz
- *Scarface* (1983), as Mama Montana — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/scarface.md)
- *Starstruck* (1981), as Yolanda
- *Back Roads* (1981), as Angel
- *Life of Sin* (1979), as Isabel
- *The Meanest Men in the West* (1978), as Eva Talbot
- *The Hemingway Play* (1976), as Luisa
- *Dr. Max* (1974), as Mrs. Camacho
- *ABC Afterschool Special* (1972), series, as Yolanda
- *The Possession of Joel Delaney* (1972), as Veronica
- *Sanford and Son* (1972), series, Actor
- *They Call It Murder* (1971), as Anita Nogales
- *The Desperate Mission* (1969), as Claudina
- *The High Chaparral* (1967), series, as Trinidad
- *The Appaloosa* (1966), as Ana
- *The Legend of Jesse James* (1965), series, as Theresa
- *The Great Adventure* (1963), series, as Sarah Crow
- *The Fugitive* (1963), series, as Mercedes Anza — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-fugitive-1963.md)
- *Thunder Island* (1963), as Anita Chavez
- *Harbor Lights* (1963), as Gina Rosario
- *The Virginian* (1962), series, as Eva Talbot
- *The Dick Van Dyke Show* (1961), series, as Maria
- *The New Breed* (1961), series, as Dolores Madero
- *Ben Casey* (1961), series, Actor
- *Target: The Corruptors!* (1961), series, Actor
- *Dr. Kildare* (1961), series, as Rani Stewart, Pila
- *The DuPont Show of the Week* (1961), series, as Marina
- *The Defenders* (1961), series, as Carmella Lopez
- *One-Eyed Jacks* (1961), as Redhead — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/one-eyed-jacks.md)
- *The Tall Man* (1960), series, Actor
- *Adventures in Paradise* (1959), series, as Rea
- *Laramie* (1959), series, as Winema
- *Bonanza* (1959), series, as Anita Lavez
- *Johnny Staccato* (1959), series, Actor
- *One Step Beyond* (1959), series, as Alma Rodriguez
- *Bronco* (1958), series, Actor
- *Peter Gunn* (1958), series, Actor
- *Wanted: Dead or Alive* (1958), series, as Mrs. Gomez
- *A Town Has Turned to Dust* (1958), as Dolores
- *Shirley Temple's Storybook* (1958), series, as Morgiana
- *Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer* (1958), series, as Tarano
- *Decoy* (1957), series, as Maria Tristeza
- *Have Gun, Will Travel* (1957), series, as Punya
- *Crowded Paradise* (1956), Actor
- *Alfred Hitchcock Presents* (1955), series, as Lolla
- *Gunsmoke* (1955), series, as Kisla, Shona, Amelita Avila, The Woman, Mora, Paulette Duvalier, Mignon Anderson
- *Schlitz Playhouse of Stars* (1951), series, Actor
- *Los peloteros* (1951), as Lolita
- *Studio One* (1948), series, as Rosie, Mrs. Talavera
- *Unhallowed*, as Bruja

## Gallery

- ![Photo of Miriam Colon and James Arness from the television series Gunsmoke.](https://film.one/media/person/86753/gallery-1a8bc6732ca0.jpg) Photo of Miriam Colon and James Arness from the television series Gunsmoke. — CBS Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/James_Arness_Miriam_Colon_Gunsmoke.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Miriam Colon](https://film.one/media/person/86753/gallery-0989c0175db2.jpg) Miriam Colon — NBC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Miriam_Colon_1962.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Miriam Colon](https://film.one/media/person/86753/gallery-4b06c4f3f2bb.jpg) Miriam Colon — Image via TMDB
- ![Miriam Colon](https://film.one/media/person/86753/gallery-0632949cc8f1.jpg) Miriam Colon — Image via TMDB

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/miriam-colon