Vanessa Marquez (actress)

Vanessa Marquez (December 21, 1968 – August 30, 2018) was an American actress. She was primarily known for her recurring role in the first three seasons of ER as nurse Wendy Goldman, as well as her role as Ana Delgado in the 1988 teacher drama Stand and Deliver.

Vanessa Marquez
Vanessa Marquez
Born(1968-12-21)December 21, 1968
Los Angeles County, California, U.S.
DiedAugust 30, 2018(2018-08-30) (aged 49)
South Pasadena, California, U.S.
Cause of deathGunshot wounds
OccupationActress
Years active1988–2017

Career

Marquez appeared in a 1992 episode of Seinfeld called "The Cheever Letters", portraying a secretary in the Cuban Permanent Mission (the US and Cuba did not have mutual embassies from 1961 to 2015). Her success with Stand and Deliver led to a full-fledged career in film and television, with roles in the gangster epic Blood In Blood Out (1993) and the independent film Twenty Bucks (1993). Her television work included guest spots on popular programs, including Melrose Place (1992) and recurring roles on ER (1994-1997) and Malcolm & Eddie (1996). In addition to her acting credentials, Marquez appeared as a singer in the 2000 film Under Suspicion.

Personal life

Personal struggles

Marquez appeared in an early episode of the A&E Network reality television series Intervention, as she tried to manage her shopping addiction. Marquez was given an “intervention” by friends to get her to go to treatment (she later said that her treatment was not successful). She had serious mental health issues, including bipolar disorder and agoraphobia, that ended her career as an actress and left her almost entirely homebound. Prior to her death, Marquez made headlines related to the #MeToo movement, alleging that she endured harassment while on the set of ER. In October 2017, she accused series star George Clooney of helping to "blacklist" her after she complained to executives about the harassment. Clooney denied the allegations.[1]

Death

Marquez's death occurred during an incident on August 30, 2018, at her home in South Pasadena, California, where a wellness check by local authorities led to an armed confrontation. Vanessa's home was found in a state of disarray and she claimed to be experiencing a seizure, for which paramedics and a mental health expert were called to evaluate her. Marquez was shot and killed by police after she pointed a firearm and advanced toward the officers, who had retreated down the stairs after initially seeing the firearm. The firearm was later determined to be a BB gun.[2] The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has ruled that the police officers had acted in "lawful self-defense" in the shooting.[3]

In February 2019, attorneys representing her mother filed a wrongful death claim against the City of South Pasadena, California. The claim alleges battery, negligence, unlawful entry, false arrest and imprisonment, wrongful death, negligent training, conspiracy, seizure of property, failure to summon prompt medical care and violation of the Bane Act (which forbids acts of violence because of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, etc).[4]

In March 2020, the South Pasadena Police released bodycam footage from the incident, where Marquez pleaded to the officers to kill her, as well as pointing the BB gun at officers.[5] The LA County district attorney released their report at the same time.[6]

References
  1. Vasquez, Daniel (August 31, 2018). "'ER' and 'Stand and Deliver' Actress Remembered Fondly". SouthPasadenan.com. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  2. Vasquez, Daniel (September 6, 2018). "NEW INFORMATION: Witnesses, Police Provide Details into the Shooting Death of Actress Vanessa Marquez". deadline.com.
  3. Tufayal, Ahmed (3 March 2020). "'ER' actress Vanessa Marquez shot dead by police in "lawful self-defense," says DA". Newsweek. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  4. Bennett, Anita (February 20, 2019). "Shooting Of Ex-'ER' Actress Vanessa Marquez Prompts Wrongful Death Claim". deadline.com.
  5. South Pasadena Police Department (3 March 2020). "South Pasadena Police Department Community Briefing March 2, 2020". YouTube. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  6. Lacey, Jackie (February 25, 2019). "Officer Involved Shooting of Vanessa Marquez".
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