Deadline reports Tonita Castro died of cancer on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8, 2016 at the age of 63. The actress was known for her work on Seth Green’s Dads TV show, which was cancelled by FOX after one season of 18 episodes. She also recurred on Matthew Perry’s Go On TV series, which was cancelled by NBC, also after one season.
Her other TV series work includes Kroll Show, The Sarah Silverman Program, and Little Britain USA. Castro’s first TV role was in the “Insurgents” episode of The Shield, in 2005. The last project listed on her IMDb profile is a completed film, called In God’s Time.
Here is more, from Deadline:
Castro came to the United States from Mexico in the late 1970s, following the death of her father, and to help support her family she took several jobs, including cleaning houses.
“We had to start from scratch,” Castro told Fox News Latino. “My mother was a widow with seven kids, and she cleaned and ironed and was proud of the honest work she did.”
The hardship did not stop Castro from pursuing her dream of becoming a teacher. She switched careers after landing a gig as a news reader at Radio Express in Los Angeles before quickly being promoted to co-host of a Spanish-language show. She stayed there for nearly two decades.
Castro did not get into acting until 2005. After juggling radio with occasional acting gigs — she guest starred on a wide variety of series, from dark dramas including Dexter and Southland to such comedies as Glee, Two and a Half Men, The Sarah Silverman Program, Raising Hope, Awkward and The League — she left radio about three years ago to pursue acting full time. Since then, also recurred on Kroll Show. Castro’s feature credits include Funny People, Friends with Money, Imagine That and Our Family Wedding.
We invite you to share your memories of Ms. Castro’s work, below.