Begonya Plaza is a Spanish/American stage and screen actress, and writer.
Her formative years were spent between Colombia, The Basque Country, and Hollywood. At age nine Begonya starred in a Hollywood independent film, "BIG SISTER". While still at Los Angeles City College Theater Academy, Begonya was cast in Walter Hill’s 48HRS. Shortly after she moved to New York and trained with Geraldine Page, Michael Howard, Bill Hickey, and Herbert Berghoff.
Studied dance at Alvin Ailey, and voice with Graham Bernard. Begonya has been directed by Michael Mann, Clint Eastwood, Amy Jones, Oliver Stone, Tim Hunter. On stage by Philip Seymour
Hoffman, “In Arabia We’d All Be Kings” by Austrian director Kurt Palm, in a one woman show of erotic songs and poems by Kurt Weill, by Russian, Yevnegy Lanskoy at Ensemble Studio West’s
“Yerma” as Yerma, and Dan Lauria’s “Friends” at Beverly Hills Playhouse. Begonya has acted opposite Robert De Niro, Tom Cruise, Willem Dafoe, Klaus Kinski, Roddy McDowall, and Carol O'Connor. Ms. Plaza starred in the CBS series, Dark Justice, shot on location in Barcelona.
All the while studied and practiced writing at extension courses at NYU, AFI and UCLA.
THE PERSISTENCE OF MEMORY is a screenplay about one year in the life of Salvador Dalí and his muse, Gala seen from the eyes of a young lover. Glenn Close has signed a letter or interest to play the role of Gala. Wrote, directed and edited, SOUVENIR VIEWS, a 24-minute documentary shot in New York and Barcelona with English/Spanish subtitles, about a young man's self-imposed rite-of-passage journey that coincides with New York’s 9/11 tragedy. Premiered at 2003 Tribeca Film Festival, Festival International del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano, and aired nationally on the Independent Film Channel. (Writer, director, camera, editor) Wrote, directed and acts in, AMERICAN HERO is a 15-minute short film that contemplates on the ravages of war as an Iraqi Veteran returns home and tries to regain a sense of self. Wrote, TERESA'S ECSTASY is a stage play that explores the mystical experience in our lives through the influence of Spain's Sixteenth Century, Saint Teresa of Avila. TALK SHOW is a play where historical characters; Evita Perón, Simón Bolivar, Dolores Ibarruri, Antonio Machín are interviewed in a live, talk-show setting, by God.
GERNIKA LIVES is a personal documentary where Begonya explores her Basque heritage and the tragic events her father as a young boy experienced during the bombing of Guernica and the Spanish Civil War. 45min. Narrated by John Randolph and Mario de Salegui.