Daphne Zuniga facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Daphne Zuniga
Zuniga at GalaxyCon Raleigh in 2019
Born	Daphne Eurydice Zuniga (1962-10-28) October 28, 1962 (age 62) San Francisco, California, US
Alma mater	University of California, Los Angeles
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1980–present
Spouse(s)	David Mleczko ​ (m. 2019)​

Daphne Eurydice Zuniga (born October 28, 1962) is an American actress. She started her film career at age 19 in 1982. Her first main role was in the film The Initiation in 1984.

Daphne Zuniga starred in several comedy films. These include The Sure Thing (1985) with John Cusack, and the popular movies Modern Girls (1986) and Spaceballs (1987). She also worked with the famous actress Lucille Ball in the TV movie Stone Pillow (1985). Zuniga also appeared in the science-fiction horror film The Fly II (1989).

She became very well-known for her role as Jo Reynolds on the TV show Melrose Place. She was on the show from 1992 to 1996. Later, she played Victoria Davis on One Tree Hill (2008–2012) and Lynn Kerr on Beautiful People.

Since the mid-2000s, Daphne Zuniga has been very active in helping the environment. She was a founder of the Earth Communications Office. She has also worked with other groups like the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Daphne Zuniga's Early Life

Daphne Zuniga was born in San Francisco, California, on October 28, 1962. Her mother, Agnes, was a minister. Her father, Joaquín, was a philosophy professor from Guatemala. Daphne has one sister named Jennifer.

When she was a teenager, Daphne became interested in acting. She took classes at the Young Conservatory program in San Francisco. After her parents divorced, Daphne moved to Vermont with her mother and sister.

She finished high school in Vermont in 1980. Then, she moved back to California. She studied theater arts at the University of California, Los Angeles. After college, she became close friends and roommates with actress Meg Ryan.

Daphne Zuniga's Acting Career

Starting Out in Film

Daphne Zuniga's first movie role was in The Dorm That Dripped Blood (1982). She played a college student in this film. Two years later, she had her first main role in The Initiation. She played twins in this movie, which was a big challenge for her first lead part.

She then appeared in the drama Vision Quest (1985). After that, she got a main role in Rob Reiner's comedy The Sure Thing (1985). In this movie, she starred alongside John Cusack. Critics really liked The Sure Thing.

Soon after, Zuniga was in the TV movie Stone Pillow (1985). She played a social worker who helps a homeless woman, played by Lucille Ball. She also appeared in the comedy Modern Girls (1986).

In 1987, Zuniga played Princess Vespa in Mel Brooks's comedy Spaceballs. She starred with Rick Moranis and John Candy. This movie became a cult classic, meaning many people love it even years later. The next year, Zuniga was in the horror film The Fly II (1988). She also appeared in the comedy-drama Staying Together (1989).

Melrose Place and Television Roles

Zuniga at FedCon in Germany, 2018.

In 1992, Daphne Zuniga joined the TV show Melrose Place as Jo Reynolds. She was a regular on the show until 1996. This role made her very famous to TV viewers. Her TV career actually started earlier with a small part on Family Ties (1984).

In 1994, Zuniga was in a music video for Bob Seger's song "Night Moves". She played a young woman at a drive-in theater. Later, she did voice acting for the cartoon show Stories from My Childhood (1998). She also had a main role in the action thriller Pandora's Clock (1996).

From 2005 to 2006, she played Lynn Kerr on the show Beautiful People. She also had a repeating role on American Dreams. Zuniga also played Victoria Davis on One Tree Hill from 2008 to 2012. She was in over 40 episodes of that show. During this time, she appeared in several TV movies.

In 2007, Zuniga helped make a documentary called "The Future We Will Create: Inside the World of TED". This film looked at the annual Technology, Entertainment and Design conference. She also starred in a web series called Novel Adventures.

Zuniga returned to her role as Princess Vespa for the cartoon show Spaceballs: The Animated Series. She also came back as Jo Reynolds for a new version of Melrose Place in 2009–10. In 2010, she starred in the Hallmark Channel movie A Family Thanksgiving.

More recently, Daphne Zuniga has appeared in films like Heartbeats and A Christmas Arrangement. In 2018, Zuniga directed her first movie, which was released as Deadly Assistant in 2019. In 2019, she was in the TV movie Gates Of Paradise and Christmas In Paris. In 2020, she was a guest star on the TV show NCIS.

In 2021, she was a guest star on Fantasy Island. She appeared with her old Melrose Place co-stars Josie Bissett and Laura Leighton. In 2022, Zuniga was on the show Dynasty.

Daphne Zuniga's Activism

Daphne Zuniga has always cared about the environment. She says her family's camping trips to national parks like Yosemite National Park helped her develop this interest. She believes it is important to protect our planet.

Zuniga was a founding member of the Earth Communications Office (ECO). She has also worked with groups like the Natural Resources Defense Council. These groups work to protect nature and natural resources.

Besides environmental causes, Zuniga has supported other important causes. She has worked with the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation and the AIDS Project Los Angeles.

Daphne Zuniga's Personal Life

Daphne Zuniga's younger sister, Jennifer, is also an actress. Daphne practices Buddhist meditation to help her manage stress.

In 2004, Zuniga had a health issue that she believed was caused by eating too much fish. After this, she changed her diet.

Zuniga started dating businessman David Mleczko in 2006. They met on a blind date. The couple got married in a private ceremony on June 8, 2019.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Daphne Zuniga para niños