{{Short description|Costa Rican-Mexican actress}} {{BLP sources|date=December 2024}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}} {{Infobox person | name = Maribel Guardia | image = Maribel Guardia during an interview in January 2017.png | alt = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software --> | caption = Guardia in 2017 | birth_name = Maribel del Rocío Fernández García | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|05|29|df=y}} | birth_place = San José, Costa Rica | occupation = {{hlist|Actress|model|television personality|singer}} | years_active = 1978–present | title = {{ubl|Miss Costa Rica 1978}} | spouse = {{plainlist| * {{marriage|Joan Sebastián|1992|1996|end=divorced}} * {{marriage|Marco Chacón|2010}} }} | children = 1 | module = {{Infobox musical artist|embed=yes | background = solo_singer | origin = Mexico City, Mexico | genre = {{flatlist| * Grupera * banda}} | label = {{flatlist| * Discos América * Discos Montaña * Orfeón * Plus Music * Tico Sounds}} }} }}
'''Maribel del Rocío Fernández García''' (born 29 May 1959), known professionally as '''Maribel Guardia''',{{efn|{{bulleted list|In this name that follows Hispanic American naming customs, the surname is ''Fernández'' and the second or maternal family name is ''García''.|Pronounced {{IPA|es|maɾiˈβel ˈɣwaɾðja}}}}}} is a Costa Rican-Mexican actress, singer, and television personality. She began her career as a beauty pageant contestant in Costa Rica, where she won Miss Costa Rica 1978 and went on to represent the country at Miss Universe 1978. Since 1980, she has worked in Mexico, appearing in numerous telenovelas, fichera films, and variety shows. She has also developed a career as a singer of Regional Mexican music.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tse.go.cr/consulta_persona/consulta_nombres.aspx|title=Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones de Costa Rica|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100510131149/http://www.tse.go.cr/consulta_persona/consulta_nombres.aspx|archivedate=May 10, 2010}}</ref>
==Miss Universe and Miss World== Guardia was elected Miss Costa Rica in 1978, going on to represent her country at the Miss Universe 1978 beauty pageant (did not place but was selected as Miss Photogenic<ref>{{Cite web |title=El Universal - Maribel Guardia |url=https://archivo.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/225288.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160814061845/http://archivo.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/225288.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 14, 2016 |access-date=2023-11-29 |website=eluniversal.com.mx}}</ref>) and the Miss World 1978 beauty pageant (placed as a top 15 semi-finalist). The Miss Universe pageant had been held in Acapulco. She received offers by Televisa producer Sergio Bustamante<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-03-16 |title=Maribel Guardia :: Artistas :: esmas |url=http://www.esmas.com/espectaculos/artistas/343037.html |access-date=2023-11-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070316182037/http://www.esmas.com/espectaculos/artistas/343037.html |archive-date=March 16, 2007 }}</ref> to develop a career there, but she returned to her country. Months later, she accepted the offer and returned to Mexico, leaving her mother and boyfriend.
==Acting and singing career== Guardia moved to Mexico in 1980, which proved crucial for her show business career. In 1980, she appeared in her first television show alongside Manuel "El Loco" Valdés.
Guardia went on to make multiple telenovelas (soap operas) and release a series of albums in the Norteño music genre. She has been signed to three different labels since her debut album was released in 1988: first with Musart Records, then from the late-1990s until the mid-2000s with Fonovisa Records, and in recent years with EMI Televisa Music in Latin America and Capitol Records in the United States.
Guardia has acted alongside important actors, including Andrés García, Saul Lisazo, and Joan Sebastian. One of her major soap opera hits was alongside Sebastian. Together, they filmed ''Tú y yo''. One film where she acted alongside Andrés García was ''Pedro Navaja'', where she played the main character's wife. She also did a film called ''El Rey de Los Taxistas'' alongside Luis de Alba. She and another ''El Rey de Los Taxistas'' co-star, Aida Pierce, would work together again in the telenovela ''Serafin''. She hosted the OTI Festival 1998 along Rafael Rojas.
Additionally, she has done telenovelas for children. In 2006, she also did a sitcom called ''¡Qué madre tan padre!'' and the variety show ''Muévete.'' In 2007, she was included in the book ''Televisa Presenta,'' commemorating fifty years of network television in Mexico.
In 2008, she released a new album; the leading single is "De Pecho A Pecho" (''From Chest To Chest'') written by the Nicaraguan composer, songwriter, and singer Hernaldo Zúñiga. Apart from her acting and singing jobs, she has also modeled for various calendars and magazines sold to her fans. Guardia also dated Jose Trujillo in the late 1970s.
Since late 2010, she has married Marco Chacón and lived with her son in Mexico City. Guardia has been inducted into the Paseo de las Luminarias in Mexico City.
In January 2010, she announced that she had worked all of 2009 on a new studio album, set to be released on February 13, 2010, under EMI Music, titled "Move You On – Muévete", which contained 12 tracks recorded in Mexico City, Texas and Colombia, eight tracks were in Spanish, the other four were in English.
==Personal life== Guardia lived with Joan Sebastian for five years and had a son with him,<ref>Lorena Corpus y Alejandro Jasso, "Rompiendo el molde de la pareja anterior" ''El Norte'' (Mexico DF, Mexico) February 2, 2004</ref> Julián Figueroa.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://publiko.mx/mujer/julian-figueroa-asi-luce-el-unico-hijo-de-maribel-guardia/ |title=Julián Figueroa: así luce el único hijo de Maribel Guardia |date=11 August 2022 |access-date=10 April 2023 |work=Publiko |language=es |archive-date=April 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410080041/https://publiko.mx/mujer/julian-figueroa-asi-luce-el-unico-hijo-de-maribel-guardia/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Julián Figueroa followed in his parents' footsteps, pursuing a music career. On 9 April 2023, Julián Figueroa was found dead at his home at the age of 27.<ref>{{cite news |author=LW |date=10 April 2023 |title=Julián Figueroa, hijo de Maribel Guardia y Joan Sebastian, falleció a los 27 años en su casa |url=https://www.marca.com/mx/trending/celebrities/2023/04/10/6433a822e2704e60878b4578.html |access-date=10 April 2023 |newspaper=Marca |language=es}}</ref>
==Television== {{BLP unreferenced section|date= October 2022}} {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year !! Title !! Character !! Note |- | 2025 || ''Cómplices'' || Roberta<ref>{{cite web |last=Jiménez |first=Lizbeth Cruz |title=Las divas llegan a VIX con la serie Cómplices |url=https://www.milenio.com/espectaculos/lucia-mendez-maribel-guardia-laura-flores-serie-complices-vix |website=Milenio |access-date=7 November 2025 |language=es |date=4 November 2025}}</ref> || Main role |- | 2022 || ''Albertano contra los mostros'' || Lola D'Bo<ref>{{cite web |last1=Betancourt |first1=Oswaldo |title='Albertano contra los monstruos' tendrá a Maribel Guardia como una villana |url=https://www.distritocomedia.com/noticias/albertano-contra-los-monstruos-tendra-a-maribel-guardia-como-una-villana |website=distritocomedia.com |access-date=25 June 2023 |language=es |date=23 September 2021}}</ref> || Main role |- | 2020 || ''Te doy la vida'' || Silvia<ref>{{cite web |last1=Martínez |first1=Fabricio |title=Maribel Guardia regresa a las telenovelas en Te doy la vida: "el público se divertirá" |url=https://www.lasestrellas.tv/telenovelas/te-doy-la-vida/maribel-guardia-regresa-a-las-telenovelas-en-te-doy-la-vida |website=lasestrellas.tv |access-date=25 June 2023 |language=es |date=25 May 2022}}</ref> || Guest star |- | 2019 || ''Vecinos'' || Tía Oli || Episode: "Hoy juega México" |- | 2014-15 || ''Muchacha italiana viene a casarse'' || Julieta Michel || Recurring role |- | 2012–23 || ''Corona de lágrimas'' || Julieta Vasquez || Main cast |- | 2011-12 || ''Una familia con suerte'' || Isabella Ruiz || Guest star |- | 2010 || ''Niña de mi Corazón'' || Pilar Alarcón de Arrioja || Main cast |- | 2007-08 || ''Al diablo con los guapos'' || Rosario Ramos / Rosella di Yano || Recurring role |- | 2006 || ''¡Qué madre tan padre!'' || Maribel Galicia<ref>{{cite web |title=¿Qué hacen ahora los actores de 'Qué madre tan padre'? |url=https://www.univision.com/networks/galavision/que-hacen-ahora-los-actores-de-que-madre-tan-padre-fotos |website=univision.com |accessdate=22 September 2018 |language=Spanish}}</ref> || Lead role |- | 2004-05 || ''Misión S.O.S. aventura y amor'' || Ximena Aranda || Lead role |- | 2001 || ''Aventuras En El Tiempo'' || Flor del Huerto || Lead role |- | 1999 || ''Serafín'' || Carmen || Lead role |- | 1996-97 || ''Tú y yo'' || Estela Díaz Infante || Lead role |- | 1994 || ''Prisionera de amor'' || Cristina Carbajal / Florencia Rondán || Lead role |- | 1986 || ''Seducción'' || Marina || Lead role |- |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|id=0345324|name=Maribel Guardia}} * [http://www.maribelguardia.com.mx Official website, Maribel Guardia] * {{in lang|es}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20070316182037/http://www.esmas.com/espectaculos/artistas/343037.html ''Maribel Guardia''] @esmas.com * [http://maribelguardia.net/ Maribel Guardia Pictures]
{{s-start}} {{s-ach}} {{s-bef|before={{flagicon|TRI}} Janelle Commissiong}} {{s-ttl|title=Miss Universe – Photogenic Award |years=1978}} {{s-aft|after={{flagicon|ENG}} Carolyn Seaward}} {{s-bef|before=Claudia María Garnier Arias}} {{s-ttl|title=Miss Costa Rica |years=1978}} {{s-aft|after=Carla Facio Franco}} {{s-end}} {{Miss Universe 1978 delegates}} {{Miss World 1978 delegates}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guardia, Maribel}} Category:1959 births Category:Living people Category:Actresses from San José, Costa Rica Category:Costa Rican beauty pageant winners Category:Costa Rican emigrants to Mexico Category:Costa Rican expatriates in Mexico Category:Costa Rican expatriates in the United States Category:Costa Rican female models Category:Costa Rican film actresses Category:Costa Rican stage actresses Category:Costa Rican television actresses Category:Costa Rican women singers Category:Mexican female models Category:Mexican telenovela actresses Category:Mexican television presenters Category:Mexican television talk show hosts Category:Mexican vedettes Category:Mexican women television presenters Category:Miss Universe 1978 contestants Category:Miss World 1978 delegates Category:20th-century Mexican actresses Category:21st-century Mexican actresses