Person Biography:
Mary Zuniga was born in San Francisco, California, to Agnes A. Zuniga (née Janawicz) and Joaquin Alberto Zuniga Mazariegos. Her mother, a Unitarian minister of Polish and Finnish descent, and her father, an emeritus professor of philosophy at California State University, East Bay, originally from Guatemala, had a significant influence on her upbringing.
Zuniga's interest in acting began in her early teens, and she attended the Young Conservatory program of the American Conservatory Theater of San Francisco. After her parents' divorce, she moved to Reading, Vermont, with her mother and sister, where she spent the remainder of her teenage years. She graduated from Woodstock Union High School in Woodstock, Vermont, in 1980, before returning to California to study theater arts at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Zuniga made her film debut in the 1982 slasher film The Dorm That Dripped Blood, while still a student at UCLA. She then appeared in the 1984 horror film The Initiation, opposite Vera Miles and Clu Gulager, followed by a lead role in Rob Reiner's film, The Sure Thing, opposite John Cusack, in 1985.
In 1986, Zuniga starred as Princess Vespa in Mel Brooks' cult comedy Spaceballs, followed by a supporting part in the science fiction horror sequel, The Fly II, in 1989. From 1992 to 1996, she portrayed Jo Reynolds on the popular soap opera Melrose Place, which brought her wider mainstream exposure. Her role on the series was followed by numerous appearances on television series, including a lead role as Shelly Pierce on American Dreams from 2004 to 2005 and a recurring role as Victoria Davis on the popular CW series One Tree Hill from 2008 to 2012.
