Tonita Castro obit

TV Actress Tonita Castro Dies At 63

 She was not on the list.

Actress and radio personality Tonita Castro died on Mother’s Day, May 8, of cancer. She was 63.

CastrHeadShotCastro is best known for her series regular role on the Fox multi-camera comedy series Dads and her heavily recurring role on NBC’s single-camera comedy series Go On. She most recently did a recurring guest arc on the freshman CBS comedy Life in Pieces and guest starred in the pilot for the new Fox comedy The Grinder.

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.

 

Actress

Woody Harrelson in Wilson (2017)

Wilson

5.9

Nanny

2017

 

James Brolin, Dianne Wiest, Colin Hanks, Thomas Sadoski, Betsy Brandt, Zoe Lister-Jones, Dan Bakkedahl, Angelique Cabral, Holly J. Barrett, Giselle Eisenberg, and Niall Cunningham in Life in Pieces (2015)

Life in Pieces

8.0

TV Series

Tonita

2015

2 episodes

 

Haley Tju, Buddy Keaton, Coy Stewart, Jackie Radinsky, Lilimar, and Brec Bassinger in Bella and the Bulldogs (2015)

Bella and the Bulldogs

5.4

TV Series

Abuela

2015

2 episodes

 

Rob Lowe in The Grinder (2015)

The Grinder

7.2

TV Series

Yolanda

2015

1 episode

 

In God's Time (2015)

In God's Time

4.0

Lupe

2015

 

Wes Bentley, Jaimie Alexander, and Cam Gigandet in Broken Vows (2014)

Broken Vows

4.4

Seamstress (as Gloria Tonita Castro)

2014

 

Diego Luna and Zoe Saldaña in The Book of Life (2014)

The Book of Life

7.2

La Muerte as Old Woman (voice)

2014

 

Giovanni Ribisi, Seth Green, Martin Mull, and Peter Riegert in Dads (2013)

Dads

5.5

TV Series

Edna

2013–2014

19 episodes

 

Jaime Pressly in Jennifer Falls (2014)

Jennifer Falls

5.9

TV Series

Alma

2014

1 episode

 

Kroll Show (2013)

Kroll Show

7.0

TV Series

Consuela

2013–2014

4 episodes

 

The Shifting (2013)

The Shifting

6.2

Doña Alisa

2013

 

Matthew Perry, Bill Cobbs, Suzy Nakamura, Julie White, Laura Benanti, Brett Gelman, and Tyler James Williams in Go On (2012)

Go On

7.5

TV Series

Fausta

2012–2013

22 episodes

 

Steve Carell and Keira Knightley in Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012)

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

6.7

Elsa

2012

 

Danny Trejo in Bad Ass (2012)

Bad Ass

5.5

Frank's Mother

2012

 

Mosquita y Mari (2012)

Mosquita y Mari

6.3

Dona Herlinda

2012

 

Sara Rue, Johann Urb, and Haaz Sleiman in Dorfman in Love (2011)

Dorfman in Love

6.0

Shop Keeper

2011

 

Ashley Rickards in Awkward. (2011)

Awkward.

7.5

TV Series

Lupita

2011

1 episode

 

David Denman, Liza Lapira, Kris Marshall, Nelson Franklin, and Aya Cash in Traffic Light (2011)

Traffic Light

7.2

TV Series

Mrs. Ramirez

2011

1 episode

 

Shawn Hatosy, Regina King, Michael Cudlitz, and Ben McKenzie in Southland (2009)

Southland

8.5

TV Series

Teresa

2011

1 episode

 

Martha Plimpton, Cloris Leachman, Garret Dillahunt, Shannon Woodward, and Lucas Neff in Raising Hope (2010)

Raising Hope

8.1

TV Series

Carmela

2011

1 episode

 

Fred & Vinnie (2011)

Fred & Vinnie

5.9

Latina Neighbor

2011

 

Sound of My Voice (2011)

Sound of My Voice

6.5

Lumala

2011

 

The Future (2011)

The Future

6.1

Second Solicitation

2011

 

Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and Angus T. Jones in Two and a Half Men (2003)

Two and a Half Men

7.1

TV Series

Esmerelda

2010

1 episode

 

Michael C. Hall in Dexter (2006)

Dexter

8.6

TV Series

Venezuelan Woman

2010

1 episode

 

Jane Lynch, Lea Michele, Naya Rivera, Mark Salling, Matthew Morrison, Cory Monteith, Dianna Agron, Kevin McHale, Chris Colfer, Jenna Ushkowitz, Amber Riley, and Heather Elizabeth Morris in Glee (2009)

Glee

6.8

TV Series

Imelda

2010

1 episode

 

Forest Whitaker, Carlos Mencia, America Ferrera, and Lance Gross in Our Family Wedding (2010)

Our Family Wedding

5.1

Aunt Rosita

2010

 

Tracey Ullman in State of the Union (2008)

State of the Union

6.7

TV Series

Maria

2010

1 episode

 

Sympathy for Delicious (2010)

Sympathy for Delicious

5.6

Desperate Mexican Woman

2010

 

Mark Duplass, Katie Aselton, Paul Scheer, Jonathan Lajoie, Stephen Rannazzisi, and Nick Kroll in The League (2009)

The League

8.2

TV Series

Theresa

2009

1 episode

 

Adam Sandler, Leslie Mann, and Seth Rogen in Funny People (2009)

Funny People

6.3

Bonita

2009

 

Eddie Murphy and Yara Shahidi in Imagine That (2009)

Imagine That

5.6

Graciella

2009

 

Sarah Silverman in The Sarah Silverman Program. (2007)

The Sarah Silverman Program.

6.9

TV Series

Dora

2007–2008

3 episodes

 

Matt Lucas and David Walliams in Little Britain USA (2008)

Little Britain USA

7.6

TV Series

Fat Fighter

2008

3 episodes

 

Life (2007)

Life

8.3

TV Series

Housekeeper

2007

1 episode

 

Fierce Friend (2006)

Fierce Friend

5.5

Woman Selling Roses

2006

 

Sanaa Lathan, Blair Underwood, and Simon Baker in Something New (2006)

Something New

6.6

Maria

2006

 

Jennifer Aniston, Joan Cusack, Frances McDormand, and Catherine Keener in Friends with Money (2006)

Friends with Money

5.8

Teresa

2006

 

Virginia (2005)

Virginia

5.9

Tenant

2005

 

Kuno Becker and Danielle Camastra in English as a Second Language (2005)

English as a Second Language

6.9

Manuela

2005

 

Michael Chiklis in The Shield (2002)

The Shield

8.7

TV Series

Carmen

2005

1 episode

 

Self

Steve Edwards and Michael Eshaun York in Good Day L.A. (1993)

Good Day L.A.

4.3

TV Series

Self

2013

1 episode

 

David Villalpando and Sergio Verduzco in Noches con Platanito (2013)

Noches con Platanito

5.4

TV Series

Self - Guest

2013

1 episode

 

Habla Again

TV Movie

Self

2004

 

Archive Footage

Chelsea Handler in Chelsea Lately (2007)

Chelsea Lately

6.1

TV Series

Self - Edna in 'Dads' (archive footage)

2013

1 episode