Zully Montero

Biography

Montero was born in Santo Suarez, Cuba. At the age of 11, Montero gathered a group of friends and created her own plays, which were presented to family and friends. Her mother noticed her interest in performing, and placed her in La Academia De Arte Dramatico De La Habana (School of Dramatic Arts in Havana, Cuba). When she graduated from school, she participated in a radio talent contest, which was searching for an actress to participate in a radio soap opera. She won the contest and was featured on the show. After the radio soap opera, she went on to do some theater. At the age of 16, she placed her acting career on hold to get married, and gave birth to two daughters, Martha and Elaine. Her life in Cuba was very difficult, and the lack of liberty lead to her decision to leave Cuba.

Montero and her husband moved to her uncle-in-law's home in New York, United States, and they worked to provide food and shelter for their family. She worked in a shoe factory, a post card factory, and in clothing factories. During this time, she became pregnant with her third child, Jezabel Montero. Then she decided to study English and take typing classes. She got a job in an import/export company near Wall Street in New York City. There, she bumped into an old friend with whom she had done theater in Cuba. He invited her to his theater group, where she began acting again. Her husband did not approve her acting, and this led to their divorce. She had to work two jobs to maintain her family, but continued working in the theater. There, she began expanding her acting career from theater to television. In 1979, she played Aurelia in the movie "El Super". Then in 1990, she appeared in her first on-screen soap opera, "El Magnate".