Maria Canals-Barrera — Movies, TV Shows & Roles

Actor

1966-09-28 · Miami, Florida, USA · Female

21 series in the catalog

Maria Pilar Canals-Barrera (née Canals; born September 28, 1966) is an American actress. She is known for starring as Theresa Russo in the Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place (2007–2012) and recurring in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place (2025-2026), Connie Torres in Camp Rock (2008), Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (2010), Camp Rock 3 (2026), and Daniela in the ABC comedy series Cristela (2014–2015).
Canals-Barrera has voiced Shayera Hol/Hawkgirl in Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, and Static Shock as part of the DC Animated Universe, Sunset Boulevardez in The Proud Family (2001–2005) and The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder (2022–2023), and Paulina in Danny Phantom (2004–2007).
Early life
Canals-Barrera was born to Cuban parents of Catalan descent. Canals-Barrera also speaks Spanish and took drama classes in junior high school.
Canals-Barrera graduated from Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School before winning a theatrical scholarship to the University of Miami.
Career
In her early years, Canals-Barrera worked extensively in theater in both Miami and Los Angeles. In 1990, she starred as Amanda in a production of The Glass Menagerie. In 1992, she starred in a production of Brian Michael Riley's A Cradle of Sparrows. The same year, she began starring on Telemundo Spanish-language telenovela Marielena. She later had the recurring role in the short-lived 1993 Fox comedy-drama series, Key West. During the 1990s, Canals-Barrera also guest starred in a number of television series, such as 21 Jump Street, Murder, She Wrote, Almost Perfect, and Caroline in the City. In 1996, she starred as the title character in a production of Hedda Gabler. The next year she played Digna in a production of Guillermo Reyes' Chilean Holiday.
Her first regular role was on the short-lived NBC sitcom The Tony Danza Show in 1997. In early 2000s, Canals-Barrera had supporting roles in films America's Sweethearts, The Master of Disguise and Imagining Argentina. She has gained much recognition with comic book fans in recent years for her role as Hawkgirl/Shayera Hol on Bruce Timm's Justice League animated series (2001–04) and Justice League Unlimited (2005–06). She also had a recurring role in Static Shock as news reporter Shelly Sandoval, and in Danny Phantom as Paulina, the title character's high school crush. She also performed the voice of Mercedes "Meche" Colomar in the 1998 video game Grim Fandango. Canals-Barrera also played incidental characters in two episodes on the TV series The Boondocks ("Grandad's Fight" and "Home Alone").
From 2007 to 2012, Canals-Barrera co-starred as Theresa Russo, the mother of lead character Alex Russo (played by Selena Gomez), in the Disney Channel family sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place. She also co-starred in Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie, a 2009 Disney Channel Original film based on the series. Canals-Barrera also appeared in the Disney Channel Original Movies Camp Rock (2008) and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (2010) as Connie Torres, the mother of Demi Lovato's character. In 2011, she appeared opposite Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts in the romantic comedy film Larry Crowne.
In 2014, Canals-Barrera was cast as Hilda in the ABC soap opera Members Only, created by Susannah Grant. However, it was cancelled by the network before its premiere. Later in that year she joined the cast of ABC comedy series Cristela, as Daniela Gonzaler.
On August 27, 2018, Canals-Barrera was cast as the mother of Fernando Hernandez-Guerrero-Fernandez-Guerrero on the Netflix series Fuller House.
She returned to Disney Channel in 2025 and 2026, as she reprised her role of Theresa Russo in season one and three of Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, and her role of Connie Torres in Camp Rock 3 in 2026.
Personal life
Barrera has been married to fellow actor David Barrera since 1999, and they have two daughters, Bridget and Madeleine.