Marlene Forte

Marlene Forte is a Cuban-American actress and producer. As of 2012 she co-starred as Carmen Ramos on the TNT drama series Dallas. --- Ana Marlene Forte Machado was born in Havana, Cuba. Forte has appeared in many independent films since the early 1990s. She received an Imagen Foundation Awards nomination for performance in the 2008 movie Little Girl Lost: The Delimar Vera Story. On television, Forte appeared in recurring roles on House of Payne, Crossing Jordan, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Her film appearances include the transporter chief in the 2009 Star Trekreboot and Mrs. Glass in Real Women Have Curves. In 2012, she began appearing on TNT's revamped Dallas, playing Carmen Ramos, longtime Ewing family housekeeper and mother to Elena (played by Jordana Brewster). --- Her younger sister is television journalist Lesley Ann Machado. Her daughter is actress Giselle Rodriguez. She is married to playwright and University of Southern California tenured professor, Oliver Mayer.