HomeCelebrityAna Alicia - Bio, Family, Education, Net Worth Everything

Ana Alicia – Bio, Family, Education, Net Worth Everything

In this blog we are going to tell you about Ana Alicia, so read this blog carefully to get the complete information.

Introduction

Ana Alicia is a Mexican-American actress who had a career in the past. She rose to notoriety for seven seasons on the long-running primetime soap opera Falcon Crest, where she played the role of Melissa Agretti, a cunning vineyard heiress. After working for a year on the daytime serial opera Ryan’s Hope, she got her start in the television industry. Ana Alicia was also the national spokesperson for the Humane Society of the United States during her career.

Professional Background (Quick Facts)

  • Full Name: Ana Alicia Ortiz Torres
  • Born: December 12, 1956, in Mexico City, Mexico
  • Nationality: Mexican-American
  • Notable Role: Melissa Agretti in Falcon Crest (1981–1989)
  • Other Credits: Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Halloween II (1981)
  • Education: Studied at Wellesley College, later transferred to the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP)

Family and education

Mexico City is the place where Ana Alicia Ortiz was born. Her parents, Carlos Celestino Ortiz and Alicia Torres Ortiz, are both successful businesspeople. She was the third child out of a total of four in her family. When she was six years old, her family uprooted and moved to El Paso, Texas, following the passing of her father. She shared the home she grew up in with her mother, grandmother, uncle Louie, and her three younger siblings. Her father had bought the house as a gift for her grandmother. After completing her high school education and earning her diploma in 1972, she was awarded a scholarship to attend Wellesley College. She decided to seek a bachelor’s degree in drama at the University of Texas at El Paso instead of continuing her education at Wellesley College so that she may be nearer to her mother and three brothers. The 12th of December in 1956 is the day she was born. She is 63 years old at this point in time.

Career

  • She started her acting Upon arriving at Wellesley College, Ortiz participated in an audition for “Crawling Arnold” by Jules Feiffer and was ultimately selected to play the lead role. During the summer after Ortiz’s freshman year, she took use of her time off to try out for a role at The Adobe Horseshoe Dinner Theatre, which is located outside of El Paso, Texas. The theater decided to include her as a recurring performer in all of their feature-length productions, so they hired her.
  • She would be able to earn a considerable amount of money each week while also working with famous celebrities from New York and Hollywood thanks to this possibility. She decided to take up the offer, and after her contract was over, she went ahead and got her actor’s equity card.
  • After graduating in 1977, Ortiz came to Los Angeles and auditioned for parts. She was cast as Alicia Nieves on Ryan’s Hope and moved to New York for production. After 15 months on the show, Ortiz returned to Los Angeles part-time to audition while completing law school at night. Her acting prospects diminished, so she went pro.
  • She had guest parts on Battlestar Galactica and Galactica 1980, notably Aurora, Starbuck’s love interest in “Take the Celestra” Falina Redding in “Vegas in Space” In 1979’s The Sacketts, Ana Alicia plays Tyrell Sackett’s love interest Drusilla.
  • Based on Louis L’Amour’s The Sacketts and The Daybreakers. She had a major role in Kenny Rogers’ 1981 TV film Coward of the County, based on his hit song. She replaced Delores Cant as pampered, selfish vineyard heiress Melissa Agretti in 1982. Ana Alicia starred in Happy Endings with John Schneider and Ryan’s Hope’s Catherine Hicks.
  • Ortiz’s only non-television film performance was in Romero, co-starring Ral Juliá. Ana Alicia played flight attendant Michelle Honda in 1990’s Miracle Landing. The film is based on a 1988 Aloha Airlines flight crash. Ana Alicia appeared in episodic television, including two episodes of Renegade opposite Lorenzo Lamas. This was her last role. She’s on maternity leave.

Some interesting fact

  • She is of a racially complex background and holds Mexican citizenship. Her horoscope indicates that she is a Sagittarius. Mexico is where she spent her childhood.
  • She was the third child out of a total of four in her family.
  • When she was six years old, her family uprooted and moved to El Paso, Texas, following the passing of her father.
  • She shared the home she grew up in with her mother, grandmother, uncle Louie, and her three younger siblings. Her father had bought the house as a gift for her grandmother.
  • After completing her high school education and earning her diploma in 1972, she was awarded a scholarship to attend Wellesley College.
  • In the year 2020, it is anticipated that her net worth will be close to $3 million USD.
  • Alicia and Gary Benz tied the knot on April 24, 1994, and they finalized their divorce in 2016.
  • She has been recognized with Golden Eagle Awards for her work in highlighting the accomplishments of Hispanics in the media.
  • Due to the scarcity of roles available to her, she made the decision to devote her entire life to acting.

Unheard facts about Ana Alicia

  • Her first major TV break was a year-long contract on the ABC soap Ryan’s Hope in 1977–78, which led to a Universal Studios contract offer.
  • Universal signed her as one of the last “contract players,” a studio system practice that was fading out by the late 1970s.
  • She appeared in the penultimate episodes of both Battlestar Galactica (1978) and its sequel Galactica 1980—an unusual trivia overlap.
  • She balanced law school at Southwestern University Law School with acting in Los Angeles before choosing acting full-time.
  • She nearly lost an eye filming her Halloween II death scene and suffered injuries on other projects, including two broken ribs during Miracle Landing.
  • She moved from Mexico City to El Paso after her father’s death, later winning a teen beauty contest at 16 in El Paso—early public performance experience.
  • She credits Universal executives Monique James and Eleanor Kilgallen with championing her career and offering mentorship.
  • She has been confused with similarly named actresses; she stylized her professional name as “Ana-Alicia” in some credits to stand out.
  • After seven seasons, she exited Falcon Crest in 1988; producers later brought her back briefly as a look‑alike character, Samantha Ross.
  • She took a long career sabbatical in the 1990s to focus on family life, then discussed plans for a return in later interviews.

Famous Movies and Shows of Ana Alicia 

Top TV Roles

  • Falcon Crest (CBS, 1982–1988) — Melissa Agretti. Breakout role. Lead presence across seven seasons.
  • Ryan’s Hope (ABC, 1977–1978) — Alicia Nieves. Early daytime contract role that opened studio doors.
  • Battlestar Galactica (ABC, 1978) — Aurora in “Take the Celestra.” Fan-favorite episode for original series buffs.
  • Galactica 1980 (ABC, 1980) — Gloria Alonzo in “The Return of Starbuck.” Notable guest spot in the spin-off.
  • Murder, She Wrote (CBS, 1984) — Guest appearance. Classic 80s mystery slot that many rising actors did.
  • Magnum, P.I. (CBS, 1982) — Guest role. Popular island-set detective series with strong syndication life.
  • Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (NBC, 1981) — Guest role. 80s sci‑fi staple; adds to her genre range.
  • The Sacketts (NBC, 1979, miniseries) — Western ensemble based on Louis L’Amour novels. Solid TV event credit.

TV Movies and Miniseries

  • Halloween II (1981) — Nurse Janet. Memorable hospital sequence that horror fans still cite.
  • Miracle Landing (1990) — Based on Aloha Airlines Flight 243. Intense production with demanding stunt work.
  • Stone Cold Dead (1979) — Crime thriller. Early-career feature exposure.
  • Coward of the County (1981, TV movie) — Drama inspired by the Kenny Rogers song. Broad TV audience.
  • The Sacketts (1979) — Western miniseries repeat here for context. It aired as a TV event.

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Ana Alicia – FAQs

  1. 1. Who is Ana Alicia?

    Ana Alicia Ortiz Torres is a Mexican-American actress who gained fame in the 1980s for her role as Melissa Agretti on the CBS primetime drama Falcon Crest.

  2. When and where was Ana Alicia born?

    She was born on December 12, 1956, in Mexico City, Mexico, and raised in El Paso, Texas, USA.

  3. What is Ana Alicia best known for?

    She is best known for portraying Melissa Agretti, a passionate and complex character on Falcon Crest (1981–1989), which made her one of the most memorable soap-opera stars of the era.

  4. 4. What other TV shows and movies has she appeared in?

    Ana Alicia appeared in several popular shows and films, including:
    Battlestar Galactica (1978)
    Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1980)
    Halloween II (1981)
    Ryan’s Hope (ABC soap opera)
    Guest roles in Magnum P.I., Murder, She Wrote, Hotel, and The Love Boat

  5. 5. What was her early life like?

    She grew up in El Paso after her father’s passing, attended Wellesley College, and later transferred to the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), where she earned a degree in drama.

  6. Is Ana Alicia still acting?

    No, she largely retired from acting in the early 1990s to focus on family and other personal interests. She occasionally participates in interviews or Falcon Crest reunion events.

  7. Does Ana Alicia have any social-media accounts?

    As of 2025, she does not maintain official social-media profiles. Most online pages in her name are fan-run tribute accounts.

  8. 9. What is Ana Alicia doing now?

    She has kept a low profile since stepping away from Hollywood and reportedly focuses on business and community activities.

  9. 10. Where can I watch Ana Alicia’s shows today?

    Her shows like Falcon Crest, Buck Rogers, and Battlestar Galactica are available on streaming services such as Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and select classic-TV networks.

Conclusion

We Hope this blog is sufficient enough to provide the information about Ana Alicia. Thanks for reading this blog.

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