Nydia Rodriguez Terracina

Nydia Rodriguez Terracina, an active SAG-AFTRA member since 1974, was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico to Ramon Aurelio Cruz and Margarita R. M. Her father, Ramon, was the long-standing bodyguard of the late Governor of Puerto Rico, Luis Munoz Marin. At the age of three, her parents separated. Nydia moved to Chicago with her mother and older sister. During her younger years Nydia remembers moving back and forth from Chicago to Puerto Rico and, as a consequence, was lucky to study in Humacao, and Caguas, Puerto Rico. As a young woman she graduated from Patricia Stevens School of Modeling in Illinois while living in Chicago in the popular Humboldt Park neighborhood. At 18 years of age Nydia sang regularly in one of Chicago's first Hispanic religious programs for shut-ins on Channel 26 called Hoy Domingo. She was then invited to sing on WGN-TV on a special Christmas religious program sponsored by the Catholic Cardinal's Committee. Little did she know at the time, that much later at the age of 40, she would return to WGN-TV to host MBR: The Minority Business Report. She graduated from Tuley High School, also in Humboldt Park, and as destiny would have it again, Nydia would portray the part of Alexis' Mom in the feature film "Nothing Like the Holidays" http://www.nothingliketheholidays.com/ which depicts the life of a family living in the same neighborhood. She graduated from Chicago's renowned Roosevelt University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She worked as the Affirmative Action Manager for Montgomery Ward and Company and later McDonald's Corporation in Oakbrook, Illinois. While there, she graduated from McDonald's Hamburger University and that business experience, coupled with decades of film and television acting, catapulted her to host the worldwide (English-speaking) program MBR: The Minority Business Report for 10 consecutive years via WGN-TV. Her business experience made her a natural for discussing issues that involved and affected minority business on a national scope. By now she had won the 1980 Black and Hispanic Achiever of Industry Award. She studied film and television acting at the Chicago Actors' Studio. In 1990 Nydia received the Hispanic Nuestro Award for "First Local Hispanic Female in American Feature Film" for her role in the feature film "Code of Silence" starring Chuck Norris. Her favorite acting role was portrayed as Judge Surrillo in the blockbuster movie "The Dark Knight" starring Heath Ledger. Nydia's biggest challenge in life was finishing her last semester at Roosevelt in 1980 when her first husband of ten years died at 30 in a tragic motorcycle accident. Presently, when Nydia is not acting in film or television she is a role model as a substitute teacher in 14 diverse schools. Understanding the importance of an education, she incorporates her acting ability to bring the "lessons to life"! Nydia believes in staying connected with the students with whatever God-given talent she has and strives to make the students' learning experience an enjoyable and memorable one. She reminds her students of the importance of a bilingual education and inspires them with stories whereby she uses two languages (Spanish and English) to bring added value to her clients' film projects. As an actor since 1974 Nydia continues to work as a television and film actor and incorporates the craft into the educational field. She is re-married for the last 27 years and has two children and two grandchildren she adores. Her future plans are to land a principal role in a television series.