Cristina Umaña (Born December 24, 1974) is a 49 year-old Colombian actress who has brilliantly brought many compelling characters to life. She is, however, better known for her role as Judy Moncada in the TV series, Narcos, which remains one of her most successful career projects.
Following her role in Narcos, she appeared as Gloria Bonalde in the Amazon series, Jack Ryan (2019) and has earned international recognition. The actress’s personal life, background, family, and career have been subjects of interest ever since she rose to immense popularity within and beyond the industry.
Cristina Umaña’s Profile Summary
- Full name: Cristina Umaña Rojas
- Nickname: Cristina Umaña
- Gender: Female
- Date of birth: December 24, 1974
- Cristina Umaña’s Age: 49 years old
- Ethnicity: Caucasian white
- Nationality: Columbian
- Zodiac Sign: Capricon
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
- Marital Status: Divorced
- Cristina Umaña’s Ex-Husband: César López
- Cristina Umaña’s current partner: Koldo Miranda
- Cristina Umaña’s Kid: Baltazar Jaramillo Umaña
- Cristina Umaña’s Height in Inches: 5.69 inches
- Cristina Umaña’s Height in Centimetres: 1.7cm
- Cristina Umaña’s Net worth: $1.7 million
- Famous for: Starring as Judy Moncada in Narcos
- Cristina Umaña’s Instagram: @lacrispetica
- Twitter: @cristinaumana
- Facebook: Cristina Umaña
Cristina Umaña Was Born in Columbia in 1974
Cristina was born in Columbia, precisely in Ibague, on December 24th, 1974. Information about her family background and family members is not available for public consumption at the moment. The actress attended Las esclavas del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus in Spain and was part of the school’s theater group.
Her love for acting began in her childhood. She also spent part of her life in Bogotá, the capital of Columbia. She left her birthplace for Bogotá, and while she was there, she participated in short literature and theater workshops and dramatized some of her pieces of homework at school.
The actress’s involvement at her school’s drama and theater group really helped her shape her career. Apart from the fact that she started honing her acting talent at the institution, she also developed an unfathomable passion for acting and a strong determination to become a TV star. Today, she is living her dreams, and it’s amazing to know that she has excelled beyond people’s expectations.
She Started Her Acting Career At A Young Age
Cristina Umaña’s ambition to be an actress won her a scholarship from the production company Televisa in Mexico. The actress had moved to Mexico at the age of 18 to study acting, and as fate may have it, she was awarded a scholarship. The scholarship programme lasted from 1993 to 1995, after which she loved back to Columbia to be with her friends and family.
The youth series “Cartas a Harrison” by the then production company “Punch” was the first project she featured in after her return. She subsequently portrayed Robin in the Caracol TV production La mujer del president. Her outstanding performances won her critical acclaim and two awards that year – the TV Novelas and the Shick awards.
Umaña has achieved a decade of professional acting experience over the years, having starred in an impressive number of TV shows, theatre productions, and feature films. Some of her earliest works are EL Rey (“The King,” as Blanca) and Todos Quieren Con Marilyn (“Everyone Wants Marilyn,” as Lorenza).
Cristina’s Role In Narcos Established Her As One Of The Industry’s Most Talented Actresses
It is believed that actress Cristina Umaña was able to put up an outstanding performance in Narcos due to her personal experience as a teenager during Escobar’s reign in the ’80s and 90’s. However, it is not known exactly how she won the role and when the audition of the role took place, but the fact that her performance won her several awards goes a long way to show that she did an excellent job.
The actress’s performance also earned her positive reviews from critics and fans. Her role was significant and conveyed lots of messages, one of which is that women are really stronger than most people think and can achieve anything they make up their hearts to do.
Escobar, the Colombian criminal who rose to the rank of one of the most merciless drug cartels, was a successful leader of a deadly drug group until he decided to shoot himself on the leg by murdering two of his closest friends and threatening their families. Annoyed and depressed by the many threats, the families involved wore their armor guards and decided to save themselves. Other gangs in Medellin Cartel followed suit and came against him.
While some sought revenge, others wanted to be free from Pablo’s dictatorship and wickedness. But none of these people wanted revenge more than Judy Moncada, whose husband was brutally killed by Pablo and Don Berna.
From her first scene to the last, Cristina was literally exceptional in bringing the character “Judy” to life. She put in her best and consciously portrayed Dolly’s toughness through her roles – which many thought would have been portrayed by a man.
Narcos was a huge success, and one of Cristina’s one of her biggest acting projects because most people were keen to know more about the life and times of the Columbian drug kingpin Escobar Pablo. Her fame skyrocketed through the TV series and made her a force to reckon with in the American and Columbian entertainment industries.
Judy Moncada Holds The Record As One Of The Fiercest Fictional Characters On TV
The list of most known badass characters that have ever appeared on TV would be incomplete without Judy Moncada. This is not just because of her tough character but also because of the nature of the TV show. Narcos is literally a biographical gangster drama series that chronicles the life of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, who grew so wealthy through the production and distribution of cocaine.
Just in case you don’t know her, Judy is an important character on the famous Netflix show, which also portrays the true-life story of the Moncada family. Judy is the fictional character who represents the real-life widow of Kiko Moncada. Her name is Dolly Moncada.
Judy, whose real name is Cristina Umaña, played a mean boss in the show. She was the brain that created a breakaway group that collaborated with the vigilante group Los Pepes and the Cali Cartel to fight relentlessly against the deadly drug lord Escobar. The notorious drug lord was responsible for her husband (Kiko)’s death.
Judy Moncada was a big threat to the Medellin cartel and fought a good fight in the film. A fearless woman, she displayed her fearlessness after her husband’s death by cleaning up her tears, strapping her designer glasses, and taking over the front line of the fight to hunt down Pablo Escobar.
Motivated by the urge to retaliate her husband’s death, she assisted the US in a war against drugs and cooperated with the drug enforcement administration (DEA). Judy provided useful information about Escobar’s operation when DEA interrogated her in Washington DC.
Her unabating character became a great value when she convinced Escobar’s former associate Carlos Lehder to cooperate with the law so as to receive a reduced prison sentence.
An Important Fact To Know About Judy And The vigilante Group, Los Pepes
Los Pepes is a Spanish vigilante group famed for waging war against Pablo and his gang. The group was featured in the TV show, and Judy was a major force behind it. Unknown to most people, Los Pepes is not a fictional group like Judy, who is a fictional character; the group existed in real life.
The group was coined from the Spanish phrase “Perseguidos por Pablo Escobar,” which means “Persecuted by Pablo Escobar,” a deadly drug lord. Los Pepes was formed in real-life by Don Berna, Fidel Castano (a drug lord and paramilitary), and his brother Carlos in the ’90s. However, the group was dissolved in 1993.
The Southern Columbia-based drug cartel, Cali cartel, funded Los Pepes during its active operations. Several formidable people, including Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela, Jose Santacruz-Londono, Helmer Herrera (Pacho, an openly gay man played by Alberto Ammann), and Gilberto’s brother Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela were members of the cartel.
Some of her professional films credits include
- El Capo 2 (2010)
- ¿Quién Paga el Pato? (2000)
- Mira Quien te Mira (1999)
- Malamor (1999)
Her TV works include but are not limited to
- Siete Veces Amada – 2002
- Tiempo Final – 2007
- Amores Como el Nuestro – 1998
- Jack Ryan – 2019, as Gloria Bonalde
- Wild District – 2018
- Mujeres Asesinas [es] – 2008
- Vuelo 1503 – 2005
- La Dama de Troya – 2008
- Traga Maluca – 2000
- Capadocia – 2008
- Todos Quieren con Marilyn – 2004
- Punto de Giro – 2003
A Look At The Awards And Special Recognition The Actress Has Won Through Her Acting Career
Cristina is respected for her dazzling career in the entertainment industry. So far, she has accumulated a slew of awards for her impressive and credible acting performances in TV series and films.
Umaña won her first award and only industry recognition in the year 1998. She accumulated two more the following year, after which she won another one after six years. The actress deserves every award she has ever received, and her fans are eager to see her win more awards.
- Premios Shocks- Best NewActress, 1998
- Festival Internacional de Cine de Cartagena, 1998
- Premios TvyNovelas – Best Actress, 1999
- Premios TvyNovelas – Best Actress in a Supporting role, 1999
- Premios TvyNovelas – Best Antagonistic Actress, 2005
The Actress Is Currently In A Relationship Following A Failed Marriage
Umaña ‘s pursuit for lasting life has seen her committing to more than one man in her entire life. Her first known relationship did not last for reasons she is yet to mention. She is currently seeing a handsome man she has been with since she parted ways with her former lover.
She has also been linked to the classical musician Cesar Lopez, but information about their alleged relationship is still sketchy as of this writing. Let’s get to know about these men she has been with.
Cristina Umaña and Lucas Jaramillo
Lucas is best known as Cristina’s former husband. Not much is known about their marital relationship, including the particular year, the two of them tied the knot. Their marriage ended in the year 2018 for undisclosed reasons. They had one kid together while their marital relationship lasted. The name of their son is Baltazar Jaramillo Umaña.
Baltazar is fast-growing and currently lives with his mother. His birth details and information about his relationship with his father are shrouded in mystery.
The young boy is sometimes seen with his mother in pictures on social media.
Cristina’s ex-husband works with a sports agency called Alinea Sports. Further information about his background and family is not readily available for public consumption.
Cristina Umaña and Musician Cesar Lopez
Umaña has also been linked to the Columbian classical musician, composer, producer, and guitarist Cesar Lopez. The two reportedly met on the set of Siete veces Amada in 2002 and later got married in Bogota after dating for some time.
The Narcos star and Cesar have filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences between them. Their divorce is said to have been finalized in the year 2004. There is no information about the duo’s alleged marital relationship and how it fared.
Born in Bogota, Colombia, in 1974, Lopez’s most well-known achievement as a musician is the Escopetarra. The Escopetarra is a musical instrument that he created from AK-47. He converted the AK-47 into a guitar and intended to give them out only to high=profile musicians upon completion.
Cristina Umaña and Koldo Miranda
Miranda is currently the man in Umaña ‘s life. They have been together for years and are happy that they found each other. Koldo is a Spanish chef and a food lover like Cristina. Not much is known about the lovebirds’ flourishing relationship.
The couple keeps a low profile on their relationship, although they sometimes upload pictures of themselves on their social media pages. The two have also been to a couple of places together, including some notable events in the entertainment industry.
Being a private person, Miranda keeps updates about his family and background from the public. Apart from updating his fans about his cooking career, he hasn’t spoken about his family, family background, early life, and education.
It’s unclear if the two plan to take their relationship to the next level. Having been together for many years, there’s no doubt Cristina and Koldo really love each other. Their fans hope that they will make things official someday in the future.