Adriana Garza Cortazar

Adriana Garza is a mother/writer/producer/director/actor who was introduced into the world of entertainment by her ballerina mother and her uncle, Mexican poet Enrique Cortazar. She started dancing at the age of three and studied with Ingriberd Hoiser at UTEP, David Duran at Ballet Centre El Paso, and Laura Urdapilleta in Mexico. This led to musical theatre in her hometown as well as being crowned Miss Teen Expo Spokesmodel 1993. Adriana left El Paso for Mexico City in favor of studying Fine Arts at Televisa’s Conceptos helmed by producer Luis de Llano. While she was there, she appeared in her TV debut Agujetas de Color de Rosa. Yearning for more she moved to Los Angeles at the age of 19.

As an actor, Adriana has appeared in Robert Rodriguez's From Dusk till Dawn The Series, HBO’s The Leftovers, Univision’s Mi Barrio alongside Ugly Betty Actor Tony Plana, and recurred on Telemundo’s series, Placas. She has appeared in several national commercials for Dodge, Bank of America, Burger King, Reddi Wip, Lowe’s, and Turbo Tax to name a few. In 2009, she appeared in a commercial for UNICEF’s Tap Project, which was a finalist at the 2009 Cannes Lion Awards in Cannes and was one of the most awarded campaigns of 2009, winning eight International Awards.

Her company, Adriana Garza Productions, has produced a play, The Art of Being, which won her the Toyota Moving Forward Award presented by GLAMOUR Magazine, making her the first and only Latina to win the award from over 2,500 entries nationwide. She followed that with a production titled, The Experimental Witch, based on Paulo Coelho's novel, The Witch of Portobello, which won his International Film Competition and premiered at the International Rome Film Festival.

After 16 years in Los Angeles she relocated back to her roots in Texas. That is where her greatest production was born, her son Austin Enrique. Her greatest production has come with many invaluable lessons including what it is like to be a child developing different able in a neurotypical world as Austin Enrique is autistic and speaks with a communication device known as an AAC. Adriana has spent the last eight years of her life devoted to Austin and advocating for him to be seen and heard. Their journey has gifted her, Adriana Garza Productions current untitled project, which is a look into a world not too far away yet rarely acknowledged.

Adriana is also the proud recipient of the President's Volunteer Service Award for her community service with UNICEF, Boys and Girls Club of Hollywood, Big Brother Big Sister, LRO, Salvation Army and Meals on Wheels. However, she feels her greatest accomplishment is bringing into this world her son Austin Enrique, who she knows without a doubt came to be a teacher to those open and ready to receive his lessons. She is delighted to be back creating and driven by her son’s individuality to show the world what it takes to be a different able family! 

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