Lovely, buxom, and vivacious blonde bombshell Louisa Moritz was born as Luisa Cira Castro Netto on September 25, 1936 in Havana, Cuba. Many members of Louisa's family which include her father Luis, sister Aurora, and her older brother Rafael all worked in the law profession. Moritz left Cuba and moved to New York City during the upheaval of the 1950s. Louisa was inspired to change her last name from Castro to Moritz after seeing the St. Moritz Hotel in New York City. She arrived in NYC in July 1960, aged 23.
She began her acting career in TV commercials in the late 1960s. She made her debut in a TV commercial for Ultra-Ban spray deodorant and won both a Clio Award and an Andy Award for her work as a student driver in a TV commercial for American Motors. Louisa made her film debut in the lead role of young prostitute Carmela in
The Man from O.R.G.Y. (1970). Perhaps best known to general audiences as the hooker Rose in the Oscar-winning classic
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), her most memorable roles included
Sylvester Stallone's airhead navigator Myra in the cult science fiction black comedy
Death Race 2000 (1975), cheery prostitute Flora in the delightful
Sixpack Annie (1975), Officer Gloria Whitey in
Up in Smoke (1978), hilarious as the aggressively lascivious Carmela in the uproariously raunchy teen comedy hoot
The Last American Virgin (1982), and ditsy kleptomaniac Bubbles in the terrifically trashy babes-behind-bars treat
Chained Heat (1983). Among the television programs Moritz appeared on are
The Leslie Uggams Show (1969),
The Joe Namath Show (1969),
Love, American Style (1969),
Ironside (1967),
Happy Days (1974),
M*A*S*H (1972),
Chico and the Man (1974),
The Rockford Files (1974),
The Incredible Hulk (1977) and
The Associates (1979).
Outside of acting, Moritz sold real estate, sung a song she specifically wrote about host
Jay Leno on "The Tonight Show," and bought a hotel in Beverly Hills which she renamed the Beverly Hills St. Moritz. Although often cast as the generic dumb blonde in many films and TV shows (a part which she always played with great spirit and infectiously sweet good humor), Moritz in real life was the total radical opposite of this particular persona: She not only made the Deans List while studying for her law degree at the University of West Los Angeles, but won the American Jurisprudence Bancroft Whitney Prize for Contracts as well. She went on to become a lawyer in southern California, but was eventually disbarred for failing to provide certain quarterly reports. Louisa Moritz died at age 82 from cardiovascular disease on January 4, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.
The Independent(2000)as Sally, Receptionist
Galaxis(1995)as Bar Lady at Sharkey's
Days of Our Lives(1965)as Esther
E.G. Daily: Say It Say It(1986)as Mother
Hot Chili(1985)as Chi Chi
Cosby: The Women Speak(2015)as Self - Victim
Inside Edition(1988)as Self
Q N' A with Mikki and Shay(2011)as Self
Match Game PM(1975)as Self - Panelist
We Need to Talk About Cosby(2022)as Self
Entertainment Tonight(1981)as Self
