<P> In early years, Canals - Barrera has worked extensively in theater in both Miami and Los Angeles . In 1992 she began starring on Telemundo Spanish - language telenovela Marielena . She later had the recurring role in the short - lived 1993 Fox comedy - drama series, Key West . During 1990s, Canals - Barrera also guest starred in a number of television series, such as 21 Jump Street, Murder, She Wrote, Almost Perfect, and Caroline in the City . Her first regular role was on the short - lived NBC sitcom, The Tony Danza Show in 1997 . </P> <P> In early 2000s, Canals - Barrera had supporting roles in films America's Sweethearts, The Master of Disguise and Imagining Argentina . She has gained much recognition with comic book fans in recent years for her role as Hawkgirl / Shayera Hol on Bruce Timm's Justice League (2001--04) and Justice League Unlimited (2005--06) series . She also had a recurring role in Static Shock as Shelly Sandoval, a news reporter, and in Danny Phantom as Danny Fenton / Phantom's high school crush, Paulina . She also performed the voice of Mercedes "Meche" Colomar in the 1998 video game Grim Fandango . Canals - Barrera also played incidental characters in two episodes on the TV series The Boondocks ("Grandad's Fight" and "Home Alone"). </P> <P> From 2007 to 2012, Canals - Barrera co-starred as Theresa Russo, the mother of lead character, in the Disney Channel family sitcom, Wizards of Waverly Place . She also co-starred in Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie, a 2009 Disney Channel Original movie based on series . Canals - Barrera also appeared in the Disney Channel Original Movies Camp Rock (2008) and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (2010), alongside Demi Lovato in the role of her mother, Connie Torres . In 2011 she appeared opposite Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts in the romantic comedy film Larry Crowne . </P> <P> In 2014, Canals - Barrera was cast as Hilda, the house manager of the country club where most of the action takes place, in the ABC soapy comedy - drama series, Members Only created by Susannah Grant . However, it got cancelled by the network before its premiere . Later in that year she joined the cast of ABC comedy series, Cristela, as Cristela Alonzo's character sister . </P>

Who played the mom on wizards of waverly place