Celia Newman

Celia Maria Newman (born October 21, 1968, in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico) is an actress, sometimes credited as Cehlia Barnum. She has been in numerous feature films and appeared in the TV series Dallas in the 1980s.

Newman is an artist and jewelry designer since 2000.

Newman is married to Texas State Senator Jose Menendez (District 26) and has been actively involved in her husband's political career for the past 11 years. She gave birth to the couple's third child in 2007.

A relative on her father's side was actor and political satirist Will Rogers and on her mother's side showman P.T. Barnum.

Celia Newman, began acting in theater, at the age of 5; with the San Antonio Little Theater "Saltines". As a teenager, she began a modeling career in Texas and dabbled in acting. She began to pursue a serious acting career when she was cast in the feature film The Legend of Billie Jean. This was the same time she became a SAG member and began traveling to Los Angeles on a regular basis for auditions.

After completing the filming of Lost Angels directed by Hugh Hudson, Celia moved to Los Angeles and was represented by The David Shapira Agency.

Dismayed with the "Hollywood" scene, Newman returned to her home in Texas, in 1990, and followed her true passion, art.

Newman attended University of The Incarnate Word and received a degree in child psychology.While there she participated in the theater program and was directed in several student productions. These productions included Golden Boy as Lorna, directed by actor Ricardo Chavira.

Newman is of Scotch-Irish, Spanish, Cherokee and Prussian Jewish descent.

As a child, Newman was a member, of the Texas Children's Bach Choir; she studied opera for several years and was listed as a coloratura soprano.

Newman now goes by the name Cehlia Nicole Newman-Menendez.

Spouse - Jose Menéndez (9 September 1995–present)
Children - Dominic, Victoria, Austin

• Dallas (1985) - Charlie's friend/gang leader's girlfriend