Maribel Guardia

Guardia was married to Mexican singer-songwriter Joan Sebastian from 1992 until 1996. The couple separated during the filming of their joint telenovela, Tú y yo. Together they had one son, Julián Figueroa, who later pursued his own career in music and acting. On April 9, 2023, Julián Figueroa died at his home at the age of 27.

In late 2010, Guardia married Marco Chacón. She has resided in Mexico City for much of her adult life.

Guardia entered public life in 1978 when she won the Miss Costa Rica title. She represented her home country at both the Miss Universe and Miss World pageants that same year. At the Miss Universe competition held in Acapulco, Mexico, she won the Miss Photogenic award, and she advanced to the top 15 semi-finalists at Miss World.

Her visibility at Miss Universe drew the attention of Televisa producer Sergio Bustamante, who offered her opportunities to train and work in Mexico. Although she initially returned to Costa Rica, she accepted the proposal months later and permanently relocated to Mexico in 1980 to launch her entertainment career.

Guardia began appearing on Mexican television in 1980 alongside comedian Manuel "El Loco" Valdés. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, she built an extensive filmography in Mexican cinema, starring in productions such as Pedro Navaja (1984) alongside Andrés García, Terror y encajes negros (1985), La Alacrana (1986), and El Rey de Los Taxistas (1989) with Luis de Alba.

Her television career expanded through leading roles in Televisa telenovelas, including Seducción (1986), Prisionera de amor (1994), and the popular 1996 production Tú y yo. She frequently starred in family and children's programming, taking prominent parts in Serafín (1999), Aventuras en el tiempo (2001), and Misión S.O.S. (2004-2005). Later television credits include the sitcom ¡Qué madre tan padre!, hosting duties on variety shows like Muévete and Desmadruga2, and a recurring long-term role as Julieta Vásquez in Corona de lágrimas.

Guardia launched a recording career focused on Regional Mexican genres, including grupero, banda, and mariachi. Her debut studio album arrived in 1988 on Musart Records, after which she released music through Fonovisa Records, EMI Televisa Music, and Capitol Records.

In 2008, she released the single "De Pecho A Pecho," composed by Nicaraguan songwriter Hernaldo Zúñiga. In 2010, she issued the studio album Move You On, Muévete, a twelve-track collection containing eight Spanish songs and four English tracks recorded across Mexico City, Texas, and Colombia. For her contributions to entertainment, she has been inducted into the Paseo de las Luminarias in Mexico City.