Maria Pilar Canals Barrera is an American actress, born in Miami, Florida, September 28, 1966. She received her Theatre degree from the University of Miami's drama school, and has worked extensively in theatre in both Miami and Los Angeles. She made her network television debut in the 1993 TV series Key West and has appeared in such films as America's Sweethearts and The Master of Disguise.
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 and Justice League Unlimited series. She also had 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 also played incidental characters in two episodes on the TV series The Boondocks ("Grandad's Fight" and "Home Alone"). She also does the voice of Sunset Boulevardez on Proud Family. Her most recent project is portraying Theresa Russo on Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place. She will be in the Disney Channel Original Movie Camp Rock as Connie Torres.
Canals is married to actor David Barrera.
While casting for the Hawkgirl character on "Justice League", the casting people were looking for someone with an accent to make Hawkgirl sound more unique since she was an alien. Maria was chosen for her Hispanic accent.
In addition to the voice of Hawkgirl, she also provided the voice of the Brazillian super-heroine Fire on Justice League Unlimited.
