Maria Pilar Canals-Barrera was born on September 28, 1966, in Miami, Florida, to Cuban parents of Catalan descent. She demonstrated a passion for performing early on, taking drama classes in junior high and furthering her studies at Hialeah-Miami Lakes Senior High School before earning a scholarship to the University of Miami.

Her early acting experience was rooted in theater, performing in Miami and Los Angeles and landing roles in productions such as "The Glass Menagerie" and "Hedda Gabler."

She began her screen career in the early 1990s with a starring role in the Telemundo telenovela "Marielena," recurring appearances in the Fox series "Key West," and guest roles in shows like "21 Jump Street," "Murder, She Wrote," and "Caroline in the City."

Throughout the late 1990s and 2000s, she expanded her filmography with supporting parts in movies including "America's Sweethearts," "The Master of Disguise," and "Imagining Argentina."

She became widely recognized for her voice work as Shayera Hol/Hawkgirl in the animated series "Justice League" and "Justice League Unlimited," as well as roles on "Static Shock," "The Proud Family," and "Danny Phantom."

Her most prominent television role came when she starred as Theresa Russo, the matriarch in Disney Channel’s "Wizards of Waverly Place" from 2007 to 2012, co-starring in its 2009 TV movie adaptation and continuing in roles such as Connie Torres in "Camp Rock" and its sequel, alongside Demi Lovato.

She later joined shows like "Cristela," the Netflix reboot "Fuller House," and reprised her iconic role in the 2025 series "Wizards Beyond Waverly Place." Her film credits include working opposite Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts in "Larry Crowne" and starring in "Seven Cemeteries" in 2024.

Throughout her career, she has been recognized with nominations and awards, including Ovation, ALMA, Imagen, and Behind the Voice Actors Awards, celebrating both her live-action and voice performances. Fluent in Spanish, she has been a dedicated advocate for Latinx representation in Hollywood.

She has been married to actor David Barrera since 1999, with whom she shares two daughters, Bridget and Madeleine.