Marie starred in the highly celebrated film Tortilla Soup. Her thriving career on both the small and big screens began when, as a teenager in Los Angeles' underground break-dancing scene, she was selected out of a group of 500 hopefuls to dance in David Bowie's Glass Spider tour.

Upon returning to Los Angeles, Marie was cast as a dancer in the movie Salsa. The film's choreographer introduced her to Steve Tisch, who gave Marie her first acting job as a series regular on Dirty Dancing.

Her feature film credits include My Family/Mi Familia. She went on to win praise for her portrayal of Tejano music legend Selena Quintanilla's mother, Marcella Quintanilla, in the blockbuster film Selena. Her other film role includes the 2000 Sundance film, Dancing in September.

Marie's additional television credits include Spin City, Union Square, Early Edition, Two Guys and a Girl, For Your Love and Ally McBeal.