Elizabeth Peña
Elizabeth Peña (September 23, 1961 - October 14, 2014) was an American actress, and the daughter of a theater-company co-founder, who has also compiled experience as a television director in her own right. Peña was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, daughter of Estella Margarita (née Toirac), an arts administrator and producer, and Mario Peña, the Cuban-born actor, writer, and director who jointly founded the Latin American Theatre Ensemble. It is unknown whether Peña was named after the town of her birth. Peña graduated from New York's High School of Performing Arts in 1977. Her classmates included Ving Rhames, alongside whom she would later co-star in Jacob's Ladder, and Esai Morales, alongside whom she would later co-star in La Bamba. She is also a founding member of the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors. In 1979, Peña appeared in her first film, El Super, "an exceptionally moving and melancholy comedy about a family of lower-middle-class Cuban refugees attempting to adjust to life in Spanish Harlem.", New York City. Peña worked once again with film director, Leon Ichaso in his next feature Crossover Dreams opposite Ruben Blades. Peña has appeared in movies such as La Bamba, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Lone Star, Vibes, and Rush Hour. In 2002, she starred in Showtime's Resurrection Blvd. as Tia Bibi Corrades in the episode "Justicia," which she also directed. During the next year, 2003, she appeared in and directed "It Was Fun While It Lasted," an episode of The Brothers Garcia. She also provided the voice of the character Mirage in Pixar's animated film The Incredibles. She guest starred in the 18th episode of Numb3rs, Season Two, as Sonya Benavides. Although the actress does speak Spanish, she does not dub her own voice for Spanish releases. Peña is also noted for having starred in I Married Dora, a sitcom that lasted only 13 episodes in 1987, as Dora Calderon, the "Dora" of the show's title. In the final show, the cast broke the "fourth wall" of suspended disbelief by announcing their cancellation on-camera and taking a curtain call. Writer-director John Sayles produced the critically acclaimed but short-lived television series Shannon's Deal (1989–1991) co-starring Peña alongside series lead Jamey Sheridan. In 1996 Sayles wrote and directed the mystery film Lone Star and again cast her in a co-starring role. Peña died on October 14, 2014 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California at the age of 55.
Known For
Credits
- 2019 · The Song of Sway Lake as Marlena
- 2015 · Grandma as Carla
- 2015 · Ana Maria in Novela Land as Sra. Soto
- 2015 · Girl on the Edge as Esther
- 2013 · Plush as Dr. Lopez
- 2013 · Blaze You Out as Dona
- 2013 · In the Dark as Dr. Weinette
- 2011 · Charlie's Angels as Warden Gloria Galvez
- 2011 · The Perfect Family as Christina Rayes
- 2010 · Down for Life as Mrs. Castro
- 2009 · Mother and Child as Lawyer
- 2009 · Modern Family as Pilar Ramírez
- 2008 · Nothing Like the Holidays as Anna Rodriguez
- 2008 · A Single Woman as Storyteller
- 2008 · Racing for Time as Flores
- 2007 · Love Comes Lately as Esperanza
- 2007 · Dragon Wars: D-War as Agent Linda Perez
- 2007 · Goal II: Living the Dream as Rosa Maria
- 2007 · Adrift in Manhattan as Isabel Parades
- 2005 · Sueno as Mirabela
- 2005 · Ghost Whisperer as Marla
- 2005 · Keep Your Distance as Holly
- 2005 · Down in the Valley as Gale
- 2005 · Transamerica as Margaret
- 2005 · American Dad! as Store Owner (voice)
- 2005 · Numb3rs as Sonya Benavides
- 2005 · How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer as Lolita
- 2004 · The Incredibles as Mirage (voice)
- 2004 · Maya & Miguel as Rosa Santos (voice)
- 2004 · Suburban Madness as Clara Harris
- 2004 · The Hollywood Mom's Mystery as Theresa Shoe
- 2004 · Justice League Unlimited as Paran-Dul (voice)
- 2004 · Justice League: Starcrossed - The Movie as Paran Dul (voice)
- 2003 · NCIS as Lina Reyes
- 2002 · Without a Trace as Rosie Diaz
- 2002 · CSI: Miami as Mercedes Escalante
- 2002 · Ten Tiny Love Stories as
- 2002 · Zig Zag as Ms. Tate
- 2001 · Impostor as Midwife (as Elizabeth Pena)
- 2001 · Justice League as Paran Dul (voice)
- 2001 · On the Borderline as Connie
- 2001 · Things Behind the Sun as Carmen
- 2001 · Tortilla Soup as Leticia Narnjo
- 2000 · Boston Public as Superintendent Elizabeth Vasquez
- 2000 · Resurrection Blvd. as Beatrice 'Bibi' Corrales
- 2000 · Seven Girlfriends as Martha
- 1999 · Border Line as Maria Rodriguez
- 1998 · Aldrich Ames: Traitor Within as Rosario Ames
- 1998 · Strangeland as Toni Gage
- 1998 · Rush Hour as Johnson
- 1998 · The Pass as Zeena
- 1997 · The Second Civil War as Christina Fernandez
- 1997 · Dellaventura as Simone
- 1997 · The Second Civil War as Christina
- 1997 · Contagious as Det. Luisa Rojas
- 1996 · Two as Elizabeth Gaitan
- 1996 · Lone Star as Pilar
- 1995 · It Came from Outer Space II as Ellen Fields
- 1995 · The Invaders as Ellen Garza
- 1995 · The Invaders as Ellen Garza
- 1995 · Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home as Kate Haley
- 1995 · Across the Moon as Carmen
- 1995 · The Outer Limits as Dr. Jennifer Martinez
- 1994 · Roommates as Lisa
- 1994 · Dead Funny as Viv Saunders
- 1992 · The Waterdance as Rosa
- 1992 · Fugitive Among Us as Flo Martin
- 1990 · Building 'Jacob's Ladder' as Self
- 1990 · Jacob's Ladder as Jezzie
- 1990 · Dream On as Debra
- 1990 · Shannon's Deal as Lucy Acosta
- 1990 · Blue Steel as Tracy Perez
- 1990 · Drug Wars: The Camarena Story as Mika Camarena
- 1989 · Shannon's Deal as Lucy Acosta
- 1988 · Vibes as Consuelo
- 1987 · *batteries not included as Marisa Esteval
- 1987 · I Married Dora as
- 1987 · La Bamba as Rosie Morales
- 1986 · L.A. Law as Jinx Baldasseri
- 1986 · Tough Cookies as
- 1986 · Down and Out in Beverly Hills as Carmen
- 1985 · Crossover Dreams as Liz Garcia
- 1982 · Cagney & Lacey as
- 1982 · T. J. Hooker as
- 1981 · They All Laughed as Rita
- 1981 · Hill Street Blues as
- 1980 · Times Square as Disco Hostess
- 1979 · El Super as Aurelita