Elizabeth Peña

Elizabeth Peña

Birthdate
September 23, 1959 (65 years old)
Place of Birth
Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA
Date of Death
October 14, 2014
Known For
Acting

Details

Birthdate
September 23, 1959 (65 years old)
Place of Birth
Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA
Date of Death
October 14, 2014
Known For
Acting

Biography

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.

Elizabeth Peña's LGBTQ+ Titles

Transamerica
Transamerica
Margaret
Grandma
Grandma
Carla

Acting (88)

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 (1 episode)
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 (2 episodes)
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 (1 episode)
2005
Keep Your Distance as Holly
2005
Down in the Valley as Gale
2005
Transamerica as Margaret
2005
American Dad! as Store Owner (voice) (1 episode)
2005
Numb3rs as Sonya Benavides (1 episode)
2005
How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer as Lolita
2004
The Incredibles as Mirage (voice)
2004
Maya & Miguel as Rosa Santos (voice) (70 episodes)
2004
Suburban Madness as Clara Harris
2004
The Hollywood Mom's Mystery as Theresa Shoe
2004
Justice League Unlimited as Paran-Dul (voice) (1 episode)
2004
Justice League: Starcrossed - The Movie as Paran Dul (voice)
2003
NCIS as Lina Reyes (1 episode)
2002
Without a Trace as Rosie Diaz (1 episode)
2002
CSI: Miami as Mercedes Escalante (1 episode)
2002
Ten Tiny Love Stories
2002
Zig Zag as Ms. Tate
2001
Impostor as Midwife (as Elizabeth Pena)
2001
Justice League as Paran Dul (voice) (3 episodes)
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 (2 episodes)
2000
Resurrection Blvd. as Beatrice 'Bibi' Corrales (53 episodes)
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 (1 episode)
1997
The Second Civil War as Christina (1 episode)
1997
Contagious as Det. Luisa Rojas
1996
Two as Elizabeth Gaitan (1 episode)
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 (2 episodes)
1995
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home as Kate Haley
1995
Across the Moon as Carmen
1995
The Outer Limits as Dr. Jennifer Martinez (1 episode)
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 (1 episode)
1990
Shannon's Deal as Lucy Acosta (14 episodes)
1990
Blue Steel as Tracy Perez
1990
Drug Wars: The Camarena Story as Mika Camarena (3 episodes)
1989
Shannon's Deal as Lucy Acosta
1988
Vibes as Consuelo
1987
*batteries not included as Marisa Esteval
1987
I Married Dora (13 episodes)
1987
La Bamba as Rosie Morales
1986
L.A. Law as Jinx Baldasseri (4 episodes)
1986
Tough Cookies (8 episodes)
1986
Down and Out in Beverly Hills as Carmen
1985
Crossover Dreams as Liz Garcia
1982
Cagney & Lacey (1 episode)
1982
T. J. Hooker (1 episode)
1981
They All Laughed as Rita
1981
Hill Street Blues (1 episode)
1980
Times Square as Disco Hostess
1979
El Super as Aurelita