Elizabeth Maria Peña (September 23, 1959 – 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.
Elizabeth Maria Peña (September 23, 1959 – 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.
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0001615
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q262267
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Filmography (Movies)
The Song of Sway Lake
Character:Marlena
Release Date:07/06/2019
Grandma
Character:Carla
Release Date:04/06/2015
Ana Maria in Novela Land
Character:Sra. Soto
Release Date:27/02/2015
Girl on the Edge
Character:Esther
Release Date:23/02/2015
Plush
Character:Dr. Lopez
Release Date:13/09/2013
Blaze You Out
Character:Dona
Release Date:30/07/2013
In the Dark
Character:Dr. Weinette
Release Date:12/01/2013
The Perfect Family
Character:Christina Rayes
Release Date:30/04/2011
Down for Life
Character:Mrs. Castro
Release Date:01/10/2010
Mother and Child
Character:Lawyer
Release Date:07/11/2009
Nothing Like the Holidays
Character:Anna Rodriguez
Release Date:12/12/2008
A Single Woman
Character:Storyteller
Release Date:21/09/2008
Racing for Time
Character:Flores
Release Date:16/02/2008
Love Comes Lately
Character:Esperanza
Release Date:09/09/2007
Dragon Wars: D-War
Character:Agent Linda Perez
Release Date:01/08/2007
Goal II: Living the Dream
Character:Rosa Maria
Release Date:09/02/2007
Adrift in Manhattan
Character:Isabel Parades
Release Date:10/01/2007
Sueno
Character:Mirabela
Release Date:30/09/2005
The Lost City
Character:Miliciana (Zoraida) Muñoz
Release Date:03/09/2005
Keep Your Distance
Character:Holly
Release Date:02/09/2005
Down in the Valley
Character:Gale
Release Date:13/05/2005
Transamerica
Character:Margaret
Release Date:14/02/2005
How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer
Character:Lolita
Release Date:23/01/2005
The Incredibles
Character:Mirage (voice)
Release Date:05/11/2004
Suburban Madness
Character:Clara Harris
Release Date:04/10/2004
The Hollywood Mom's Mystery
Character:Theresa Shoe
Release Date:08/08/2004
Justice League: Starcrossed - The Movie
Character:Paran Dul (voice)
Release Date:13/07/2004
Ten Tiny Love Stories
Character:
Release Date:10/08/2002
Zig Zag
Character:Ms. Tate
Release Date:14/06/2002
Impostor
Character:Midwife (as Elizabeth Pena)
Release Date:03/12/2001
On the Borderline
Character:Connie
Release Date:23/10/2001
Things Behind the Sun
Character:Carmen
Release Date:12/10/2001
Tortilla Soup
Character:Leticia Narnjo
Release Date:24/08/2001
Seven Girlfriends
Character:Martha
Release Date:21/04/2000
A Piece of the Action: Behind the Scenes of Rush Hour
Character:Self
Release Date:02/03/1999
Border Line
Character:Maria Rodriguez
Release Date:22/02/1999
Aldrich Ames: Traitor Within
Character:Rosario Ames
Release Date:29/11/1998
Strangeland
Character:Toni Gage
Release Date:02/10/1998
Rush Hour
Character:Johnson
Release Date:18/09/1998
The Pass
Character:Zeena
Release Date:07/05/1998
The Second Civil War
Character:Christina Fernandez
Release Date:04/12/1997
Gridlock'd
Character:Admissions Person
Release Date:29/01/1997
Contagious
Character:Det. Luisa Rojas
Release Date:22/01/1997
Recon
Character:Officer Santiago
Release Date:01/07/1996
Lone Star
Character:Pilar Cruz
Release Date:21/06/1996
It Came from Outer Space II
Character:Ellen Fields
Release Date:31/12/1995
The Invaders
Character:Ellen Garza
Release Date:12/11/1995
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home
Character:Kate Haley
Release Date:19/07/1995
Across the Moon
Character:Carmen
Release Date:01/10/1994
Roommates
Character:Lisa
Release Date:30/05/1994
Dead Funny
Character:Viv Saunders
Release Date:21/05/1994
The Waterdance
Character:Rosa
Release Date:13/05/1992
Fugitive Among Us
Character:Flo Martin
Release Date:04/02/1992
Building 'Jacob's Ladder'
Character:Self
Release Date:01/12/1990
Jacob's Ladder
Character:Jezzie
Release Date:02/11/1990
Blue Steel
Character:Tracy Perez
Release Date:16/03/1990
Shannon's Deal
Character:Lucy Acosta
Release Date:04/06/1989
Vibes
Character:Consuelo
Release Date:05/08/1988
*batteries not included
Character:Marisa Esteval
Release Date:18/12/1987
La Bamba
Character:Rosie Morales
Release Date:24/07/1987
Down and Out in Beverly Hills
Character:Carmen
Release Date:31/01/1986
Crossover Dreams
Character:Liz Garcia
Release Date:23/08/1985
They All Laughed
Character:Rita
Release Date:20/11/1981
Times Square
Character:Disco Hostess
Release Date:17/10/1980
El Super
Character:Aurelita
Release Date:28/04/1979
Television Appearances
Charlie's Angels
Character:Warden Gloria Galvez
Modern Family
Character:Pilar Ramírez
Ghost Whisperer
Character:Marla
American Dad!
Character:Store Owner (voice)
Numb3rs
Character:Sonya Benavides
Maya & Miguel
Character:Rosa Santos (voice)
Justice League Unlimited
Character:Paran-Dul (voice)
NCIS
Character:Lina Reyes
Without a Trace
Character:Rosie Diaz
CSI: Miami
Character:Mercedes Escalante
Justice League
Character:Paran Dul (voice)
Boston Public
Character:Superintendent Elizabeth Vasquez
Resurrection Blvd.
Character:Beatrice 'Bibi' Corrales
Dellaventura
Character:Simone
Two
Character:Elizabeth Gaitan
The Invaders
Character:Ellen Garza
The Outer Limits
Character:Dr. Jennifer Martinez
Dream On
Character:Debra
Shannon's Deal
Character:Lucy Acosta
Drug Wars: The Camarena Story
Character:Mika Camarena
I Married Dora
Character:Dora Calderon
L.A. Law
Character:Jinx Baldasseri
Tough Cookies
Character:
Cagney & Lacey
Character:
T. J. Hooker
Character:Maria
Hill Street Blues
Character:
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