Elizabeth Peña
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.
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Movies (65)
The Song of Sway Lake
2019 · Marlena
Mi abuela
2015 · Carla
Ana Maria in Novela Land
2015 · Sra. Soto
Girl on the Edge
2015 · Esther
Plush
2013 · Dr. Lopez
Blaze You Out
2013 · Dona
In the Dark
2013 · Dr. Weinette
La familia perfecta
2011 · Christina Rayes
Down for Life
2010 · Mrs. Castro
Amor de madres
2009 · Lawyer
Nada como las vacaciones
2008 · Anna Rodriguez
A Single Woman
2008 · Storyteller
Racing for Time
2008 · Flores
Love Comes Lately
2007 · Esperanza
Dragon Wars: D-War
2007 · Agent Linda Perez
Gol 2
2007 · Rosa Maria
Adrift in Manhattan
2007 · Isabel Parades
Sueno
2005 · Mirabela
The Lost City
2005 · Miliciana (Zoraida) Muñoz
Keep Your Distance
2005 · Holly
En el valle
2005 · Gale
Transamerica
2005 · Margaret
How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer
2005 · Lolita
Los increíbles
2004 · Mirage (voice)
Suburban Madness
2004 · Clara Harris
The Hollywood Mom's Mystery
2004 · Theresa Shoe
La Liga De La Justicia: Desventurados
2004 · Paran Dul (voice)
Ten Tiny Love Stories
2002
Zig Zag
2002 · Ms. Tate
El Impostor
2001 · Midwife (as Elizabeth Pena)
On the Borderline
2001 · Connie
Things Behind the Sun
2001 · Carmen
Sopa de tortilla
2001 · Leticia Narnjo
Seven Girlfriends
2000 · Martha
A Piece of the Action: Behind the Scenes of Rush Hour
1999 · Self
Border Line
1999 · Maria Rodriguez
Aldrich Ames: Traitor Within
1998 · Rosario Ames
Strangeland
1998 · Toni Gage
Rush Hour
1998 · Johnson
The Pass
1998 · Zeena
The Second Civil War
1997 · Christina Fernandez
Gridlock'd
1997 · Admissions Person
Contagious
1997 · Det. Luisa Rojas
Recon
1996 · Officer Santiago
Lone Star
1996 · Pilar Cruz
It Came from Outer Space II
1995 · Ellen Fields
The Invaders
1995 · Ellen Garza
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home
1995 · Kate Haley
Across the Moon
1994 · Carmen
Roommates
1994 · Lisa
Dead Funny
1994 · Viv Saunders
The Waterdance
1992 · Rosa
Fugitive Among Us
1992 · Flo Martin
Building 'Jacob's Ladder'
1990 · Self
Jacob's Ladder
1990 · Jezzie
Blue Steel
1990 · Tracy Perez
Shannon's Deal
1989 · Lucy Acosta
Vibes
1988 · Consuelo
*batteries not included
1987 · Marisa Esteval
La Bamba
1987 · Rosie Morales
Down and Out in Beverly Hills
1986 · Carmen
Crossover Dreams
1985 · Liz Garcia
They All Laughed
1981 · Rita
Times Square
1980 · Disco Hostess
El Super
1979 · Aurelita
TV shows (27)
Common Law
2012 · Travis' Foster Mother
Los ángeles de Charlie
2011 · Warden Gloria Galvez
Una Familia Moderna
2009 · Pilar Ramírez
Almas perdidas
2005 · Marla
American Dad!
2005 · Store Owner (voice)
Numb3rs
2005 · Sonya Benavides
Maya & Miguel
2004 · Rosa Santos (voice)
Liga de la Justicia Ilimitada
2004 · Paran-Dul (voice)
NCIS
2003 · Lina Reyes
Sin rastro
2002 · Rosie Diaz
CSI: Miami
2002 · Mercedes Escalante
Liga de la Justicia
2001 · Paran Dul (voice)
Boston Public
2000 · Superintendent Elizabeth Vasquez
Resurrection Blvd.
2000 · Beatrice 'Bibi' Corrales
Dellaventura
1997 · Simone
Two
1996 · Elizabeth Gaitan
The Invaders
1995 · Ellen Garza
The Outer Limits
1995 · Dr. Jennifer Martinez
Dream On
1990 · Debra
Shannon's Deal
1990 · Lucy Acosta
Drug Wars: The Camarena Story
1990 · Mika Camarena
I Married Dora
1987 · Dora Calderon
L.A. Law
1986 · Jinx Baldasseri
Tough Cookies
1986
Cagney & Lacey
1982
T. J. Hooker
1982 · Maria
Hill Street Blues
1981