Elizabeth Peña
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- September 23, 1959
- Died
- October 14, 2014 (aged 55)
- Birthplace
- Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA
Biography
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.
Known For
Photos
Filmography
The Song of Sway Lake
Movie · as Marlena
Ana Maria in Novela Land
Movie · as Sra. Soto
Grandma
Movie · as Carla
Girl on the Edge
Movie · as Esther
In the Dark
Movie · as Dr. Weinette
Blaze You Out
Movie · as Dona
Plush
Movie · as Dr. Lopez
Common Law
TV · as Travis' Foster Mother · 1 ep
The Perfect Family
Movie · as Christina Rayes
Charlie's Angels
TV · as Warden Gloria Galvez · 1 ep
Down for Life
Movie · as Mrs. Castro
Mother and Child
Movie · as Lawyer
Modern Family
TV · as Pilar Ramírez · 2 eps
Nothing Like the Holidays
Movie · as Anna Rodriguez
Racing for Time
Movie · as Flores
A Single Woman
Movie · as Storyteller
Dragon Wars: D-War
Movie · as Agent Linda Perez
Goal II: Living the Dream
Movie · as Rosa Maria
Love Comes Lately
Movie · as Esperanza
Adrift in Manhattan
Movie · as Isabel Parades
Transamerica
Movie · as Margaret
Down in the Valley
Movie · as Gale
How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer
Movie · as Lolita
Sueno
Movie · as Mirabela
Keep Your Distance
Movie · as Holly
The Lost City
Movie · as Miliciana (Zoraida) Muñoz
Numb3rs
TV · as Sonya Benavides · 1 ep
American Dad!
TV · as Store Owner (voice) · 1 ep
Ghost Whisperer
TV · as Marla · 1 ep
The Hollywood Mom's Mystery
Movie · as Theresa Shoe
Suburban Madness
Movie · as Clara Harris
The Incredibles
Movie · as Mirage (voice)
Justice League: Starcrossed - The Movie
Movie · as Paran Dul (voice)
Maya & Miguel
TV · as Rosa Santos (voice) · 70 eps
Justice League Unlimited
TV · as Paran-Dul (voice) · 1 ep
NCIS
TV · as Lina Reyes · 1 ep
Zig Zag
Movie · as Ms. Tate
Ten Tiny Love Stories
Movie
Without a Trace
TV · as Rosie Diaz · 1 ep
CSI: Miami
TV · as Mercedes Escalante · 1 ep
Tortilla Soup
Movie · as Leticia Narnjo
On the Borderline
Movie · as Connie
Things Behind the Sun
Movie · as Carmen
Impostor
Movie · as Midwife (as Elizabeth Pena)
Justice League
TV · as Paran Dul (voice) · 3 eps
Seven Girlfriends
Movie · as Martha
Boston Public
TV · as Superintendent Elizabeth Vasquez · 2 eps
Resurrection Blvd.
TV · as Beatrice 'Bibi' Corrales · 53 eps
Border Line
Movie · as Maria Rodriguez
A Piece of the Action: Behind the Scenes of Rush Hour
Movie · as Self
Rush Hour
Movie · as Johnson
Strangeland
Movie · as Toni Gage
The Pass
Movie · as Zeena
Aldrich Ames: Traitor Within
Movie · as Rosario Ames
Contagious
Movie · as Det. Luisa Rojas
The Second Civil War
Movie · as Christina Fernandez
Gridlock'd
Movie · as Admissions Person
Dellaventura
TV · as Simone · 1 ep
Lone Star
Movie · as Pilar Cruz
Recon
Movie · as Officer Santiago
Two
TV · as Elizabeth Gaitan · 1 ep
The Invaders
Movie · as Ellen Garza
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home
Movie · as Kate Haley
It Came from Outer Space II
Movie · as Ellen Fields
The Outer Limits
TV · as Dr. Jennifer Martinez · 1 ep
The Invaders
TV · as Ellen Garza · 2 eps
Across the Moon
Movie · as Carmen
Roommates
Movie · as Lisa
Dead Funny
Movie · as Viv Saunders
The Waterdance
Movie · as Rosa
Fugitive Among Us
Movie · as Flo Martin
Jacob's Ladder
Movie · as Jezzie
Blue Steel
Movie · as Tracy Perez
Building 'Jacob's Ladder'
Movie · as Self
Shannon's Deal
TV · as Lucy Acosta · 14 eps
Drug Wars: The Camarena Story
TV · as Mika Camarena · 3 eps
Dream On
TV · as Debra · 1 ep
Shannon's Deal
Movie · as Lucy Acosta
Vibes
Movie · as Consuelo
*batteries not included
Movie · as Marisa Esteval
La Bamba
Movie · as Rosie Morales
I Married Dora
TV · as Dora Calderon · 13 eps
Down and Out in Beverly Hills
Movie · as Carmen
L.A. Law
TV · as Jinx Baldasseri · 4 eps
Tough Cookies
TV · 8 eps
Crossover Dreams
Movie · as Liz Garcia
T. J. Hooker
TV · as Maria · 1 ep
Cagney & Lacey
TV · 1 ep
They All Laughed
Movie · as Rita
Hill Street Blues
TV · 1 ep
Times Square
Movie · as Disco Hostess
El Super
Movie · as Aurelita