Elizabeth Peña
Elizabeth Peña | |
|---|---|
 Peña in 2009 | |
| Born | Elizabeth Maria Peña September 23, 1959 Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | October 14, 2014 (aged 55) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1979–2014 |
| Spouses |
Hans Rolla (m. 1994) |
| Children | 2 |
Elizabeth Maria Peña (September 23, 1959 – October 14, 2014) was an American actress. Her film credits include Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986), Batteries Not Included, La Bamba (both 1987), Jacob's Ladder (1990), Rush Hour (1998), The Incredibles (2004), and Nothing like the Holidays (2008). Peña won the 1996 Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female and a Bravo Award for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film for her work in Lone Star (1996). She also voiced Rosa Santos in the animated television series Maya & Miguel and Mirage in The Incredibles. Peña was a founding member of the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors (HOLA).
Early life
[edit]Peña was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, on September 23, 1959, to Mario and Estella Margarita Peña.[1] Mario Peña was a Cuban[2] actor, playwright, director, and designer, and Estella Margarita Peña was a producer.[1] The Peña family moved to Cuba when Elizabeth was less than a year old; she returned to the United States at the age of nine,[3] after which time she and her family resided in New York City. Peña's parents founded the Latin American Theatre Ensemble. In 1977, Peña graduated from New York's High School of Performing Arts.[4]
Career
[edit] | This section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2021) |
In 1979, Peña made her film debut in El Super, a "moving and melancholy comedy about a family of lower middle class Cuban refugees attempting to adjust to life in Spanish Harlem".[5] She worked once again with director Leon Ichaso in his next feature, Crossover Dreams.
Peña starred in I Married Dora, a sitcom (1987-1988), as the title character.[3] She also starred in John Sayles's produced critically acclaimed but short-lived television series Shannon's Deal (1989–1991).
Peña appeared in films such as Nothing like the Holidays, La Bamba, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Jacob's Ladder, *batteries not included, Blue Steel, 1997's Gridlock'd as ER Admissions Person (under the name Elizabeth Anne Dickinson), Vibes, and Rush Hour.
In 1996, Sayles wrote and directed the mystery film Lone Star and again cast Peña in a co-starring role, for which she won the 1996 Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actress and a Bravo Award for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film from the National Council of La Raza.
In 2002, Peña starred in Showtime's Resurrection Blvd. as Bibi Corrades in the episode "Justicia"; she directed an episode of the show.[3] In 2003, she appeared in and directed "It Was Fun While It Lasted", an episode of The Brothers Garcia.
Peña was the fourth Latina to join the Directors' Guild of America.[3]
Peña also voiced Mirage in Pixar's animated film The Incredibles.[3] She guest-starred in the 18th episode of season 2 of Numb3rs as Sonya Benavides, and in season 4 of Modern Family as Pilar, the Colombian mother of Gloria Pritchett.
Peña co-founded the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors.[1] She acted in 45 films.[4]
Personal life and death
[edit]Peña married television producer William Stephan Kibler in 1988. Their marriage later ended in divorce. In 1994, Peña married Hans Rolla, with whom she had two children, Fiona and Kaelan.[4]
Peña died on October 14, 2014, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 55.[3][4][6] The cause of death listed on her death certificate was cirrhosis of the liver due to alcohol, which caused acute gastrointestinal bleeding, cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest.[7][8]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | El Super | Aurelita | |
| 1980 | Times Square | Disco Hostess | |
| 1981 | They All Laughed | Rita | |
| 1985 | Crossover Dreams | Liz Garcia | |
| 1986 | Down and Out in Beverly Hills | Carmen | |
| 1987 | La Bamba | Rosie Morales | |
| *batteries not included | Marisa Esteval | ||
| 1988 | Vibes | Consuelo | |
| 1990 | Blue Steel | Tracy Perez | |
| Jacob's Ladder | Jezebel "Jezzie" Pipkin | ||
| 1992 | The Waterdance | Rosa | |
| 1994 | Dead Funny | Vivian "Viv" Saunders | |
| 1995 | Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home | Kate Haley | |
| 1996 | Lone Star | Pilar Cruz | |
| 1997 | Gridlock'd | Admissions Person | |
| 1998 | Rush Hour | Detective Tania Johnson | |
| Strangeland | Toni Gage | ||
| 1999 | Seven Girlfriends | Martha | |
| 2001 | Things Behind the Sun | Carmen | |
| Tortilla Soup | Leticia Naranjo | ||
| Impostor | Midwife | ||
| 2002 | Zig Zag | Ms. Tate | |
| 2004 | The Incredibles | Mirage (voice) | [9] |
| 2005 | How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer | Lolita | |
| Transamerica | Margaret | ||
| Down in the Valley | Gale | ||
| Sueño | Mirabela | ||
| The Lost City | Miliciana Muñoz | ||
| 2007 | Adrift in Manhattan | Isabel Parades | |
| Goal II: Living the Dream | Rosa Maria | ||
| D-War | FBI Agent Linda Perez | ||
| Love Comes Lately | Esperanza | ||
| 2008 | A Single Woman | Storyteller | |
| Nothing like the Holidays | Anna Rodriguez | ||
| 2009 | Mother and Child | Amanda | |
| Down for Life | Mrs. Castro | ||
| 2011 | The Perfect Family | Christina Reyes | |
| 2013 | Plush | Dr. Lopez | |
| 2015 | Grandma | Carla | Posthumous release |
| Girl on the Edge | Esther | ||
| Ana Maria in Novela Land | Senora Soto | ||
| 2018 | The Song of Sway Lake | Marlena | Final film role; Posthumous release |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Cagney & Lacey | Adelita Carrena | Episode: "Ordinary Hero" |
| 1985 | T. J. Hooker | Maria | Episode: "Rip-Off" |
| 1986 | Hill Street Blues | Alice | Episode: "Come and Get It" |
| 1986 | Tough Cookies | Connie Rivera | Main role, 6 episodes |
| 1987–1988 | I Married Dora | Dora Calderon | Main role, 13 episodes |
| 1989 | Shannon's Deal | Lucy Acosta | Television film |
| 1990 | Drug Wars: The Camarena Story | Mika Camarena | Miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 1990–1991 | Shannon's Deal | Lucy Acosta | Main role, 11 episodes |
| 1993 | Dream On | Debra | Episode: "Super Freak" |
| 1993–1994 | L.A. Law | Jinx Baldasseri | 4 episodes |
| 1994 | Roommates | Lisa | Television film |
| 1995 | The Outer Limits | Dr. Jennifer Martinez | Episode: "Living Hell" |
| 1995 | The Invaders | Ellen Garza | Miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 1997 | The Second Civil War | Christina | Television film |
| 1997 | Dead Man's Gun | Gisella | Episode: "Fortune Teller" |
| 2000–2001 | Resurrection Blvd. | Beatriz "Bibi" Corrales | 21 episodes |
| 2002–2003 | Boston Public | Superintendent Elizabeth Vasquez | 2 episodes |
| 2003 | CSI: Miami | Mercedes Escalante | Episode: "Simple Man" |
| 2003 | The Brothers García | — | Director, 1 episode |
| 2004 | Suburban Madness | Clara Harris | Television film |
| 2004 | NCIS | FBI Agent Lina Reyes | Episode: "Terminal Leave" |
| 2004 | Justice League | Paran Dul (voice) | Episode: "Starcrossed"[9] |
| 2005 | Without a Trace | Rosie Diaz | Episode: "Neither Rain Nor Sleet" |
| 2005–2009 | Maya & Miguel | Rosa Santos (voice) | Main cast[9] |
| 2005 | Numb3rs | Sonya Benavides | Episode: "Assassin" |
| 2005 | Justice League Unlimited | Paran Dul (voice) | Episode: "Hunter's Moon"[9] |
| 2006 | Minoriteam | Maria, Gold Digger (voice) | Episode: "Landon in Love" |
| 2007 | American Dad! | Store Owner (voice) | Episode: "American Dream Factory" |
| 2008 | Racing for Time | Flores | Television film |
| 2009 | Ghost Whisperer | Marla | Episode: "This Joint's Haunted" |
| 2011 | Off the Map | Inez | 4 episodes |
| 2013 | Major Crimes | Rosa Vega | Episode: "Under the Influence" |
| 2013 | Modern Family | Pilar | 2 episodes |
| 2014 | Matador | Maritza Sandoval | Recurring role, 7 episodes[10] |
Video games
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | The Incredibles | Mirage | Voice |
| 2013 | Disney Infinity |
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Garcia, Catherine (January 9, 2015). "Actress Elizabeth Pena dies at 55". theweek.com.
- ^ Slotnick, Daniel (October 16, 2014). "Elizabeth Peña, Actress on the Big and Small Screens, Dies at 55". The New York Times.
- ^ a b c d e f Couch, Aaron; Barnes, Mike (October 15, 2014). "Actress Elizabeth Pena Dies at 55". hollywoodreporter.com.
- ^ a b c d Woo, Elaine (October 16, 2014). "Elizabeth Pena dies at 55; actress in 'The Incredibles,' 'La Bamba'". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Canby, Vincent (March 29, 1985). "'Crossover Dreams', with salsa beat". The New York Times. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
- ^ Robles, Mario-Francisco (October 15, 2014). "Breaking: Prolific Hispanic Actress Elizabeth Peña Has Passed Away". LatinoReview.com. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
- ^ Maria Puente (October 23, 2014). "Alcoholism was a cause in Elizabeth Pena's death". USA TODAY. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
- ^ "Certificate of Death" (PDF). California. 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 17, 2015.
- ^ a b c d "Elizabeth Peña (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved October 27, 2023. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
- ^ Bibel, Sara (April 3, 2014). "Tanc Sade, Elizabeth Pena & More Join Cast of El Rey's 'Matador'". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 5, 2014. Retrieved April 3, 2014.
External links
[edit]
- 1959 births
- 2014 deaths
- 20th-century American actresses
- 21st-century American actresses
- Actresses from Elizabeth, New Jersey
- Alcohol-related deaths in California
- American entertainers of Cuban descent
- American film actresses
- American stage actresses
- American television actresses
- American voice actresses
- Deaths from cirrhosis
- Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School alumni
- Hispanic and Latino American actresses
- Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female winners