Elizabeth Peña
Acting • Born 1959-09-23 – Died 2014-10-14
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.
Filmography
91 credits
Transamerica
Movie • 2005
Margaret
Rush Hour
Movie • 1998
Johnson
Jacob's Ladder
Movie • 1990
Jezzie
Dragon Wars: D-War
Movie • 2007
Agent Linda Perez
Mother and Child
Movie • 2009
Lawyer
*batteries not included
Movie • 1987
Marisa Esteval
Down in the Valley
Movie • 2005
Gale
Blue Steel
Movie • 1990
Tracy Perez
Nothing Like the Holidays
Movie • 2008
Anna Rodriguez
How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer
Movie • 2005
Lolita
Goal II: Living the Dream
Movie • 2007
Rosa Maria
Lone Star
Movie • 1996
Pilar Cruz
Strangeland
Movie • 1998
Toni Gage
Tortilla Soup
Movie • 2001
Leticia Narnjo
Racing for Time
Movie • 2008
Flores
Down for Life
Movie • 2010
Mrs. Castro
The Waterdance
Movie • 1992
Rosa
La Bamba
Movie • 1987
Rosie Morales
The Hollywood Mom's Mystery
Movie • 2004
Theresa Shoe
The Invaders
Movie • 1995
Ellen Garza
The Perfect Family
Movie • 2011
Christina Rayes
Love Comes Lately
Movie • 2007
Esperanza
Shannon's Deal
Movie • 1989
Lucy Acosta
Sueno
Movie • 2005
Mirabela
On the Borderline
Movie • 2001
Connie
The Pass
Movie • 1998
Zeena
Aldrich Ames: Traitor Within
Movie • 1998
Rosario Ames
Contagious
Movie • 1997
Det. Luisa Rojas
Suburban Madness
Movie • 2004
Clara Harris
In the Dark
Movie • 2013
Dr. Weinette
Blaze You Out
Movie • 2013
Dona
Across the Moon
Movie • 1994
Carmen
Roommates
Movie • 1994
Lisa
El Super
Movie • 1979
Aurelita
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home
Movie • 1995
Kate Haley
The Second Civil War
Movie • 1997
Christina Fernandez
Down and Out in Beverly Hills
Movie • 1986
Carmen
Crossover Dreams
Movie • 1985
Liz Garcia
Dead Funny
Movie • 1994
Viv Saunders
Ana Maria in Novela Land
Movie • 2015
Sra. Soto
Adrift in Manhattan
Movie • 2007
Isabel Parades
Grandma
Movie • 2015
Carla
Keep Your Distance
Movie • 2005
Holly
It Came from Outer Space II
Movie • 1995
Ellen Fields
The Incredibles
Movie • 2004
Mirage (voice)
Justice League: Starcrossed - The Movie
Movie • 2004
Paran Dul (voice)
Girl on the Edge
Movie • 2015
Esther
Things Behind the Sun
Movie • 2001
Carmen
Plush
Movie • 2013
Dr. Lopez
Times Square
Movie • 1980
Disco Hostess
Vibes
Movie • 1988
Consuelo
Fugitive Among Us
Movie • 1992
Flo Martin
Border Line
Movie • 1999
Maria Rodriguez
A Single Woman
Movie • 2008
Storyteller
Zig Zag
Movie • 2002
Ms. Tate
Ten Tiny Love Stories
Movie • 2002
Seven Girlfriends
Movie • 2000
Martha
The Song of Sway Lake
Movie • 2019
Marlena
Impostor
Movie • 2001
Midwife (as Elizabeth Pena)
They All Laughed
Movie • 1981
Rita
Building 'Jacob's Ladder'
Movie • 1990
Self
Recon
Movie • 1996
Officer Santiago
Gridlock'd
Movie • 1997
Admissions Person
The Lost City
Movie • 2005
Miliciana (Zoraida) Muñoz
A Piece of the Action: Behind the Scenes of Rush Hour
Movie • 1999
Self
L.A. Law
TV • 1986
Jinx Baldasseri
Boston Public
TV • 2000
Superintendent Elizabeth Vasquez
Numb3rs
TV • 2005
Sonya Benavides
American Dad!
TV • 2005
Store Owner (voice)
T. J. Hooker
TV • 1982
Maria
Ghost Whisperer
TV • 2005
Marla
Maya & Miguel
TV • 2004
Rosa Santos (voice)
Hill Street Blues
TV • 1981
Without a Trace
TV • 2002
Rosie Diaz
Cagney & Lacey
TV • 1982
NCIS
TV • 2003
Lina Reyes
I Married Dora
TV • 1987
Dora Calderon
Resurrection Blvd.
TV • 2000
Beatrice 'Bibi' Corrales
Shannon's Deal
TV • 1990
Lucy Acosta
The Outer Limits
TV • 1995
Dr. Jennifer Martinez
Tough Cookies
TV • 1986
Charlie's Angels
TV • 2011
Warden Gloria Galvez
Justice League
TV • 2001
Paran Dul (voice)
Justice League Unlimited
TV • 2004
Paran-Dul (voice)
Drug Wars: The Camarena Story
TV • 1990
Mika Camarena
CSI: Miami
TV • 2002
Mercedes Escalante
The Invaders
TV • 1995
Ellen Garza
Modern Family
TV • 2009
Pilar Ramírez
Two
TV • 1996
Elizabeth Gaitan
Dream On
TV • 1990
Debra
Dellaventura
TV • 1997
Simone