CineScope
Elizabeth Peña picture

Elizabeth Peña

Acting
Known For

55 Years Old

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.

Born

Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA on 23rd September 1959

Died

14th October 2014

All Credits

NCIS Image
NCIS
Lina Reyes
American Dad! Image
American Dad!
Store Owner (voice)
Without a Trace Image
Without a Trace
Rosie Diaz
CSI: Miami Image
CSI: Miami
Mercedes Escalante
Modern Family Image
Modern Family
Pilar Ramírez
L.A. Law Image
L.A. Law
Jinx Baldasseri
Ghost Whisperer Image
Ghost Whisperer
Marla
Numb3rs Image
Numb3rs
Sonya Benavides
Maya & Miguel Image
Maya & Miguel
Rosa Santos (voice)
Justice League Unlimited Image
Justice League Unlimited
Paran-Dul (voice)
T. J. Hooker Image
T. J. Hooker
Maria
Shannon's Deal Image
Shannon's Deal
Lucy Acosta
Resurrection Blvd. Image
Resurrection Blvd.
Beatrice 'Bibi' Corrales
Justice League Image
Justice League
Paran Dul (voice)
Hill Street Blues Image
Hill Street Blues
The Outer Limits Image
The Outer Limits
Dr. Jennifer Martinez
Drug Wars: The Camarena Story Image
Drug Wars: The Camarena Story
Mika Camarena
The Incredibles Image
The Incredibles
Mirage (voice)
Rush Hour Image
Rush Hour
Johnson
Boston Public Image
Boston Public
Superintendent Elizabeth Vasquez
Cagney & Lacey Image
Cagney & Lacey
Charlie's Angels Image
Charlie's Angels
Warden Gloria Galvez
Dellaventura Image
Dellaventura
Simone
Dream On Image
Dream On
Debra
La Bamba Image
La Bamba
Rosie Morales
Jacob's Ladder Image
Jacob's Ladder
Jezzie
No Image
Tough Cookies
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home Image
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home
Kate Haley
*batteries not included Image
*batteries not included
Marisa Esteval
Dragon Wars: D-War Image
Dragon Wars: D-War
Agent Linda Perez
Blue Steel Image
Blue Steel
Tracy Perez
Impostor Image
Impostor
Midwife (as Elizabeth Pena)
No Image
I Married Dora
Goal II: Living the Dream Image
Goal II: Living the Dream
Rosa Maria
Lone Star Image
Lone Star
Pilar
Two Image
Two
Elizabeth Gaitan
Down and Out in Beverly Hills Image
Down and Out in Beverly Hills
Carmen
Mother and Child Image
Mother and Child
Lawyer
Down in the Valley Image
Down in the Valley
Gale
Vibes Image
Vibes
Consuelo
The Second Civil War Image
The Second Civil War
Christina
Transamerica Image
Transamerica
Margaret
Grandma Image
Grandma
Carla
The Second Civil War Image
The Second Civil War
Christina Fernandez
They All Laughed Image
They All Laughed
Rita
Zig Zag Image
Zig Zag
Ms. Tate
Roommates Image
Roommates
Lisa
Plush Image
Plush
Dr. Lopez
The Waterdance Image
The Waterdance
Rosa
The Invaders Image
The Invaders
Ellen Garza
Times Square Image
Times Square
Disco Hostess
Keep Your Distance Image
Keep Your Distance
Holly
Tortilla Soup Image
Tortilla Soup
Leticia Narnjo
Justice League: Starcrossed - The Movie Image
Justice League: Starcrossed - The Movie
Paran Dul (voice)
Seven Girlfriends Image
Seven Girlfriends
Martha
Contagious Image
Contagious
Det. Luisa Rojas
Strangeland Image
Strangeland
Toni Gage
In the Dark Image
In the Dark
Dr. Weinette
Nothing Like the Holidays Image
Nothing Like the Holidays
Anna Rodriguez
Sueno Image
Sueno
Mirabela
Things Behind the Sun Image
Things Behind the Sun
Carmen
The Song of Sway Lake Image
The Song of Sway Lake
Marlena
The Perfect Family Image
The Perfect Family
Christina Rayes
Ten Tiny Love Stories Image
Ten Tiny Love Stories
Down for Life Image
Down for Life
Mrs. Castro
Girl on the Edge Image
Girl on the Edge
Esther
Across the Moon Image
Across the Moon
Carmen
The Pass Image
The Pass
Zeena
A Single Woman Image
A Single Woman
Storyteller
Adrift in Manhattan Image
Adrift in Manhattan
Isabel Parades
Ana Maria in Novela Land Image
Ana Maria in Novela Land
Sra. Soto
Blaze You Out Image
Blaze You Out
Dona
Racing for Time Image
Racing for Time
Flores
Love Comes Lately Image
Love Comes Lately
Esperanza
Border Line Image
Border Line
Maria Rodriguez
Suburban Madness Image
Suburban Madness
Clara Harris
The Invaders Image
The Invaders
Ellen Garza
The Hollywood Mom's Mystery Image
The Hollywood Mom's Mystery
Theresa Shoe
It Came from Outer Space II Image
It Came from Outer Space II
Ellen Fields
Building 'Jacob's Ladder' Image
Building 'Jacob's Ladder'
Self
Dead Funny Image
Dead Funny
Viv Saunders
Shannon's Deal Image
Shannon's Deal
Lucy Acosta
Fugitive Among Us Image
Fugitive Among Us
Flo Martin
On the Borderline Image
On the Borderline
Connie
Aldrich Ames: Traitor Within Image
Aldrich Ames: Traitor Within
Rosario Ames
No Image
Crossover Dreams
Liz Garcia
El Super Image
El Super
Aurelita
How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer Image
How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer
Lolita
No Image
Recon
Officer Santiago