x

Login

Remember me
Forget password ?

Or via social

x

sign up

person_profile-Elizabeth Peña

Elizabeth Peña Died at age: 55

Actor | Producer

Date of Birth:

Sep 23, 1959

Country of birth:

USA

Died:

Oct 14, 2014

Biography of

Elizabeth Peña

    Elizabeth Peña (September 23, 1961 - 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.

Photos of

Elizabeth Peña

Photos ( 3 Photos

Filmography of

Elizabeth Peña

Found 60 Movies in total

The Song of Sway Lake

Marlena ( Actor )

... 2019

Grandma

Carla ( Actor )

... 2015

Ana Maria in Novela Land

Sra. Soto ( Actor )

... 2015

Girl on the Edge

Esther ( Actor )

... 2015

Plush

Dr. Lopez ( Actor )

... 2013

Blaze You Out

Dona ( Actor )

... 2013

In the Dark

Dr. Weinette ( Actor )

... 2013

The Perfect Family

Christina Rayes ( Actor )

... 2011

Down for Life

Mrs. Castro ( Actor )

... 2010

Mother and Child

Lawyer ( Actor )

... 2009

Nothing Like the Holidays

Anna Rodriguez ( Actor )

... 2008

A Single Woman

Storyteller ( Actor )

... 2008

Racing for Time

Flores ( Actor )

... 2008

Love Comes Lately

Esperanza ( Actor )

... 2007

Dragon Wars: D-War

Agent Linda Perez ( Actor )

... 2007

Goal II: Living the Dream

Rosa Maria ( Actor )

... 2007

Adrift in Manhattan

Isabel Parades ( Actor )

... 2007

Sueno

Mirabela ( Actor )

... 2005

Keep Your Distance

Holly ( Actor )

... 2005

Down in the Valley

Gale ( Actor )

... 2005

Transamerica

Margaret ( Actor )

... 2005

The Incredibles

Mirage (voice) ( Actor )

... 2004

Suburban Madness

Clara Harris ( Actor )

... 2004

The Hollywood Mom's Mystery

Theresa Shoe ( Actor )

... 2004

Justice League: Starcrossed - The Movie

Paran Dul (voice) ( Actor )

... 2004

Zig Zag

Ms. Tate ( Actor )

... 2002

Impostor

Midwife (as Elizabeth Pena) ( Actor )

... 2001

On the Borderline

Connie ( Actor )

... 2001

Things Behind the Sun

Carmen ( Actor )

... 2001

Tortilla Soup

Leticia Narnjo ( Actor )

... 2001

Seven Girlfriends

Martha ( Actor )

... 2000

Border Line

Maria Rodriguez ( Actor )

... 1999

Aldrich Ames: Traitor Within

Rosario Ames ( Actor )

... 1998

Strangeland

Toni Gage ( Actor )

... 1998

Rush Hour

Johnson ( Actor )

... 1998

The Pass

Zeena ( Actor )

... 1998

The Second Civil War

Christina ( Actor )

... 1997

Contagious

Det. Luisa Rojas ( Actor )

... 1997

Lone Star

Pilar ( Actor )

... 1996

It Came from Outer Space II

Ellen Fields ( Actor )

... 1995

The Invaders

Ellen Garza ( Actor )

... 1995

... 1995

Across the Moon

Carmen ( Actor )

... 1994

Roommates

Lisa ( Actor )

... 1994

Dead Funny

Viv Saunders ( Actor )

... 1994

The Waterdance

Rosa ( Actor )

... 1992

Fugitive Among Us

Flo Martin ( Actor )

... 1992

Jacob's Ladder

Jezzie ( Actor )

... 1990

Blue Steel

Tracy Perez ( Actor )

... 1990

Shannon's Deal

Lucy Acosta ( Actor )

... 1989

Vibes

Consuelo ( Actor )

... 1988

*batteries not included

Marisa Esteval ( Actor )

... 1987

La Bamba

Rosie Morales ( Actor )

... 1987

... 1986

They All Laughed

Rita ( Actor )

... 1981

Times Square

Disco Hostess ( Actor )

... 1980

El Super

Aurelita ( Actor )

... 1979