# Elizabeth Rodriguez

Elizabeth Rodriguez is an American actress. She began her career appearing in films Fresh (1994), Dead Presidents (1995), I Think I Do (1997) and Blow (2001). She played Detective Gina Calabrese in the 2006 film adaptation of Miami Vice.
Rodriguez received a Tony Award nomination and won an Outer Critics Circle Award and a Theatre World Award for her performance in Stephen Adly Guirgis' 2011 play The Motherfucker with the Hat. On television, Rodriguez starred as Aleida Diaz in the Netflix comedy-drama series, Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019). In 2015, she starred in the first season of AMC's post-apocalyptic horror drama series Fear the Walking Dead. She also had recurring roles in Power, Power Book II: Ghost and Shameless and was regular cast member in Prime Suspect and East New York. She also appeared in films The Drop (2014) and Logan (2017). She co-wrote and starred in the 2022 comedy-drama film, Allswell in New York.

## Early life

Rodriguez was born to Puerto Rican parents and raised in Manhattan, New York City. She went to Brandeis High School and Lehman College in the Bronx. She later spent two years at the William Esper Studio in New York and worked as a hair stylist before acting.

## Career

While still studying, Rodriguez began appearing on-screen playing supporting roles in films Fresh (1994), Dead Presidents (1995) and I Think I Do (1997). On television, Rodriguez made guest appearances in Law & Order, Lifestories: Families in Crisis and CBS Schoolbreak Special, before playing the recurring role in the police drama series, New York Undercover from 1994 to 1995. She later made appearances in New York News, NYPD Blue, Oz, City of Angels, Six Feet Under, ER, Third Watch and The Shield. She co-starred in the 1998 thriller film, Return to Paradise and played Martha Oliveras in the 2001 crime drama film, Blow. In 2006, Rodriguez appeared as Gina Calabrese in the action film, Miami Vice by Michael Mann.
Rodriguez performed in a number of Broadway and off-Broadway productions, such as Robbers, Robbers, Beauty of the Father, A View From 151st Street, and Unconditional. From 2008 to 2009, Rodriguez played the role of Carmen Morales in the ABC daytime soap opera, All My Children. In 2011, she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play and won Outer Critics Circle Award, as well as a Theatre World Award, for her role on Broadway play in Stephen Adly Guirgis's The Motherfucker with the Hat. In 2011, she had a series regular role on the short-lived NBC police drama series, Prime Suspect. She was nominated for an Imagen Award for her role in the feature film Tio Papi (2013), and the same year had secondary role in the Side Effects directed by Steven Soderbergh.
In 2013, Rodriguez began appearing in the recurring role of Aleida Diaz in the Netflix comedy-drama series, Orange Is the New Black; she was promoted to series regular in 2015. Along with the rest of the cast she received Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in both 2015 and 2016. Rodriguez also had recurring roles as Paz Valdes in the Starz drama series Power from 2014 to 2020, and as Special Agent Chavez in the NBC police procedural Grimm from 2014 to 2015. In 2014, she appeared in the crime films Glass Chin and The Drop.
In 2015, Rodriguez was cast in the series regular role on the AMC post-apocalyptic drama Fear the Walking Dead, the companion series for The Walking Dead. She left the series after the first season. The following year she had a recurring role in the Lifetime comedy-drama series, Devious Maids. In 2017, she appeared in Hugh Jackman's final Wolverine film Logan directed by James Mangold and starred in the second season of Hulu crime drama, Chance. In 2018, Rodriguez appeared in the teen drama film, Skate Kitchen. From 2019 to 2020 she had the recurring role in the Showtime comedy-drama series, Shameless.
In 2020, Rodriguez won a Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Actress and a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play nomination for her performance in Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven. In June 2021, Rodriguez voiced Rafa Martez in the Star Wars: The Bad Batch episode "Decommissioned".
In 2022, Rodriguez co-wrote, produced and played the leading role in the comedy-drama film, Allswell in New York. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and Rodriguez received Best Screenplay in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film Award. The film received positive reviews from critics. She also starred as a Vanessa del Rio's mother in the biographical drama film, Queen of Manhattan by Thomas Mignone From 2022 to 2023 she starred in the CBS police drama series, East New York.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1991 | Bedhead | The Nurse | |
| 1994 | Fresh | Consuela | |
| 1995 | Desperado | Mariachi Fan | |
| 1995 | Dead Presidents | Marisol | |
| 1997 | I Think I Do | Celia | |
| 1998 | Return to Paradise | Gaby | |
| 1999 | Golfballs! | Bentwood Girl | |
| 2001 | Acts of Worship | Jan | |
| 2001 | Blow | Martha Oliveras | |
| 2005 | Four Lane Highway | Sasha | |
| 2005 | Sueño | Carmen | |
| 2006 | Miami Vice | Gina Calabrese | |
| 2007 | Tracks of Color | Sonia Martinez | Short film |
| 2007 | On Bloody Sunday | Older Isabelle | |
| 2008 | A Line in the Sand | Martel | |
| 2010 | Jack Goes Boating | Waldorf Event Assistant | |
| 2010 | Pound of Flesh | Sgt. Rebecca Ferraro | |
| 2011 | All Things Fall Apart | Mrs. Lopez | |
| 2013 | Side Effects | Pharmacist | |
| 2013 | Tio Papi | Cheeky | |
| 2014 | Take Care | Nurse Janet | |
| 2014 | Glass Chin | Rita Sierra | |
| 2014 | The Drop | Detective Romsey | |
| 2016 | 11:55 | Angie | |
| 2017 | Logan | Gabriela Lopez | |
| 2018 | Skate Kitchen | Renata | |
| 2018 | Making Babies | Maria | |
| 2020 | Mighty | Leti | Short film |
| 2022 | Queen of Manhattan | Mama Sánchez | |
| 2022 | Allswell in New York | Daisy | Also writer and producer |
| 2022 | We Are Gathered Here Today | Gwen Cantu | |
| TBA | Tonight at Noon | Sarah | Post-production |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1994 | Lifestories: Families in Crisis | Erika | Episode: "POWER: The Eddie Matos Story" |
| 1994 | Law & Order | Elvira Juarez | Episode: "Old Friends" |
| 1994–1995 | New York Undercover | Gina | Recurring role, 5 episodes |
| 1995 | New York News | Tanya | 2 episodes |
| 1995 | Inflammable | Tanya Santos | Television film |
| 1995 | Law & Order | Caridad Montero | Episode: "Rebels" |
| 1995 | NYPD Blue | Amalia Lopez | Episode: "UnAmerican Graffiti" |
| 1997 | Oz | Maritza Alvarez | 2 episodes |
| 1998 | Trinity | Del Bianco | 2 episodes |
| 1999–2001 | ER | Nurse Sandra | 3 episodes |
| 2000 | NYPD Blue | Anita Rios | Episode: "Bats Off to Larry" |
| 2001 | Just Shoot Me! | Maria | Episode: "Finch and the Fighter" |
| 2001 | Six Feet Under | Sylvie | Episode: "Familia" |
| 2002 | Without Warning | Selena Sanchez | Television film |
| 2002 | Third Watch | Sergeant Chris Reyes | Episode: "The Chosen Few" |
| 2002–2003 | The Shield | Lita Valverde | 2 episodes |
| 2008–2009 | All My Children | Carmen Morales | 56 episodes |
| 2009 | Law & Order | Isabel Alvarez | Episode: "Boy Gone Astray" |
| 2009 | FlashForward | Ingrid Alvarez | Episode: "Playing Cards with Coyote" |
| 2010 | Cold Case | Gina Lopresi | Episode: "Bombers" |
| 2011–2012 | Prime Suspect | Det. Carolina Rivera | Recurring role, 5 episodes |
| 2012 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Carmen Vasquez | Episode: "Home Invasions" |
| 2013–2019 | Orange Is the New Black | Aleida Diaz | Main role, 53 episodes |
| 2014–2020 | Power | Paz Valdes | Recurring role |
| 2014–2015 | Grimm | Special Agent Chavez | Recurring role, 5 episodes |
| 2015–2016 | Fear the Walking Dead | Liza Ortiz | Main role (season 1); guest (season 2) 7 episodes |
| 2016 | Devious Maids | Josefina | 2 episodes |
| 2016 | Talking Dead | Herself | Episode: "Date of Death" |
| 2017 | Chance | Kristen Clayton | Recurring role (season 2) |
| 2019–2020 | Shameless | Faye Donahue | Recurring role (season 10) |
| 2020 | Star Wars: The Clone Wars | Rafa Martez (voice) | 4 episodes |
| 2020, 2023–2024 | Power Book II: Ghost | Paz Valdes | Guest role, Seasons 1, 3 and 4 |
| 2021 | The Good Doctor | Carina Bardo | Episode: "Waiting" |
| 2021 | Star Wars: The Bad Batch | Rafa Martez (voice) | Episode: "Decommissioned" |
| 2022–2023 | East New York | Detective Crystal Morales | Main cast |
| 2024 | Chicago P.D. (TV series) | Detective Suarez | Episode: "Pawns" |

## Theater

| Title | Role | Notes |
| Robbers by Lyle Kessler | Cleo | American Place Theatre Directed by Marshall Mason |
| The Last Days of Judas Iscariot by Stephen Adly Guirgis | Saint Monica | Joseph Papp Public Theater / Martinson Hall Directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman |
| Beauty of the Father by Nilo Cruz | Marina | New York City Center – Stage II Directed by Michael Greif |
| A View From 151st Street by Bob Glaudini | Irene | Joseph Papp Public Theater / LuEsther Hall Directed by Peter DuBois |
| Unconditional by Brett C. Leonard | Jessica | Joseph Papp Public Theater / LuEsther Hall Directed by Mark Wing-Davey |
| The Motherfucker with the Hat by Stephen Adly Guirgis | Veronica | Broadway Directed by Anna D. Shapiro |
| Roger and Vanessa by Brett C. Leonard | Vanessa | Actors' Gang Theatre, Los Angeles Directed by Silas Weir Mitchell |
| Den of Thieves by Stephen Adly Guirgis | Buchi | Black Dahlia Theater, Los Angeles Directed by Matt Shakman |
| Unorganized Crime by Kenny D'Aquila | Rosie | Elephant Theater, Los Angeles Directed by David Fofi |
| The Power of Duff by Stephen Belber | Sue Raspell | Geffen Theatre, Los Angeles Directed by Peter DuBois |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Association | Category | Work | Result |
| 2011 | Tony Award | Best Featured Actress in a Play | The Motherfucker with the Hat | Nominated |
| 2011 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | The Motherfucker with the Hat | Won |
| 2011 | Theatre World Awards | Lunt-Fontanne Award for Ensemble Excellence | The Motherfucker with the Hat | Won |
| 2013 | Imagen Foundation Awards | Best Supporting Actress – Feature Film | Tio Papi | Nominated |
| 2014 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Orange Is the New Black | Won |
| 2014 | Ovation Award | Lead Actress in a Play | Unorganized Crime | Nominated |
| 2015 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Orange Is the New Black | Won |
| 2016 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Orange Is the New Black | Won |
| 2017 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Orange Is the New Black | Nominated |
| 2020 | Obie Award | Distinguished Performance by an Actress | Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven | Won |
| 2020 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play | Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven | Nominated |
| 2021 | Tribeca Film Festival | Best Screenplay in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film | Allswell in New York | Won |