# Elizabeth Peña

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

Peña was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, on September 23, 1959, to Mario and Estella Margarita Peña. Mario Peña was a Cuban actor, playwright, director, and designer, and Estella Margarita Peña was a producer. 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, 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.

## Career

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". 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. 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. 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.
Peña also voiced Mirage in Pixar's animated film The Incredibles. 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. She acted in 45 films.

## Personal life and death

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.
Peña died on October 14, 2014, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 55. 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.

## Filmography

Film and Television :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1979 | El Super | Aurelita | Debut role |
| 1980 | Times Square | Disco Hostess | |
| 1981 | They All Laughed | Rita | |
| 1985 | Crossover Dreams | Liz Garcia | |
| 1985 | Cagney & Lacey | Adelita Carrena | Episode: "Ordinary Hero" |
| 1985 | T. J. Hooker | Maria | Episode: "Rip-off" |
| 1986 | Down and Out in Beverly Hills | Carmen | |
| 1986 | Hill Street Blues | Alice | Episode: "Come and Get It" |
| 1986 | Tough Cookies | Connie Rivera | 6 episodes |
| 1987 | La Bamba | Rosie Morales | |
| 1987 | *batteries not included | Marisa Esteval | |
| 1987–1988 | I Married Dora | Dora Calderon | 13 episodes |
| 1988 | Vibes | Consuelo | |
| 1989 | Shannon's Deal | Lucy Acosta | Television film |
| 1990 | Blue Steel | Tracy Perez | |
| 1990 | Drug Wars: The Camarena Story | Mika Camarena | Miniseries |
| 1990 | Jacob's Ladder | Jezebel "Jezzie" Pipkin | |
| 1990–1991 | Shannon's Deal | Lucy Acosta | 11 episodes |
| 1992 | The Waterdance | Rosa | |
| 1992 | Fugitive Among Us | Florence "Flo" Martin | Television film |
| 1993 | Dream On | Debra | Episode: "Super Freak" |
| 1993–1994 | L.A. Law | Jinx Baldasseri | 4 episodes |
| 1994 | Dead Funny | Vivian "Viv" Saunders | |
| 1994 | Roommates | Lisa | Television film |
| 1995 | Across the Moon | Carmen |
| 1995 | The Outer Limits | Dr. Jennifer Martinez | Episode: "Living Hell" |
| 1995 | Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home | Kate Haley |
| 1995 | The Invaders | Ellen Garza | Miniseries |
| 1996 | It Came from Outer Space II | Ellen Fields | Television film |
| 1996 | Lone Star | Pilar Cruz |
| 1996 | Recon | Officer Santiago |
| 1996 | Two | Elizabeth Gaitan | Unaired pilot |
| 1997 | Contagious | Detective Luisa Rojas | Television film |
| 1997 | Gridlock'd | Admissions Person |
| 1997 | The Second Civil War | Christina | Television film |
| 1997 | Dead Man's Gun | Gisella | Episode: "Fortune Teller" |
| 1998 | The Pass | Zeena | |
| 1998 | Rush Hour | Detective Tania Johnson | |
| 1998 | The Eddie Files | Aunt Ida | Episode: "Charts & Graphs: The Dessert Derby" |
| 1998 | Strangeland | Toni Gage | |
| 1998 | Aldrich Ames: Traitor Within | Rosario Ames | Television film |
| 1999 | Border Line | Maria Rodriguez | Television film |
| 1999 | Seven Girlfriends | Martha | |
| 2000 | Ryan's Comedia | Mrs. Neuroplanet | Voice |
| 2001 | Things Behind the Sun | Carmen | |
| 2001 | Tortilla Soup | Leticia Naranjo | |
| 2001 | Resurrection Blvd. | Beatriz "Bibi" Corrales | Episode: "Arriba Y Abajo" |
| 2001 | On the Borderline | Connie | |
| 2001 | Impostor | Midwife | |
| 2002 | Zig Zag | Ms. Tate | |
| 2002 | Ten Tiny Love Stories | Nine | |
| 2002 | Resurrection Blvd. | | Director Episode: "Justicia" |
| 2002–2003 | Boston Public | Superintendent Elizabeth Vasquez | 2 episodes |
| 2003 | CSI: Miami | Mercedes Escalante | Episode: "Simple Man" |
| 2003 | The Brothers García | | Director Episode: "It Was Fun While It Lasted" |
| 2004 | The Hollywood Mom's Mystery | Theresa Shoe | Television film |
| 2004 | Suburban Madness | Clara Harris | Television film |
| 2004 | Maya & Miguel | Rosa Santos | Voice |
| 2004 | The Incredibles | Mirage | Voice |
| 2004 | NCIS | FBI Agent Lina Reyes | Episode: "Terminal Leave" |
| 2004 | Justice League | Paran Dul | Voice, episode: "Starcrossed" |
| 2005 | How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer | Lolita | |
| 2005 | Without a Trace | Rosie Diaz | Episode: "Neither Rain Nor Sleet" |
| 2005 | Transamerica | Margaret | |
| 2005 | Down in the Valley | Gale | |
| 2005 | Sueño | Mirabela | |
| 2005 | Keep Your Distance | Holly | |
| 2005 | The Lost City | Miliciana Muñoz | |
| 2005 | Numb3rs | Sonya Benavides | Episode: "Assassin" |
| 2005 | Justice League Unlimited | Paran Dul | Voice, episode: "Hunter's Moon" |
| 2006 | Minoriteam | Maria / Gold Digger | Voice, episode: "Landon in Love" |
| 2007 | Adrift in Manhattan | Isabel Parades | |
| 2007 | American Dad! | Store Owner | Voice, episode: "American Dream Factory" |
| 2007 | Goal II: Living the Dream | Rosa Maria | |
| 2007 | D-War | FBI Agent Linda Perez | |
| 2007 | Love Comes Lately | Esperanza | |
| 2008 | Racing for Time | Flores | Television film |
| 2008 | A Single Woman | Storyteller | |
| 2008 | Nothing like the Holidays | Anna Rodriguez | |
| 2009 | Ghost Whisperer | Marla | Episode: "This Joint's Haunted" |
| 2009 | Mother and Child | Amanda | |
| 2009 | Becoming Eduardo | Leticia | |
| 2009 | Down for Life | Mrs. Castro | |
| 2011 | Off the Map | Inez | Episode: "I'm Home" |
| 2011 | The Perfect Family | Christina Reyes | |
| 2013 | Major Crimes | Rosa Vega | Episode: "Under the Influence" |
| 2013 | Modern Family | Pilar | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Blaze You Out | Dona | |
| 2013 | Plush | Dr. Lopez | |
| 2014 | Matador | Maritza Sandoval | 7 episodes |
| 2015 | Grandma | Carla | Posthumous release |
| 2015 | Girl on the Edge | Esther | Posthumous release |
| 2015 | Ana Maria in Novela Land | Senora Soto | Posthumous release |
| 2018 | The Song of Sway Lake | Marlena | Final film role; Posthumous release |
Video games :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2004 | The Incredibles | Mirage | Voice |
| 2013 | Disney Infinity | Mirage | Voice |