Elizabeth Rodriguez Biography

(Actress)

Birthday: December 27, 1980 (Capricorn)

Born In: Manhattan, New York, United States

Elizabeth Rodriguez is an actress from America who has garnered fame for portraying Aleida Diaz in the Netflix comedy-drama series ‘Orange Is the New Black’ and Gabriela Lopez in the 2017 superhero film ‘Logan’. She is also known for her extensive theatre work. A New York native, Rodriguez graduated from Lehman College in the Bronx. She later enrolled at William Esper Studio in New York City for a two-year course under renowned acting teacher Maggie Flanigan. While she was still attending the program, she began her career as a professional actress. In 1991, she made her screen debut in the short film ‘Bedhead’. Three years later, she appeared on the big screen for the first time, in the crime-drama film ‘Fresh’. In the next few years, she gradually established herself in the industry by playing a variety of roles in shows like ‘New York Undercover’, ‘NYPD Blue’, ‘ER’, ‘All My Children’, ‘Prime Suspect’, and ‘Grimm’. Between 2015 and 2016, she played Liza Ortiz in ‘Fear the Walking Dead’. In 2011, she received a Tony nomination for her performance as Veronica in the original Broadway production of ‘The Motherfucker with the Hat’. Rodriguez won three SAG awards for ‘Orange Is the New Black’.
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Quick Facts

Age: 43 Years, 43 Year Old Females

Family:

siblings: Nestor Rodriguez

Born Country: United States

Actresses American Women

Height: 5'6" (168 cm), 5'6" Females

Notable Alumni: Lehman College

City: New York City

U.S. State: New Yorkers

More Facts

education: Lehman College

awards: 2016; 2015 · Orange Is the New Black - Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
2011 · The Motherfucker with the Hat - Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play

Onscreen Career
While Elizabeth Rodriguez was still enrolled at the studio, she started acting in both films and TV shows. Her first onscreen appearance came in 1991 in ‘Bedhead’, a comedy short directed by Robert Rodriguez. She played Consuela in the 1994 movie ‘Fresh’, which also stars Sean Nelson, Giancarlo Esposito, and Samuel L. Jackson. That year, she guest-starred in two TV programs, ‘Lifestories: Families in Crisis’ and ‘CBS Schoolbreak Special’. In the first season (1994-95) of Fox’s ‘New York Undercover’, a related series of Dick Wolf’s Law & Order franchise, Rodriguez was cast as Gina, the on-again, off-again girlfriend of Eddie Torres (Michael DeLorenzo). Between 1994 and 2009, she appeared in three episodes of ‘Law & Order’, portraying three different characters. She has also guest-starred in a 2012 episode of ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’.
In two episodes of the HBO drama series ‘Oz’, she played Maritza Alvarez in 1997. She made two guest appearances in the ABC police procedural drama series ‘NYPD Blue’, portraying two different characters. Between 1999 and 2001, she essayed the recurring role of Sandra in three episodes of the NBC medical drama series ‘ER’. She was cast as Sasha in Dylan McCormick’s indie drama film ‘Four Lane Highway’ (2005). In 2006, she worked with Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx, and Li Gong in Michael Mann’s action crime thriller ‘Miami Vice’, the cinematic adaptation of Mann’s 1980s show of the same name. Rodriguez’s character, Det. Gina Calabrese, was portrayed by Saundra Santiago in the original series.
Between 2008 and 2009, she appeared in 56 episodes of the ABC soap opera ‘All My Children’. Her character, Carmen “Sugar” Morales, is introduced in the show as a criminal and cellmate of Erica Kane (Susan Lucci). Later, she briefly dates Jack Montgomery (Walt Willey). Rodriguez had the recurring role of Det. Carolina Rivera in the short-lived NBC drama series ‘Prime Suspect’.
She bagged the role of Aleida Diaz in the Netflix series ‘Orange Is the New Black’ (2013-19). She garnered positive reviews for her performance and was nominated for four Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, winning three (2014, 2015, and 2016). Rodriguez portrayed the recurring roles Paz Valdes in the Starz series ‘Power’ (2014-present) and Special Agent Chavez in the NBC series ‘Grimm’ (2014-15). She was part of the main cast of AMC’s ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ as Liza Ortiz in its first season and guest-starred in an episode of the second season.
In the critically acclaimed superhero film ‘Logan’ (2017), Rodriguez was cast as Nurse Gabriela Lopez, who works at a secret research facility. She is set to star in the upcoming drama films ‘Tonight at Noon’ and ‘The Latin from Manhattan’.
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Stage Career
One of Rodriguez’s earliest stage performances was as Cleo in an American Place Theatre’s production of ‘Robbers’ by Lyle Kessler. She then portrayed Santa Monica in Joseph Papp Public Theater / Martinson Hall’s production of ‘The Last Days of Judas Iscariot’ by Stephen Adly Guirgis. In 2011, she performed as Veronica in the original production of Guirgis’ 'The Motherfucker with the Hat' at Broadway's Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. The play earned her the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play and the Lunt-Fontanne Award for Ensemble Excellence, as well as a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play. In 2014, Rodriguez was nominated for an Ovation Award for Lead Actress in a Play for her outing as Rosie in Elephant Theatre’s production of Kenny D'Aquila’s ‘Unorganized Crime’.
Family & Personal Life
Born on December 27, 1980, in New York City, New York, USA, Elizabeth Rodriguez is the daughter of two Puerto Rican natives. She grew up in Manhattan along with her brother Nestor. She has always been interested in performing. After obtaining a high school degree, she studied at Lehman College in the Bronx. Following her graduation, she joined Maggie Flanigan’s two-year acting course at William Esper Studios in NYC.

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Article Title
- Elizabeth Rodriguez Biography
Author
- Editors, TheFamousPeople.com
Website
- TheFamousPeople.com
URL
https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/elizabeth-rodriguez-47029.php

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