Elizabeth Peña

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Elizabeth Pena or Elizabeth Peña (born September 23, 1961) in Elizabeth, New Jersey, is a Cuban-American actress and graduated from New York's famed High School of Performing Arts in 1977. Classmates include Ving Rhames & Esai Morales (who she would later co-star with in "La Bamba").

Peña is the daughter of Cuban playwright/director/actor Mario Peña, who co-founded the Latin American Theatre Ensemble (Official Site) in New York City in the early 1970s. Mr. Peña passed away on October 22nd, 2006. Her mother, Margarita Toirac, continues to run the company to this day. Her nephew, New York-born Mario-Francisco Robles ([1] His Website), is now attempting to break into the acting business himself.

Peña has received much acclaim over the years for her performances, but has mainly steered clear of major mainstream work. Instead, she has chosen to keep a low-profile living in the suburbs of Los Angeles with her husband and two children. A quick look at her IMDB will show that she's constantly working, whether as an actress or director, and continues to be one of the most influential Hispanic actresses in the United States.

She has appeared in movies such as La Bamba, Lone Star, Vibes and Rush Hour. She recently starred in Showtime's Resurrection Blvd. as Tia Bibi Corrades and voiced the character Mirage in Pixar's animated film The Incredibles.