Justina Machado

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Justina Machado

Born September 6, 1972 (1972-09-06) (age 35)
Chicago, Illinois
Years active 1996 – present

Justina Machado (born September 6, 1972) is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her recurring role as Vanessa Diaz in the HBO drama series Six Feet Under.

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[edit] Early life

Machado was born in Chicago, Illinois, where her family moved to from Puerto Rico. There her parents met and were married. The couple had two children and subsequently divorced. Her mother remarried and had three children. Machado was very active in drama, always participating in her school plays. In 1986, she attended Lane Technical College Prep High School ("Lane Tech") and during her spare time performed with the Latino Chicago Theater Company.

In 1990, she graduated from Lane Tech and moved to New York City. The experience which she had gained as a performer with the Latino Chicago Theater Company, helped open the doors for her in that city. Soon, she was offered a job as a professional actress in Los Angeles, California. She moved to Los Angeles and in 1996, Machado landed her first two acting roles. She was cast as "Elsa" in the TV series NYPD Blue episode #311, and she was also cast as "Val Cho" in the movie made for television No One Can Tell.

[edit] Career

[edit] Six Feet Under

Main article: Six Feet Under (TV series)

On June 10, 2001, Machado auditioned for the TV series Six Feet Under and was cast as "Vanessa Diaz", a supporting role character which has evolved into a "regular" character in the series. Machado and her castmates were honored with a Screen Actors Guild Award for "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series". The series entered its fifth and final season in 2005. Machado has also appeared in the Canadian television series 1-800-Missing as "Sunny Estrada".

[edit] Films

Machado has participated in over 14 films. Amongst her most notable roles so far have been Carmen Rodriguez in She's So Lovely starring John Travolta and Sean Penn, a supporting role in Full Frontal, Isabella Hudson in Final Destination 2 with director David R. Ellis, Agent Herderson in Torque starring Ice Cube, Natalia in Little Fugitive, and she is currently cast as Teresa in Man Maid which is in its post-production stages and as "Sofia" in The Accidental Husband which is currently being filmed.

[edit] Theatre

She has also made appearances on stage. Neil LaBute's Some Girl(s) at the Geffen Theatre in Los Angeles. She participated in the productions of Blade to the Heat and Black Butterfly at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.

[edit] Filmography

[edit] Movies

[edit] TV appearances

  • NYPD Blue as Elsa (1 episode, 1996)
  • Second Noah as Roxanna (1 episode, 1996)
  • No One Would Tell (1996) (TV) as Val Cho
  • Moloney (1 episode, 1997)
  • Arsenio as Anna Montez (1 episode, 1997)
  • Goode Behavior as Raquel DeLaRosa (5 episodes, 1997)
  • ER as Ms. Cruz (1 episode, 1997)
  • The Gregory Hines Show as Maria (1 episode, 1998)
  • The Week That Girl Died (1998) as Marita
  • Any Day Now as Olivia (1 episode, 1998)
  • Touched by an Angel as Marisol (1 episode, 1998)
  • Malcolm & Eddie as Laura Morales (2 episodes, 1998-1999)
  • Promised Land as Roxie Kahle (1 episode, 1999)
  • Early Edition as Laura Swallows (1 episode, 1999)
  • Oh Baby as Mona (1 episode, 1999)
  • Angel as Jo (1 episode, 2000)
  • Following Paula (2000) as Paula Ormida
  • Sticks (2001) as Maria
  • The Johnny Chronicles (2002) (TV) as Marisol
  • Strong Medicine (1 episode, 2002)
  • Dragonfly (2002) .... Oncology Desk Nurse
  • 1-800-Missing as Sunny Estrada (1st season, 2003-2004)
  • Six Feet Under as Vanessa Diaz (39 episodes, 2001-2005)
  • Ghost Whisperer as Suzanne Alpha Mom (1 episode, 2006)
  • Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America (2006) (TV) as Alma Ansen
  • Grey's Anatomy as Anna Nyles (1 episode, 2006)
  • Ugly Betty as Cousin Clara (in the episode A Tree Grows in Guadalajara, 2007)

[edit] See also

Puerto Rico Portal

[edit] External links