| Liza Colón-Zayas | |
|---|---|
| Born | Liza Colón circa 1972 The Bronx, New York, U.S. |
| Years active | 1994 - current |
| Spouse | David Zayas |
Liza Colón-Zayas (born circa 1972) is an American actress and playwright.
She was born and raised in the The Bronx borough of New York City, and began her career starring in Off-Broadway productions. She broke into mainstream theatre when she wrote, produced, and starred in her one-woman show titled "Sistah Supreme," a semi-autobiographical play where she chronicles growing up as an Latina woman in New York City during the 1970s and 1980s.[1]
A member of the LAByrinth Theatre Company since 1992,[2] a New York City-base traveling actors group, Colón-Zayas has branched out into television and film projects, which has diversified her résumé with guest roles in such popular television series such as Sex and the City and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She gained more recognition for her small role in the controversial, yet acclaimed film United 93 in which she played the role of Waleska Martínez, who was one of the passengers aboard doomed United Airlines Flight 93 that fought back, and therefore, help prevent the destruction of the United States Capitol during the September 11 attacks.
In addition to her film and television work, she is also remembered for originating the role of Norca, in the off-Broadway productions of Our Lady of 121st Street and In Arabia, We'd All Be Kings (which also co-starred Puerto Rican actress Ana Ortiz) and were directed by Academy Award-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman. The latter production was named one of the ten best plays of 1999 by the Time Out New York magazine.
Married to actor David Zayas, Colón-Zayas continues to remain active in theater, as well as television and motion picture projects. She presently divides her time between New York City and Los Angeles, where her husband presently films his scenes for the Showtime network's drama Dexter.