Elizabeth Rodriguez

Elizabeth Rodriguez is a Puerto Rican actress. She began her career appearing in films Fresh, Dead Presidents (1995), I Think I Do (1997) and Blow (2001). She played Detective Gina Calabrese in the 2006 film adaptation of Miami Vice.

Rodriguez received a Tony Award nomination and won an Outer Critics Circle Award and a Theatre World Award for her performance in Stephen Adly Guirgis' 2011 play The Motherfucker with the Hat. On television, Rodriguez starred as Aleida Diaz in the Netflix comedy-drama series, Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019). In 2015, she starred in the first season of AMC's post-apocalyptic horror drama series Fear the Walking Dead. She also had recurring roles in Power, Power Book II: Ghost and Shameless and was a regular cast member in Prime Suspect and East New York. She also appeared in films The Drop (2014) and Logan (2017). She co-wrote and starred in the 2022 comedy-drama film, Allswell in New York.

Early life Rodriguez was born to Puerto Rican parents and raised in Manhattan, New York City. She went to Brandeis High School and Lehman College in the Bronx. She later spent two years at the William Esper Studio in New York and worked as a hair stylist before acting.

Career

While still studying, Rodriguez began appearing on-screen playing supporting roles in films Fresh (1994), Dead Presidents (1995) and I Think I Do (1997). On television, Rodriguez made guest appearances in Law & Order, Lifestories: Families in Crisis and CBS Schoolbreak Special, before playing the recurring role in the police drama series, New York Undercover from 1994 to 1995. She later made appearances in New York News, NYPD Blue, Oz, City of Angels, Six Feet Under, ER, Third Watch and The Shield. She co-starred in the 1998 thriller film, Return to Paradise and played Martha Oliveras in the 2001 crime drama film, Blow.

Rodriguez performed in a number of Broadway and off-Broadway productions, such as Robbers, Beauty of the Father, A View From 151st Street, and Unconditional. From 2008 to 2009, Rodriguez played the role of Carmen Morales in the ABC daytime soap opera, All My Children. In 2011, she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play and won Outer Critics Circle Award, as well as a Theatre World Award, for her role on Broadway play in Stephen Adly Guirgis's The Motherfucker with the Hat. In 2011, she had a series regular role on the short-lived NBC police drama series, Prime Suspect. She was nominated for an Imagen Award for her role in the feature film Tio Papi (2013), and the same year had secondary role in the Side Effects directed by Steven Soderbergh.

In 2013, Rodriguez began appearing in the recurring role of Aleida Diaz in the Netflix comedy-drama series, Orange Is the New Black; she was promoted to series regular in 2015. Along with the rest of the cast she received Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in both 2015 and 2016. Rodriguez also had recurring roles as Paz Valdes in the Starz drama series Power from 2014 to 2020, and as Special Agent Chavez in the NBC police procedural Grimm from 2014 to 2015. In 2014, she appeared in the crime films Glass Chin and The Drop.

In 2015, Rodriguez was cast in the series regular role on the AMC post-apocalyptic drama Fear the Walking Dead, the companion series for The Walking Dead. She left the series after the first season. The following year she had a recurring role in the Lifetime comedy-drama series, Devious Maids. In 2017, she appeared in Hugh Jackman's final Wolverine film Logan directed by James Mangold and starred in the second season of Hulu crime drama, Chance. In 2018, Rodriguez appeared in the teen drama film, Skate Kitchen. From 2019 to 2020 she had the recurring role in the Showtime comedy-drama series, Shameless.

In 2020, Rodriguez won an Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Actress and a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play nomination for her performance in Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven. In June 2021, Rodriguez voiced Rafa Martez in the Star Wars: The Bad Batch episode "Decommissioned".

In 2022, Rodriguez co-wrote, produced and played the leading role in the comedy-drama film, Allswell in New York. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and Rodriguez received Best Screenplay in a U.S. Narrative Feature Film Award. The film received positive reviews from critics. She also starred as Vanessa del Rio's mother in the biographical drama film, Queen of Manhattan by Thomas Mignone . From 2022 to 2023 she starred in the CBS police drama series, East New York.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1991 Bedhead The Nurse 1994 Fresh Consuela 1995 Desperado Mariachi Fan 1995 Dead Presidents Marisol 1997 I Think I Do Celia 1998 Return to Paradise Gaby 1999 Golfballs! Bentwood Girl 2001 Acts of Worship Jan 2001 Blow Martha Oliveras 2005 Four Lane Highway Sasha 2005 Sueño Carmen 2006 Miami Vice Gina Calabrese 2007 Tracks of Color Sonia Martinez Short film 2007 On Bloody Sunday Older Isabelle 2008 Martel 2010 Jack Goes Boating Waldorf Event Assistant 2010 Pound of Flesh Sergeant Rebecca Ferraro 2011 All Things Fall Apart Mrs. Lopez 2013 Side Effects Pharmacist 2013 Tio Papi "Cheeky" 2014 Take Care Nurse Janet 2014 Glass Chin Rita Sierra 2014 The Drop Detective Romsey 2016 11:55 Angie 2017 Logan Gabriela Lopez 2018 Skate Kitchen Renata 2018 Making Babies Maria 2020 Mighty Leti Short film 2022 Queen of Manhattan Mama Sánchez 2022 Allswell in New York Daisy Also writer and producer 2022 We Are Gathered Here Today Gwen Cantu TBA Tonight at Noon Sarah Post-production

Television Year Title Role Notes 1994 Lifestories: Families in Crisis Erika Episode: "POWER: The Eddie Matos Story" Law & Order Elvira Juarez Episode: "Old Friends" 1994–1995 New York Undercover Gina Recurring role, 5 episodes 1995 New York News Tanya 2 episodes Inflammable Tanya Santos Television film Law & Order Caridad Montero Episode: "Rebels" NYPD Blue Amalia Lopez Episode: "UnAmerican Graffiti" 1997 Oz Maritza Alvarez 2 episodes 1998 Trinity Del Bianco 2 episodes 1999–2001 ER Nurse Sandra 3 episodes 2000 NYPD Blue Anita Rios Episode: "Bats Off to Larry" 2001 Just Shoot Me! Maria Episode: "Finch and the Fighter" Six Feet Under Sylvie Episode: "Familia" 2002 Without Warning Selena Sanchez Television film Third Watch Sergeant Chris Reyes Episode: "The Chosen Few" 2002–2003 Lita Valverde 2 episodes 2008–2009 All My Children Carmen Morales 56 episodes 2009 Law & Order Isabel Alvarez Episode: "Boy Gone Astray" FlashForward Ingrid Alvarez Episode: "Playing Cards with Coyote" 2010 Cold Case Gina Lopresi Episode: "Bombers" 2011–2012 Prime Suspect Detective Carolina Rivera Recurring role, 5 episodes 2012 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Carmen Vasquez Episode: "Home Invasions" 2013–2019 Orange Is the New Black Aleida Diaz Main role, 53 episodes 2014–2020 Power Paz Valdes Recurring role 2014–2015 Grimm Special Agent Chavez Recurring role, 5 episodes 2015–2016 Fear the Walking Dead Liza Ortiz Main role (season 1); guest (season 2)7 episodes 2016 Devious Maids Josefina 2 episodes Talking Dead Herself Episode: "Date of Death" 2017 Chance Kristen Clayton Recurring role (season 2) 2019–2020 Shameless Faye Donahue Recurring role (season 10) 2020 Star Wars: The Clone Wars Rafa Martez (voice) 4 episodes 2020, 2023–2024 Power Book II: Ghost Paz Valdes Guest role, Seasons 1, 3 and 4 2021 The Good Doctor Carina Bardo Episode: "Waiting" Star Wars: The Bad Batch Rafa Martez (voice) Episode: "Decommissioned" 2022–2023 East New York Detective Crystal Morales Main cast 2024 Chicago P.D. Detective Suarez Episode: "Pawns"

Theater

Title Role Notes Robbers by Lyle Kessler Cleo American Place TheatreDirected by Marshall Mason by Stephen Adly Guirgis Saint Monica Joseph Papp Public Theater / Martinson HallDirected by Philip Seymour Hoffman Beauty of the Father by Nilo Cruz Marina New York City Center – Stage IIDirected by Michael Greif by Bob Glaudini Irene Joseph Papp Public Theater / LuEsther HallDirected by Peter DuBois Unconditional by Brett C. Leonard Jessica Joseph Papp Public Theater / LuEsther HallDirected by Mark Wing-Davey by Stephen Adly Guirgis Veronica BroadwayDirected by Anna D. Shapiro Roger and Vanessa by Brett C. Leonard Vanessa Actors' Gang Theatre, Los AngelesDirected by Silas Weir Mitchell Den of Thieves by Stephen Adly Guirgis Buchi Black Dahlia Theater, Los AngelesDirected by Matt Shakman Unorganized Crime by Kenny D'Aquila Rosie Elephant Theater, Los AngelesDirected by David Fofi The Power of Duff by Stephen Belber Sue Raspell Geffen Theatre, Los AngelesDirected by Peter DuBois

Awards and nominations