Tell us what you think about this feature. Rodrigo played the male lead in the Hulu series "Reprisal" for producer Moura was born in Salvador, a city located in Northeast Region of Brazil, but grew up in the small town of Rodelas, Bahia. He is facing problems at home, needs to adjust to his new school, city and colleagues and on top of all that, he is struggling with his sexual orientation. The Bronx native of Puerto Rican origin has been one of the most dominant figures in pop culture for nearly two decades. Joaquim de Almeida was born in Lisbon, Portugal. Last but not the least, prominent leaders like Ernesto Ch Guevara and Oscar Zeta Acosta are also Hispanic men. Ferrera currently stars in and produces the NBC sitcom "Superstore.". Everyone who has seen maybe only a few episodes of Riverdale, one of the hottest teen series in the last few years, has definitely noticed this dark haired and brown eyed beauty. She moved to Berlin when she was 18 years old to train as a classical music vocalist. Jennifer Lopez Kevin Mazur / Getty images Jennifer Lopez is one of the most famous Latino singers in the entire world. As an actor, he is famous for Coco, Think Like a Man and Crazy Rich Asians. You'll be hard-pressed to find a rapper more lyrical than Joell Ortiz -- unless you look at the other members of his Slaughterhouse crew, then you'll have a debate. Here are some of the best responses: 1. When you think of Latino comedy, the first person you think of is George Lopez. ", Smits, who was born in the Bronx and identifies as Puerto Rican because of his mother, became a household name because of his role as Bobby Simone in "NYPD Blue." Edward James Olmos is the godfather of Latino sci-fi he played Gaff in ", reboot and one of Latino cinema's most important actors, as he portrayed Jaime Escalante in ". Guzmn was born in Cayey, Puerto Rico on August 28, 1956 and raised in New York City's Greenwich Village and the surrounding Lower East Side neighborhood. She is an actress and director, known for Encanto (2021), Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013) and Short Term 12 (2013). She is of Lebanese, Spanish & Italian descent. He is an actor and producer, known for End of Watch (2012), Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014) and Walk of Shame (2014). In 2007, they Christina Maria Aguilera was born on December 18, 1980 in Staten Island, New York City, New York to musician Shelly Loraine Fidler Kearns and U.S. Army sergeant Fausto Wagner Xavier Aguilera Monge. The New York City native is a multi-Grammy winning musician who also holds the Guinness World Record for being the best selling salsa artist of all time. This weekend marks the start of "Hispanic Heritage Month," a 30-day period of observance that pays tribute to America's Latino community and their contributions to this country. Rodrigo Santoro is a world-renown actor who starred alongside Academy Award Winner Anthony Hopkins, Evan Rachel Wood, and Jeffrey Wright in the hit HBO series "Westworld," created by Jonah Nolan and produced by J.J. Abrams. When you think of Hispanic celebrities, you probably think of some of the most visible names. His stage work includes two major Royal Benicio Del Toro emerged in the mid-1990s as one of the most watchable and charismatic character actors to come along in years. 2. A favorite of film buffs, Del Toro gained mainstream public attention as the conflicted but basically honest Mexican policeman in Steven Soderbergh's Traffic (2000). Aubrey Christina Plaza (born June 26, 1984) is an American actress and comedian known for her deadpan style. He then made history by becoming the first Latino to portray the president of the United States when he played Matt Santos on "The West Wing." 22 Actors Who Have Mastered The Art Of Playing Villains, American Public Figures Who Are National Treasures, The Best TV Actors And Actresses Of All Time, The Greatest Actors & Actresses in Entertainment History, 12 Facts That Prove Danny Trejo Is A Truly Manly Role Model, The Greatest Actors Who Have Never Won An Oscar (For Acting). She began acting in the late 1990s. He is Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. As if that were not enough, Marin,. He is of Mexican (mother) and British Isles (father) descent. and shared the photo on her Instagram with the hashtag #beautybeyondsize. The Puerto Rican actress is one of only twelve people to have an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony). As if that were not enough, Marin, who's Mexican-American, is the proud owner of the largest and most important Chicano art collection in the world. If asked, you would probably never think of her being Hispanic, but she was raised in Argentina, speaking Spanish as her mother tongue. He played Woodstock in 1969 with his psychedelic rock band Santana. Kevin Balmore is a Latin-American actor based from Los Angeles. The curvy model and body-positive advocate recently posed nude (alongside fellow ALDA models Marquita Pring, Julie Henderson, Inga Eiriksdottir, and Danielle Redman) for. Estefan eventually became a massive worldwide star thanks to musical hits "Rhythm is Gonna Get You" and "Turn the Beat Around. This Guatemalan-American from Miami will likely be the next Latino actor to win an Oscar. Latinx Actors and Actresses Younger Than 40. The people on this list vary in importance, from iconic stars like Anthony Quinn and Jimmy Smits, to today's greats in Javier Bardem and Benicio Del Toro. We may earn commission from the links on this page. He then graduated from Montebello High School in 1964. Sure, he was in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens"(he played Poe Dameron), but he's also been in a lot of other well-received films like the Coen brothers' "Inside Llewyn Davis"(he played the titular Llewyn Davis) and sci-fi thriller "Ex Machina.". His John Ortiz was born on May 23, 1968 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. Rita Moreno is a living legend. 22 Latin Artists to Watch in 2022. Gina Rodriguez She is best known for her roles as Maritza Ramos on the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black and Lina on Jane the Virgin. System Requirements for Adobe Premiere Pro 2023. Carlos Santana. Alexa Ellesse PenaVega was born Alexa Ellesse Vega on August 27, 1988 in Ocala, Florida and raised in Los Angeles, California to Gina Denise Rue, a former model & Baruch Jairo Vega, a photographer. Son of two pharmacists and the sixth of eight kids, Joaquim showed signs at an early age that his future lay not in the family business. Who is your favorite famous Hispanic Celebrity? Fast-talking and feisty-looking John Leguizamo has continued to impress movie audiences with his versatility: he can play sensitive and nave young men, such as Johnny in Hangin' with the Homeboys (1991); cold-blooded killers like Benny Blanco in Carlito's Way (1993); a heroic Army Green Beret, Moises Arias was born on April 18, 1994 in New York City, New York, USA. The names are organised in alphabetical order. Oscar was raised in Miami, Florida. Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams. After finishing his studies, he relocated to Mexico where he performed as actor in "Mama ama el Rock", "Alcanzar una Estrella II" Rosie Perez was born in Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York City, to Lydia Perez and Ismael Serrano, a merchant marine. is one of the best records of early 2000s hip hop, and his 2004 "Lean Back" is still a banger more than a decade later. She has one older sister and is very close with Rosa Bianca Salazar is an American born actress. She lost her father in a motorcycle accident when she was just 12. She's won five Grammys, has sold millions of albums worldwide, and is largely considered one of the "Princesses of Pop.". Our final pick for this famous Latinos list is Roberto Clemente was born in Puerto Rico, and played baseball as a child. Anyhoo, here's a list of Italian celebrities who were spotted rocking their briefs-style swimsuits: Gianluigi Buffon, 41 year old Italian professional footballer having fun at the beach while wearing his neon green Speedo. For the past decade, this artist from The Brox has been defining the sounds of modern Pop music. Harmony Santana is an American film actress. Jorge Diaz was born in Los Angeles, California, USA. Her father is of Lebanese descent and her mother is of Mexican/Spanish ancestry. Michael Cimino (actor) Clifton Collins Jr. Mark Consuelos. Pablo Picasso (Spain, 1881-1973) Frida Kahlo (Mexico, 1907 - 1954) Diego Velzquez (Spain,1599 - 1660) Salvador Dal (Spain, 1904 - 1989) Jean-Michel Basquiat (United States, 1960 - 1988) Imprisoned for Eva Jacqueline Longoria was born on March 15, 1975 in Corpus Christi, Texas to Ella Eva Longoria (ne Mireles), a special education teacher & Enrique Longoria Jr., a rancher. Edward James Olmos (born February 24, 1947) is an American actor, director, producer, and activist. #AskGH", "My parents fled Cuba & didn't speak English when they arrived here. We are still waiting for his breakthrough and hope that if not on the screen, we will still have the opportunity to see his name on a list of voices in another beautiful animated movie. (Mexican Cinematographer who is Known for Groundbreaking Uses of Natural Lighting and Continuous Uninterrupted Shots in Cinematography), (American Professional Volleyball Player and Model), (One of the Foremost Spanish Dramatists of the 20th Century). 1. He is a very well-known face, thanks especially to Game of Thrones where he played the weird Robin Arryn. Starting from portraying Hispanic characters, these Mexican males have turned into stars and today share the same international acclaim as other American actors. Off-Broadway, "In The Heights" received nine Drama Desk nominations, including best music, best lyrics, and it won the award for outstanding ensemble performance; received Actor, writer, director and producer, Eugenio Derbez has a degree in Film Directing from the Mexican Institute of Cinematography and Theater, as well as a degree in Acting from Televisa's Acting School. He began acting when he was nine years old, eventually booking projects such as "Get The Gringo", "The Sitter" and "Surviving Jack". Tony He is known for playing Zero Moustafa in Wes Anderson's critically acclaimed film The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014). She is an actress and director, known for Remember Me (2010), Bright (2017) and Jane the Virgin (2014). Her parents were immigrants from the Dominican Republic. Actress, singer, dancer, and performer. What we certainly know is that we are going to be seeing them in many movies in the future and therefore we are bringing you a list of the best young Hispanic actors, both male and female. Selena was Beyonc before Beyonc was Beyonc. Ricardo Antonio Chavira. He is an actor and producer, known for The Losers (2010), Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) and Cantinflas (2014). There is no doubt that we are going to see her in many upcoming movies and hopefully she will be given the trust to show her talent. Michael Pea was born and raised in Chicago, to Nicolasa, a social worker, and Eleuterio Pea, who worked at a button factory. Children of Men is one of those movies that you have to see at least once in your lifetime. He is the voice of Miguel, the gifted guitar player in the magnificent cartoon Coco, one of the most beautiful in the past few years. She was born in Washington DC and later attended Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Maryland. Ramirez played one of the leading roles and an important role in a groundbreaking and extremely powerful tv series The Fosters, where she played the spicy and passionate Mariana Adams Fosters, the adopted daughter of a caring gay couple Stef and Lena who decided to provide a home and shelter to a number of orphans. Emailed daily. After being signed in 1969, Santana went on to perform at Woodstock in the same year and the band's second studio album was released in 1970. She has been married to David Elwell since April 15, 2006. Jenni Rivera was the queen of the Mexican Regional musical genre she's sold more than 20 million albums and was on the cusp of being the Mexican-American Kris Jenner. Later in Eva Mendes is an American actress, model and businesswoman. Probably the greatest star of all on this list is this excellent young actress who has shown us her talent in numerous tv-series and movies. The former Desperate Housewife of Mexican descent has been quite busy since the ABC drama ended in 2012. At the age of eighteen, after attending the theater course at the Lisbon Conservatory for two years, he left Actor of Puerto Rican descent who gained fame making many memorable films in the 1980s and 1990s due to his villainous physical appearance. The best Latino actors have starred in Hollywood blockbusters and indie art house films. Demi started out as a child actor on 'Barney & Friends'. After a series of roles in B movies such as Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror (1998) and Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000), she made a career-changing appearance in Training Day (2001). She began her performance arts studies in the Cultural Institute of Veracruz, then left for Televisa's Center for Artistic Education (CEA) and TV Aztecas' artistic institute (CEFAC) in Mexico City, later Actress | Zack de la Rocha's revolutionary credentials go back at least three generations. He has won five Billboard Latin Music Awards, four Latin Grammy Awards, Afro-latinos are the mixture of black people with Spaniards or Portuguese. He and the organization fought for Puerto Rico and Cuba's independence from Spain. Ellen Ochoa On April 8, 1993, Ellen Ochoa became the first Hispanic woman in the world to go into space. The 33-year-old actress of Puerto Rican descent earned her spot by portraying Jane Villanueva in "Jane the Virgin." Operating System: Windows 10 (64-bit) V20H2 or later; RAM: 8 GB of RAM required. Neither did my grandparents, my in laws, all my cousins & my husband", "Op-Ed: 'Orange is the New Black' actress: My parents were deported", "From boy next door to lead role in "Step Up: Revolution", "Natalie Martinez Steams Up Even a 'Death Race', "Christina Milian speaks up about "The Voice" gig: "I pitched myself for the job", "Lin-Manuel Miranda Takes In the Heights to Puerto Rico", "Lin-Manuel Miranda's ancestry is as multifaceted as Hamilton", Introducing Big Time Rush Star Carlos Pena, "Exclusive! Gregory Nava is one of the most important figures in Chicano cinema. Ferrer also appeared in other classic movies like the original "Moulin Rouge," "The Caine Mutiny," and "Lawrence of Arabia.". Arguably one of Latin America's widely-known talents, backed by years of remarkable performances in television and film, Alfonso's stardom was first introduced by his leading role in one of the most successful television series in the history of Latin America, "Rebelde". Pablo (1984). They have one child. Nicholas Chavez. Selena (1971 1995) Tejano singer, songwriter, actress and fashion designer; born in Texas to parents of Mexican heritage. Kicking off our list of influential Hispanic Americans is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Vote up the superstars who hold your heart. Since then, Longoria produced "Devious Maids" for Lifetime and has acted in several movies, including 2016's "Lowriders," which earned her some critical acclaim. He is of Mexican descent. She has been married to Marshall Trenkmann since May 2014. His latest one-man play,"Latin History for Morons," is a hilarious and much-needed crash course on the many contributions Latino-Americans have made to this country. Ferrer won "Best Actor" in 1950 for portraying the titular character in "Cyrano de Bergerac." She is of Italian as well as Lebanese and Portuguese/Brazilian descent. They are activists who worked for the rights of migrant workers, law makers. Nathan Arenas is only 17 years old and is one of the most promising young actors on this list. $15 AT AMAZON. Roughly 80% of all Latinos living in the USA are American citizens, but media coverage . National Hispanic Heritage Month recognizes Hispanic & Latino American heritage & culture, including 4,869,400 Latinos with a disability living in the U.S. . Carlos moved to Hollywood in August 2009.Carlos studied musical theater at the Jessica Marie Alba was born on April 28, 1981, in Pomona, CA, to Catherine (Jensen) and Mark David Alba, who served in the US Air Force. Born in Los Angeles and fluent in both English and Spanish, Arenas is a true child star. His father is Mexican and his mother was British, of Scottish and English descent. To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article and/or references showing the person is an American of Hispanic and Latino origin and a notable actor. He started pursuing a music career at age thirteen. He plays Ramon Morales, one of the leading roles in an interesting horror movie Scary Stories to Tell in the dark which sequel is in post-production at the moment. At age 12, she Adriana Barraza was born on March 5, 1956 in Toluca, Estado de Mexico, Mexico. He plays the leading role in Runaways, an intriguing sci-fi adventure where a group of teenagers discovers their parents are dangerous villains in disguise. He studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London. His newest project is the sequel to the 1990s hit fantasy comedy Hocus Pocus where the three Sanderson sisters have been mistakenly summoned to modern day Salem by three young women. Personal lifeMario Casas, has 4 siblings. 9. He began his acting career as a child, working w/ his parents in a variety of plays. Her mother has Puerto Rican ancestry, while her father is of English, German, and Irish descent. She is an actress and producer, known for Maria Full of Grace (2004), A Most Violent Year (2014) and The Bridge (2013). The list is organized in chronological order of birth decades. So are his films "Mi Familia"it chronicles a Mexican-American family through multiple generations and "Selena," the biopic on the slain Tejano star. It's them budgy-smuggler wearing Aussies from the Land Down Under. In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, we share the outstanding stories of men and women who improved health across the nation and around the world. After which he received an Associative Arts Actress and singer Selena Gomez was born on July 22, 1992 in Grand Prairie, Texas. She is known for her leading role as Betty Suarez on the American Broadcasting Company's comedy-drama television series Ugly Betty (2006) . She unfortunately died in a plane crash in 2014. He has two brothers who are also actors, Bruno Bichir and Odiseo Bichir. In both career and in real life, Bobby Cannavale tends to choose the unconventional way of doing things. It is in this latter role that he's doing the most. His 1983 film "El Norte," which was nominated for an Oscar and is currently part of the Criterion Collection, is part of the Latino film canon. Joell Ortiz. This year's list includes 22 acts, covering a broad variety of Latin music genres, from pop to reggaetn, to R&B, regional Mexican and tropical. Only recently has she been opening herself up more to doing television (the series Gemini Division (2008), which she executive-produced), and animated voice-overs. Gonzalezs most famous role until now is the one where we cannot see him. According to the 2010 Census, only around 3 percent of Hispanics identified as "Black alone".This low percentage speaks to a long history of shame and reluctance in the Latino community to identify with their indigenous African roots; mainly due to the negative associations that surround being black in the U.S. Sara is a graduate of The Juillard School (1997). Children of Men, directed by Alfonso Cuarn. Their Mayte Michelle Rodriguez was born on July 12, 1978 in San Antonio, Texas to Carmen Milady Pared Espinal, a housewife, and Rafael Rodrguez Santiago, a U.S. Army solider. Image Source. The Mexican-born actor spent the bulk of his career being typecast in stereotypical roles before he starred as Armando in the "Planet of the Apes" franchise and as Khan in "Star Trek"(both the TV show and in "Star Trek 2: The Wrath Of Khan"). Celebrity Inspired Hispanic Haircut: This celebrity-inspired hairstyle from the Spanish model Antonio has become quite a hit. The heavyset Bronx native of Puerto Rico descent died tragically in 2000 due to a heart attack stemming from his obesity. This gifted Colombian actress is one we are going to hear from in the future. She has appeared in several Brazilian films, most notably as Anglica in 2002's highly acclaimed City of God and as Karina in 2005's Lower City. She also was in The Master of Disguise, Baywatch, CSI: Miami, American Dad, Batman: The Long Halloween Parts 1 and 2, Even Stevens and The Bernie Justin Baldoni is an actor, director, producer, speaker, and entrepreneur who is focused creating impactful media and entertainment.After creating and directing the award-winning documentary series, My Last Days, Baldoni made his feature film directorial debut this year with FIVE FEET APART. Gleendilys Inoa is known for American Crime (2015), A Kiss of Chaos (2009) and Don't Let Me Drown (2009). When photos of the late singer Jenni Rivera 's 16-year-old son Johnny Lopez and his boyfriend Joaquin came out in 2017, they went viral and the internet had a field day. He originally fled El Salvador and entered the US illegally. At 14, he starred in a soap opera called El Diego Luna Alexander was born on December 29, 1979 in Mexico City, Mexico, to Alejandro Luna and Fiona Alexander, who worked as a costume designer. She was called the queen of Tejano music, the regional sound created by Mexican Americans in Texas. Even though Garza cant be seen in too many tv-series and movies, the ones he has filmed have received a lot of praise. Adam stars opposite Channing Tatum in the Warner Brothers feature film Magic Mike XXL ( Karla Souza was born on December 11, 1985 in Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico. The Bronx rapper of Puerto Rican and Cuban descent has been one of the most prominent Latino artists in the field dating back since 1992. She has two half-sisters. Rico Rodriguez is an example of a child star who was adored by many for more than ten years. Since then, Rodriguez has made "Desperado," "Grindhouse" (a collaboration with his good friend Quentin Tarantino), and "From Dusk Till Dawn." Santiago Cabrera was born in Caracas, Venezuela, to Chilean parents, and grew up in London, Romania, Toronto, and Madrid. His last project, Love, Victor, was extremely well received and it is an important tv series that deals with some of the current problems of todays youth. In the beginning, his decisions may have cost the dark, swarthily good-looking actor some acting roles and/or good-paying parts but, in the end, his strong work ethic and sense of self, despite Luis Gerardo Mndez, one of Mexico's biggest stars, is best known for playing the lead role and executive producing Netflix's first Spanish-language original comedy series CLUB DE CUERVOS.Luis was most recently seen in a lead role in NARCOS: MEXICO (S3) as troubled Mexican police officer 'Victor scar Jaenada was born on May 4, 1975 in Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Danny Pino says being Cuban means family comes first", "EXCLUSIVE: 'Psych' Star James Roday Explains Why He Changed His Latino Last Name for Hollywood", "Jai Rodriguez: From Queer Eye To Queer Ear", "Zoe Saldana is Latina Magazine's December 2015/January 2016 Cover Star! Slim's portfolio includes extensive holdings in several Mexican companies through Grupo Carso. Lucas Mateo Sebastian Leo Julian Anthony Christopher Santiago Angel Roman As. The Puerto Rican native is the elder statesman of Latino actors. He is best known for portraying the roles of Oberyn Martell in the fourth season of the HBO series Game of Thrones (2011), Javier Pea in the Netflix series Narcos (2015), the titular character in the Disney+ series The Mandalorian (2019) and Joel Miller in the Genesis Rodriguez was born in Miami, Florida. The CW show is one of the few primetime sitcoms currently on air to prominently feature Latino actors. The role of the over analysing Miguel in the hilarious Modern Family has gained him the popularity he certainly didnt expect. In the '90s, Tatyana Ali, whose parents are Indo-Trinidadian and Afro-Panamanian, dazzled as Ashley Banks on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." Likewise, Reagan Gomez-Preston, who is Afro-Puerto Rican,. Gina Rodriguez is one of the youngest icons on this list. Carlos Juan Finlay, MD (1833-1915): Solving the yellow fever mystery National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health That's precisely what "Latino USA," the NPR radio program Hinojosa has hosted since 1992, has done. He's yet another Latino legend that died too young. Always free! Based on the franchise (about one day each year when murder and mayhem is legalized), Gabriel played "Miguel", a US Marine with a hard edge and a noble mission, prepared to face the senseless violence in the Johnny Ortiz is known for Ali (2001), El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019) and Peppermint (2018). Kenyan Lady, 61-Year-Old Mzungu Celebrate 2nd Wedding Anniversary at Luxuri. A child drug addict and criminal, Trejo was in and out of jail for 11 years. Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll was born on February 2, 1977 in Barranquilla, Colombia to Nidia del Carmen Mebarak (ne Ripoll Torrado) & William Alberto Mebarak Chadid. But to every Latino, he'll always be Bob Morales, the troubled and problematic (but ultimately lovable) older brother of Ritchie Valens in "La Bamba." After leaving the group, he moved to New York to study acting. This is a coming-of-age drama where the main characters are going to have to deal with discovering their sexuality. Christopher Lee Rios, aka Big Pun, wasn't just the greatest Latino rapper of all time, he was one of the greatest rappers of all time, period. The series, which also starred Meagan Ryan Guzman (Gooz-MAHN) is a former MMA fighter who caught the notice of Hollywood. Arturo Alfonso Schomburg was an Afro-Puerto Rican historian, writer, and activist as well as a collector of literature, art, and other African artifacts. One of her videos caught the attention of producer Dr. Luke, who subsequently offered her a Stephanie Sigman is a Mexican actress. J. Balvin Net Worth: $998K Jos lvaro Osorio Balvn is a Colombian reggaeton singer and rapper. Like too many names on this list, Ritchie Valens was a talent taken away too soon. After having seen Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) in a local movie theater, she decided she wanted to become an actress. His 2001 album, "Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.)" She Tyler was born in Santa Monica, California, and lives in the Los Angeles area with his two dogs. On television, Sigman starred as Valeria Vlez in the first and second seasons of Wilmer Valderrama has amassed an extensive acting resume in film and television that solidified him in Hollywood as a sought-after leading man. He's an actor ("Carlito's Way," "The Pest"), a voiceover artist (he's Sid the Sloth in the "Ice Age" movies), and a playwright. He has starred in many films, such as Crash (2004), World Trade Center (2006), Shooter (2007). Thorne is an American actress of Hispanic descent who is maybe more interesting for her private life than acting skills, but she has starred in some fun flicks, such as Midnight Sun and Blended. The comedian of Puerto Rican descent was a sitcom star thanks to "Chico and the Man," which also happened to be the first time a major U.S. sitcom was set in a Mexican-American neighborhood (in this case, East Los Angeles). She has five siblings. Jessica is best known as an actress in her role as Maria Ruiz on the Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black, and won 3 Screen Actors Guild Award wins and Dascha Polanco is a Dominican American actress known for playing the character Dayanara "Daya" Diaz on Orange Is the New Black (2013). With her portrayal of Veronica Lodge, she showed that she is capable of playing both rude and stubborn characters, but also mild and cute teenagers with a strong personality.