This striking, stage-trained Latina first gained recognition as the maid-turned-revolutionary in Paul Mazursky's "Down and Out in Beverly Hills" (1986). Born in the US, Pena was raised in Cuba and moved back to Manhattan at the age of eight. She was acting professionally two years later and subsequently attended the famed High School of Performing Arts. Pena went on to appear in more than 20 off-Broadway shows and toured for two years as Shakespeare's Juliet. She has worked with such renowned theater companies as Joseph Papp's Public Theater, La Mama, and San Francisco's American Conservatory Theater.

Pena's film career started slowly, with small roles in the Cuban/US production "El Super" (1979) and the American features "Times Square" (1980), "They All Laughed" (1981) and "Crossover Dreams" (1985). The spitfire role in "Down and Out in Beverly Hills" finally gained her attention from public and industry alike. Pena went on to play the battered wife of Ritchie Valens' half-brother in "La Bamba" (1987), the doomed friend of policewoman Jamie Lee Curtis in Kathryn Bigelow's "Blue Steel" and Tim Robbins' temperamental lover in Adrian Lyne's "Jacob's Ladder" (both 1990). Her subsequent screen credits have included a supporting role in "The Waterdance" (1992) and playing the girlfriend of a suddenly-dead man in "Dead Funny" (1995). She won particular acclaim for her 1996 turn as a schoolteacher and former lover of the town sheriff (Chris Cooper) in John Sayles' acclaimed mystery "Lone Star" (1996).

Pena is also known for her TV work, beginning with a supporting role in the police sitcom "Tough Cookies" (CBS, 1986). She had the title role in the short-lived "I Married Dora" (ABC, 1988), which became briefly notorious for its tasteless and politically incorrect premise (a widower marries his housekeeper to prevent her deportation). Pena also played the regular role of an aggressive secretary on the John Sayles-created legal drama "Shannon's Deal" (NBC, 1990-91).

Pena has also turned in strong performances in nearly a dozen TV-movies, miniseries and anthologies, starting with the 1989 pilot for "Shannon's Deal" (NBC). She was also the widow of a DEA agent in the award-winning "Drug Wars: The Camarena Story" (NBC, 1990), turned up in the AIDS drama "Roommates" (NBC, 1994) and was featured in the HBO TV-

from movies.yahoo.com

  Goal! 3 (2007) (pre-production) .... Rosa Maria
1/9 (2007) (post-production) .... Isabel Parades
Goal! 2: Living the Dream... (2006) (post-production) .... Rosa Maria

D-War (2006) .... Agent Linda Perez
... aka Dragon Wars
"Numb3rs"
... aka Num3ers (USA: promotional title)
- Assassin (2005) TV Episode .... Sonya Benavides
Sueño (2005) .... Mirabella
Keep Your Distance (2005) .... Holly
"Justice League"
... aka JL (USA: promotional abbreviation)
... aka Justice League Unlimited (USA: new title)
- Hunter's Moon (2005) TV Episode (voice) .... Paran Dul
- Starcrossed: Part 1 (2004) TV Episode (voice) .... Paran Dul
- Starcrossed: Part 2 (2004) TV Episode (voice) .... Paran Dul
- Starcrossed: Part 3 (2004) TV Episode (voice) .... Paran Dul
Transamerica (2005) .... Margaret
"Without a Trace"
- Neither Rain Nor Sleet (2005) TV Episode .... Rosie Diez
How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer (2005)
The Incredibles (2004/II) (VG) (voice)
"Navy NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service"
... aka NCIS (USA: short title)
... aka NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service (USA: new title)
- Terminal Leave (2004) TV Episode .... FBI Agent Lina Reyes
The Incredibles (2004) (voice) .... Mirage
"Maya & Miguel" (2004) TV Series (voice) .... Rosa Santos
Suburban Madness (2004) (TV) .... Clara Harris
The Hollywood Mom's Mystery (2004) (TV) .... Theresa Shoe
"CSI: Miami"
- Simple Man (2003) TV Episode .... Mercedes Escalante
"Boston Public"
- Chapter Fifty-Four (2003) TV Episode .... Superintendent Elizabeth Vasquez
- Chapter Forty-Seven (2002) TV Episode .... Superintendent Elizabeth Vasquez
ZigZag (2002) .... Ms. Tate
Impostor (2002) .... Midwife
On the Borderline (2001) .... Connie
Tortilla Soup (2001) .... Leticia Naranjo
Things Behind the Sun (2001) .... Carmen
Ten Tiny Love Stories (2001)
... aka Women Remember Men (USA)
"Resurrection Blvd." (2000) TV Series .... Beatriz "Bibi" Corrales

Seven Girlfriends (1999) .... Martha
Border Line (1999/I) (TV) .... Maria Rodriguez
Aldrich Ames: Traitor Within (1998) (TV) .... Rosario Ames
Strangeland (1998) .... Toni Gage
... aka Dee Snider's StrangeLand (USA: promotional title)
Rush Hour (1998) .... Demolition Specialist Tania Johnson
The Pass (1998) .... Zena
... aka Highway Hitcher (USA: video title)
"Dead Man's Gun"
- Fortune Teller (1997) TV Episode .... Gisella
The Second Civil War (1997) (TV) .... Christina
Gridlock'd (1997) (as Elizabeth Anne Dickinson) .... Admissions Person
Contagious (1997) (TV) .... Det. Luisa Rojas
... aka Virus
Recon (1996)
Lone Star (1996) .... Pilar Cruz
It Came from Outer Space II (1996) (TV) .... Ellen Fields
The Invaders (1995) (TV) .... Ellen Garza
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995) .... Kate Haley
... aka Sauvez Willy 2 (France)
"The Outer Limits"
... aka The New Outer Limits (USA: promotional title)
- Living Hell (1995) TV Episode .... Dr. Jennifer Martinez
Across the Moon (1995) .... Carmen
Two (1995) (TV) .... Elizabeth Gaitan
Roommates (1994) (TV) .... Lisa
Dead Funny (1994) .... Viv Saunders
"L.A. Law"
- Whistle Stop (1994) TV Episode .... Jinx Baldasseri
- Eli's Gumming (1993) TV Episode .... Jinx Baldasseri
- Pacific Rimshot (1993) TV Episode .... Jinx Baldasseri
- Leap of Faith (1993) TV Episode .... Jinx Baldasseri
"Dream On"
- Super Freak (1993) TV Episode .... Debra
Fugitive Among Us (1992) (TV) .... Flo Martin
The Waterdance (1992) .... Rosa
Jacob's Ladder (1990) .... Jezebel
... aka Dante's Inferno
"Shannon's Deal" (1990) TV Series .... Lucy Acosta
Blue Steel (1990) (as Elizabeth Pena) .... Tracy Perez
"Drug Wars: The Camarena Story" (1990) (mini) TV Series .... Mika Camarena

Shannon's Deal (1989) (TV) .... Lucy Acosta
Vibes (1988) .... Consuelo
*batteries not included (1987) .... Marisa Esteval
"I Married Dora" (1987) TV Series .... Dora Calderon
La Bamba (1987) .... Rosie Morales
"Hill Street Blues"
- Come and Get It (1986) TV Episode .... Alice
"Tough Cookies" (1986) TV Series .... Off. Connie Rivera
Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986) .... Carmen
"T.J. Hooker"
- Rip-off (1985) TV Episode .... Maria
"Cagney & Lacey"
- Ordinary Hero (1985) TV Episode (as Elizabeth Pena) .... Adelita Carrena
Crossover Dreams (1985) .... Liz Garcia
They All Laughed (1981) .... Rita
Times Square (1980) .... Disco Hostess

Súper, El (1979) .... Aurelita