Judy Reyes

Summary

Judy Reyes (born November 5, 1967) is an American actress, model and producer, best known for her roles as Carla Espinosa on the NBC/ABC medical comedy series Scrubs (2001–2009), as Zoila Diaz in the Lifetime comedy-drama Devious Maids (2013–2016), and as Annalise "Quiet Ann" Zayas in the TNT crime comedy-drama Claws (2017—2022). Reyes also appeared in films All Together Now (2020), Smile (2022), and Birth/Rebirth (2023), for which she received Independent Spirit Award for Best Lead Performance nomination.

Judy Reyes
Reyes in 2013
Born (1967-11-05) November 5, 1967 (age 56)[1]
Occupations
  • Actress
  • model
  • producer
Years active1992–present
SpouseGeorge Valencia[2]
Children1

Early life edit

Reyes was born in The Bronx, New York,[1] to Dominican immigrants, and has three sisters,[3] including a fraternal twin sister named Joselin Reyes, who played a paramedic on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Reyes grew up on Bainbridge Avenue, from the age of 13 to the age of 25–26.[3] She attended Hunter College in Manhattan, where she began her acting career.[4]

Career edit

In the early 1990s, Reyes began her television career with guest starring roles in a number of shows, including Law & Order, NYPD Blue, and The Sopranos. She also had a recurring role in Oz as Tina Rivera. She is best known for her portrayal of nurse Carla Espinosa on the NBC comedy Scrubs from 2001 to 2009. She has starred in a number of made for television movies, primarily for Lifetime network, including Little Girl Lost: The Delimar Vera Story (2008), and The Pregnancy Project (2012).

After leaving Scrubs, Reyes guest-starred in several shows, including Castle, Medium, Off the Map, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. In 2011, she starred as a mother dealing with her estranged husband's return into her life after his stint in prison in the independent drama Gun Hill Road. The film is set in Reyes' native Bronx, and its title refers to a real-life street that intersects Bainbridge Avenue on which Reyes herself grew up.[3] The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.[5] Reyes also had small supporting roles in several films, including Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five (1998), Bringing Out the Dead (1999), Washington Heights (2002), and Dirty (2005).

 
Reyes at the 2011 Dallas International Film Festival

In 2012, Reyes was cast as series regular Zoila Diaz, the senior maid, in the ABC comedy-drama pilot Devious Maids, created by Marc Cherry.[6] On May 14, 2012, the series was not picked up by ABC, but on June 22, 2012, Lifetime ordered a run of thirteen episodes.[7] The series premiered June 23, 2013.[8] The Devious Maids finale episode aired on August 8, 2016.[9] Two weeks following the show's cancellation, Reyes was cast opposite Niecy Nash in the TNT crime comedy-drama Claws playing the role of Annalise "Quiet Ann" Zayas.[10] The series premiered on June 11, 2017 and ended in 2022 after four seasons. She also had the recurring roles as Dina Milagro in the CW comedy series, Jane the Virgin (2015-19), and as Ramona in the Netflix comedy One Day at a Time (2017-2020). She played the role of Eva, executive producer of media conglomerate Waystar Royco's ATN news channel in the HBO drama series, Succession in 2018. Reyes also had a recurring roles in the comedy series Search Party and Better Things, and guest starred on Black-ish. In 2022, Reyes guest-starred in season 3 of Batwoman where she portrayed Kiki Roulette who was responsible for building Joker's joy buzzer.

Reyes starred in the independent films My Name Is David (2015) and Girl Flu. (2016), and had a supporting role in the thriller film The Circle (2017). She received Imagen Awards for Best Actress - Drama (Television) for her performance in the 2021 made-for-television film Torn from Her Arms.[citation needed] She appeared opposite her One Day at a Time co-star Justina Machado in the 2020 drama film, All Together Now.[11] In 2022, she had a supporting role in the supernatural horror film, Smile, it was a box office success, grossing over $217 million worldwide.[12] The following year, Reyes played the leading role in the psychological horror film, Birth/Rebirth. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and Reyes received positive reviews for her performance.[13][14] She received Independent Spirit Award for Best Lead Performance nomination for her performance.[15] Also in 2023, Reyes had a recurring role in the horror-comedy series, The Horror of Dolores Roach appearing again opposite Justina Machado.[16]

Reyes set to appear as a mother of the lead character in the romantic drama film, Turtles All the Way Down based on the 2017 novel of the same name by John Green.[17] She also was cast opposite Kaitlin Olson in the series regular role in the ABC comedy-drama series, High Potential based on the French series HPI.[18]

Personal life edit

 
Reyes at the 2012 Imagen Awards

Reyes was married to George Valencia. They have a daughter, Leila Rey Valencia, born on November 27, 2009.[2]

Filmography edit

Film edit

Key
Denotes films that have not yet been released
Year Title Role Notes
1992 Jack and His Friends Rosie
1996 No Exit Maria Lentini Direct-to-video
1997 Lena's Dreams Martisa
1998 Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five Waitress
Godzilla Woman #1 Uncredited
1999 Bringing Out the Dead ICU Nurse
2000 King of the Jungle Lydia Morreto
2002 Washington Heights Daisy
2004 King of the Corner Nurse Kathleen Delehant
2005 Dirty Bryant
2008 The Poker Club Detective Patterson
Glow Ropes: The Rise and Fall of a Bar Mitzvah Emcee Vanessa Dupree
2011 Gun Hill Road Angela Rodriguez
Without Men Magnolia Direct-to-video
Kaylien Teacher Short film
2015 My Name Is David His Neighbor
2016 Girl Flu. Celeste
2017 The Circle Congresswoman Olivia Santos
2020 All Together Now Donna
2022 Smile Victoria Muñoz
2022 Christmas, No Filter Carol
2023 Birth/Rebirth Celie Nominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Lead Performance
2024 Turtles All the Way Down Gina Holmes Post-production

Television edit

Year Title Role Notes
1992 Law & Order Maria Barragon Episode: "Sisters of Mercy"
1993 Street Justice Jody Episode: "Countdown"
1994 As the World Turns Nita Episode #1.9826
The Cosby Mysteries Laura Montero Episode: "Only You"
New York Undercover Helena Episode: "After Shakespeare"
1995 CBS Schoolbreak Special Giselle Episode: "Stand Up"
1996 NYPD Blue Anna Ortiz Episode: "Where'd the Van Gogh?"
The Prosecutors Maria Valquez Television film
1997 Cosby Miss Reyes Episode: "About My Life"
Nothing Sacred Maritza Episodes: "Proofs for the Existence of God" and "Song of Songs"
1998 Trinity Mrs. Cupideros Episode: "In Loco Parentis"
1999 Mind Prey Det. Vega Television film
1999–02 Oz Tina Rivera Recurring role, 5 episodes
2000 The Sopranos Michelle Episode: "From Where to Eternity"
Madigan Men Vera the Dog Walker Episode: "Pilot"
2001 100 Centre Street Olivia Episode: "Things Change"
Third Watch Gina Fuentes Episodes: "Requiem for a Bantamweight" and "Unfinished Business"
WW 3 Maria Cruz Television film
2001–09 Scrubs Nurse Carla Espinosa Series regular, 169 episodes
ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Series (2006, 2008)
Nominated - ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Series (2002, 2009)
Nominated - Imagen Award for Best Actress - Television (2005, 2007)
2003 Blue's Clues Carmen Episode: "Blue's Big Car Trip"
2005 Strong Medicine Jane Lopez Episode: "Family Practice"
2006 Our House Billy Television film
2008 Little Girl Lost: The Delimar Vera Story Luz Cuevas Television film
Nominated - Imagen Award for Best Actress - Television
2009 Castle Theresa Candela Episode: "Little Girl Lost"
Hawthorne Vita Gonzalez Episode: "No Guts, No Glory"
2010 Medium Jane Livingston Episode: "Native Tongue"
Ask Alan Vanessa Television film
2011 Off the Map Eva Moran Episodes: "It's Good" and "Es Un Milagro"
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Inez Rivera Episode: "Blood Brothers"
2012 The Pregnancy Project Juana Television film
Nominated - Imagen Award for Best Supporting Actress - Television
Happily Divorced Teresa Episode: "Cesar’s Wife"
Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja Señora Jorge (voice) Episode: "Viva El Nomicon"
2013–16 Devious Maids Zoila Diaz Series regular, 48 episodes
Nominated-Imagen Award for Best Actress - Television (2014, 2015)
2015 iZombie Lola Abano Episode: "Brother, Can You Spare a Brain?"
Fresh Off the Boat Mindy Torres Episode: "Good Morning Orlando"
2015–17, 2019 Jane the Virgin Dina Milagro Recurring role, 11 episodes
2016 The Good Wife Nola Gades Episode: "Monday"
Blue Bloods Coryna Garza Episode: "For the Community"
2017–20 One Day at a Time Ramona Recurring role, 10 episodes
2017–22 Claws Annalise "Quiet Ann" Zayas Series regular, 40 episodes
2017, 2020 Search Party Deb Episodes: "Suspicion", "Obsession", "Denial" and "The Reckoning"
2018 Succession Eva Episodes: "Shit Show at the Fuck Factory", "Lifeboats" and "Sad Sack Wasp Trap"
Dirty John Verga Episodes: "Red Flags and Parades" and "Remember It Was Me"
2019–22 Better Things Lala Episodes: "No Limits", "Show Me the Magic", "Escape Drill" and "We Are Not Alone"
2020 Black-ish Dr. Paul Episode: "Hero Pizza"
2021 Torn from Her Arms Thelma Garcia Television film
Imagen Award for Best Actress - Drama (Television)
2022 Batwoman Kiki Roulette Episodes: "Broken Toys" and "We’re All Mad Here"
2023 The Horror of Dolores Roach Marcie 3 episodes
2023 Dr. Death (Season 2) Kim Verdi Recurring role, 7 episodes
2023 Untitled HPI Remake Selena Soto ABC Pilot

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "Bio courtesy of Yahoo! TV". Yahoo! TV. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  2. ^ a b Michaud, Sarah (December 3, 2009). "Scrubs's Judy Reyes Welcomes a Daughter". People.
  3. ^ a b c Barrica, Gino (February 4, 2011). "Gun Hill Road: An Interview w/ Judy Reyes (Of Scrubs Fame)". Geekadelphia.
  4. ^ "Judy Reyes Gushes Over Husband! Says He Makes the Perfect Parent". Live RampUp. December 28, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2019.
  5. ^ Hernandez, Lee (January 24, 2011). "EXCLUSIVE: Judy Reyes Stars in 'Gun Hill Road' at Sundance Film Festival". Latina.
  6. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (February 23, 2012). "Judy Reyes Lands Lead In 'Devious Maids', Jay Hernandez Set As Male Lead In 'Trooper'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
  7. ^ Caldwell, Sarah (April 10, 2013). "Marc Cherry's 'Devious Maids' comes to Lifetime this summer". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  8. ^ "Devious Maids - Season 1 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
  9. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 1, 2016). "'Devious Maids' Canceled: No Season 5 For Lifetime Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  10. ^ Stanhope, Kate (September 12, 2016). "Judy Reyes Joins TNT's Nail Salon Dramedy 'Claws' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  11. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (September 19, 2019). "Netflix Movie 'Sorta Like A Rock Star' Adds Cast Including Rhenzy Feliz, Carol Burnett & Fred Armisen".
  12. ^ "Judy Reyes talks about the global success of her movie 'Smile'". HOLA. November 22, 2022.
  13. ^ "'birth/rebirth' Review: Laura Moss' "Frankenstein" Riff Is Alive, Thanks To Judy Reyes' Stunning Performance [Sundance]". theplaylist.net.
  14. ^ "birth/rebirth - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. August 18, 2023.
  15. ^ Nordyke, Kimberly (December 5, 2023). "Film Independent Spirit Awards: Full List of Nominees".
  16. ^ Cordero, Rosy (June 29, 2022). "'The Horror of Dolores Roach': Marc Maron, Jean Yoon, Judy Reyes & Jeffery Self To Recur On Amazon Series".
  17. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 13, 2022). "Judy Reyes Joins New Line's 'Turtles All The Way Down' For HBO Max".
  18. ^ Otterson, Joe (May 16, 2023). "ABC Orders 'High Potential' Starring Kaitlin Olson to Series, Other Pilots Remain in Contention".

External links edit