Pena, Elizabeth 1959- (Elizabeth Anne Dicknson)

PERSONAL

Born September 23, 1959, in Elizabeth, NJ; daughter of Mario (an actor, writer, and director) and Estella Margarita (a producer and arts administrator; maiden name, Toirac) Pena; married William Stephan Kibler (a teacher and former talent agency), 1988 (marriage ended); married Hans Rolla (a carpenter and contractor), 1994; children: (second marriage) one daughter, one son. Education: Graduated from the New York High School of the Performing Arts, 1977; studied acting with Curt Dempster at the Ensemble Studio Theatre and with Endre Hules at La Mama Experimental Theatre Club, both New York, NY.

Addresses:

Office—Film Independent, 9911 West Pico Blvd., 11th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90035. Agent—Innovative Artists, 1505 10th St., Santa Monica, CA 90401. Manager—Rugolo Entertainment, 195 South Beverly Dr., Suite 400, Beverly Hills, CA 90212.

Career:

Actress. Film Independent, Los Angeles, CA, member of board of directors.

Member:

Actors' Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

Awards, Honors:

Woman of the Year Award, Hispanic Women's Council, 1988; New York Image Award, 1988; U.S. Congressional Award, U.S. Congress, 1988; Nosotros Golden Eagle Award, best actress, 1991; Bravo Award, outstanding actress in a feature film, National Council of La Raza, 1996, Independent Spirit Award, best supporting female, Independent Project Features West, 1997, both for Lone Star; ALMA Award nomination, outstanding actress in a feature film, American Latin Media Arts Awards, 1998, for Gridlock'd; ALMA Award, outstanding actress in a made-for-television movie or mini-series, 1998, for Contagious; ALMA Award nomination, outstanding actress in a made-for-television movie or miniseries, 1999, for Aldrich Ames: Traitor Within; ALMA Award, outstanding actress in a feature film, Blockbuster Entertainment Award nomination, favorite supporting actress in an action/adventure film, 1999, both for Rush Hour; ALMA Award, outstanding actress in a new television series, 2001, for Resurrection Blvd; ALMA Award, outstanding supporting actress in a motion picture, 2002, for Tortilla Soup.

CREDITS

Film Appearances:

Aurelita, El Super, New Yorker Films, 1979.

Disco hostess, Times Square, Associated Film Distributors, 1980.

Rita, They All Laughed, 1981.

Liz Garcia, Crossover Dreams, Crossover Films, Ltd., 1984.

Carmen, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Buena Vista, 1985.

Rosie Morales, La Bamba, Columbia, 1986.

Marisa Esquivel, *batteries Not Included, 1987.

Consuela, Vibes (also known as Vibes: The Secret of the Golden Pyramids), Columbia, 1988.

Tracy Perez, Blue Steel, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1990.

Jezebel, Jacob's Ladder (also known as Dante's Inferno), TriStar, 1990.

Herself, Building "Jacob's Ladder," 1990.

Rosa, The Waterdance, Samuel Goldwyn, 1992.

Vivian "Viv" Saunders, Dead Funny, 1994, A-Pix Entertainment, 1995.

Carmen, Across the Moon, Hemdale, 1994.

Kate Haley, Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (also known as Sauvez Willy 2), Warner Bros., 1995.

Recon, 1996.

Pilar Cruz, Lone Star, Sony Pictures Classics, 1996.

(As Elizabeth Anne Dickenson) Admissions person, Gridlock'd, 1997.

Zeena, The Pass (also known as Highway Hitcher), York Entertainment, 1998.

Demolition specialist Tania Johnson, Rush Hour, New Line Cinema, 1998.

Toni Gage, Strangeland (also known as Dee Snider's "StrangeLand"), Artisan Entertainment, 1998.

Martha, Seven Girlfriends, Castle Hill Productions, 1999.

Herself, A Piece of the Action: Behind the Scenes of "Rush Hour," 1999.

Connie, On the Borderline, Avalanche Home Entertainment, 2000.

Carmen, Things Behind the Sun, Behind the Sun Productions, 2001.

Leticia Naranjo, Tortilla Soup, Samuel Goldwyn Company, 2001.

Ten Tiny Love Stories (also known as Women Remember Men), Lions Gate Films Home Entertainment, 2001.

Midwife, Imposter, Dimension Films, 2002.

Ms. Tate, ZigZag, Silver Nitrate Films, 2002.

Narrator, Adio Kerida (documentary), 2002.

Voice of Mirage, The Incredibles (animated), Buena Vista, 2004.

How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer, 2005.

Margaret, Transamerica, IFC Films, 2005.

Gale, Down in the Valley, ThinkFilm, 2005.

Holly, Keep Your Distance, Lunacy Pictures, 2005.

Miliciana Munoz, The Lost City, Lions Gate Films, 2005.

Mirabela, Sueno, Destination Films, 2005.

Isabel Parades, Adrift in Manhattan, 2007.

Agent Linda Perez, D-War (also known as Dragon Wars), Freestyle Releasing, 2007.

Rosa Maria, Goal II: Living the Dream, Walt Disney Pictures, 2007.

Esperanza, Love Comes Lately, 2007.

Storyteller, A Single Woman, 2007.

Mrs. Castro, Por vida, 2008.

Also appeared in Fat Chance.

Television Appearances; Series:

Officer Connie Rivera, Tough Cookies, CBS, 1986.

Dora Calderon, I Married Dora, ABC, 1987-88.

Lucy Acosta, Shannon's Deal, NBC, 1990-91.

Beatriz "Bibi" Corrales, Resurrection Blvd., Showtime, 2001-2003.

Voice of Rosa Santos, Maya & Miguel, PBS, 2004.

Also appeared in As the World Turns.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Mika Camarena, Drug Wars: The Camarena Story (also known as Desperados: The Miki Camarena Story and Desperados: The Camarena Story), NBC, 1990.

Ellen Garza, The Invaders, The WB, 1995.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Flo Martin, Fugitive Among Us, CBS, 1992.

Lisa, Roommates, NBC, 1994.

Elizabeth Gaitan, Two, 1995.

Ellen Fields, It Came from Outer Space II, Sci-Fi Channel, 1996.

Detective Lou Rojas, Contagious (also known as Virus), USA Network, 1997.

Christina, The Second Civil War, HBO, 1997.

Rosario Ames, Aldrich Ames: Traitor Within, Showtime, 1998.

Maria, Border Line, NBC, 1999.

Theresa Shoe, The Hollywood Mom's Mystery, Hallmark Channel, 2004.

Clara Harris, Suburban Madness, CBS, 2004.

Flores, Racing for Time, Lifetime, 2008.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Funny, You Don't Look 200: A Constitutional Vaudeville (also known as Funny, You Don't Look 200), ABC, 1987.

The 4th Annual Desi Awards, syndicated, 1992.

The 1995 NCLR Bravo Awards, Fox, 1995.

The 1996 NCLR Bravo Awards, Fox, 1996.

Canned Ham: "Rush Hour," Comedy Central, 1998.

The 2001 IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards, IFC, 2001.

Presenter, The 17th Annual IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards, IFC, 2002.

The 100 Scariest Movie Moments, Bravo, 2004.

Margaret, La noche desperada, 2007.

Television Appearances; Pilots:

Lucy Acosta, Shannon's Deal, NBC, 1989.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Adelita Carrena, "Ordinary Hero," Cagney & Lacey, CBS, 1985.

Maria, "Ripoff," T. J. Hooker, CBS, 1985.

Alice, "Come and Get It," Hill Street Blues, 1986.

Debra, "Super Freak," Dream On, 1993.

Jinx Baldasseri, "Leap of Faith," L.A. Law, NBC, 1993.

Jinx Baldasseri, "Pacific Rimshot," L.A. Law, NBC, 1993.

Jinx Baldasseri, "Eli's Gumming," L.A. Law, NBC, 1993.

Jinx Baldasseri, "Whistle Stop," L.A. Law, NBC, 1994.

Dr. Jennifer Martinez, "Living Hell," The Outer Limits (also known as The New Outer Limits), Showtime and syndicated, 1995.

Gisella, "Fortune Teller," Dead Man's Gun, Showtime, 1997.

Aunt Ida, "Charts & Graphs: The Dessert Derby," The Eddie Files, 1998.

Superintendent Elizabeth Vasquez, "Chapter Forty-Seven," Boston Public, Fox, 2002.

Superintendent Elizabeth Vasquez, "Chapter Fifty-Four," Boston Public, Fox, 2003.

Mercedes Escalante, "Simple Man," CSI: Miami, CBS, 2003.

FBI Agent Lina Reyes, "Terminal Leave," Navy NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service (also known as NCIS and NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service), CBS, 2004.

Dennis Miller, CNBC, 2004.

Voice of Paran Dul, "Starcrossed: Parts 1, 2 & 3," Justice League (animated; also known as JL and Justice League Unlimited), Cartoon Network, 2004.

Voice of Paran Dul, "Hunter's Moon," Justice League (animated; also known as JL and Justice League Unlimited), Cartoon Network, 2005.

Rosie Diez, "Neither Rain Nor Sleet," Without A Trace (also known as W.A.T.), CBS, 2005.

Sonya Benavides, "Assassin," Numb3rs (also known as Num3ers), CBS, 2005.

Voice of Maria/Gold Digger, "Landon in Love," Minoriteam (animated), Cartoon Network, 2006.

Voice of store owner, "American Dream Factory," American Dad! (animated), Fox, 2007.

Also appeared in Dellaventura; Feeling Good, PBS; Saturday Night Live, NBC.

Television Director; Episodic:

"Justica," Resurrection Blvd., Showtime, 2002.

Stage Appearances:

Jesse, Dog Lady, International Arts Relations Theatre, New York City, 1984.

Jane, Becoming Garcia, Louis Abron Arts for Living Center, New York City, 1984.

Appeared as barmaid, Act One and Only, Public Theatre, New York City; Maria, Bring on the Night, Sutton Theatre; Teresa, Italian-American Reconciliation, GNU Theatre; Teresa, La Morena, Henry Street Playhouse, New York City; Beba, Night of the Assassins, La Mama Experimental Theatre Club, New York City; Juliet, Romeo and Juliet, Gramercy Arts Theatre, New York City; and Cynthia, Shattered Image, American Theatre of Actors, New York City; also appeared in Antigone, Blood Wedding, and Cinderella, off-Broadway productions.

Major Tours:

Toured as Juliet, Romeo and Juliet.

RECORDINGS

Video Games:

Voice of Mirage, The Incredibles, 2004.

Music Videos:

Appeared in Alabama's "She and I."

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

Dictionary of Hispanic Biography, Gale Research, 1996.

Notable Hispanic American Women, Book 1, Gale Research, 1993.

Periodicals:

Parade, February 14, 1999.

People Weekly, May 13, 1991, pp. 107-08.