Elizabeth Peña

Elizabeth Peña

Born: September 23, 1959
Died: October 14, 2014
in Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA
Elizabeth Peña (September 23, 1961 - October 14, 2014) was an American actress, and the daughter of a theater-company co-founder, who has also compiled experience as a television director in her own right. Peña was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, daughter of Estella Margarita (née Toirac), an arts administrator and producer, and Mario Peña, the Cuban-born actor, writer, and director who jointly founded the Latin American Theatre Ensemble. It is unknown whether Peña was named after the town of her birth. Peña graduated from New York's High School of Performing Arts in 1977. Her classmates included Ving Rhames, alongside whom she would later co-star in Jacob's Ladder, and Esai Morales, alongside whom she would later co-star in La Bamba. She is also a founding member of the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors.

In 1979, Peña appeared in her first film, El Super, "an exceptionally moving and melancholy comedy about a family of lower-middle-class Cuban refugees attempting to adjust to life in Spanish Harlem.", New York City. Peña worked once again with film director, Leon Ichaso in his next feature Crossover Dreams opposite Ruben Blades.

Peña has appeared in movies such as La Bamba, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Lone Star, Vibes, and Rush Hour. In 2002, she starred in Showtime's Resurrection Blvd. as Tia Bibi Corrades in the episode "Justicia," which she also directed. During the next year, 2003, she appeared in and directed "It Was Fun While It Lasted," an episode of The Brothers Garcia. She also provided the voice of the character Mirage in Pixar's animated film The Incredibles. She guest starred in the 18th episode of Numb3rs, Season Two, as Sonya Benavides. Although the actress does speak Spanish, she does not dub her own voice for Spanish releases.

Peña is also noted for having starred in I Married Dora, a sitcom that lasted only 13 episodes in 1987, as Dora Calderon, the "Dora" of the show's title. In the final show, the cast broke the "fourth wall" of suspended disbelief by announcing their cancellation on-camera and taking a curtain call.

Writer-director John Sayles produced the critically acclaimed but short-lived television series Shannon's Deal (1989–1991) co-starring Peña alongside series lead Jamey Sheridan. In 1996 Sayles wrote and directed the mystery film Lone Star and again cast her in a co-starring role.

Peña died on October 14, 2014 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California at the age of 55.

Movies for Elizabeth Peña...

The Song of Sway Lake
Title: The Song of Sway Lake
Character: Marlena
Released: June 7, 2019
Type: Movie
In the wake of his father’s suicide, young record collector Ollie Sway returns to the family lake house with his friend Nikolai in tow to lay claim to an invaluable jazz recording. An unexpected visit from Ollie’s estranged grandmother and a chance encounter with a girl from across the lake derail their search, forcing them to confront the Sway family history and a suffering that has resounded through generations.
bee
Grandma
Title: Grandma
Character: Carla
Released: June 4, 2015
Type: Movie
Self-described misanthrope Elle Reid has her protective bubble burst when her 18-year-old granddaughter, Sage, shows up needing help. The two of them go on a day-long journey that causes Elle to come to terms with her past and Sage to confront her future.
bee
Ana Maria in Novela Land
Title: Ana Maria in Novela Land
Character: Sra. Soto
Released: February 27, 2015
Type: Movie
Ana Maria is having a bad day until she magically switches places with the main character of her favorite telenovela. As she struggles to escape from Novela Land, Ana Maria finally understands why her real life was such a mess.
bee
Girl on the Edge
Title: Girl on the Edge
Character: Esther
Released: February 23, 2015
Type: Movie
A powerful true story about the journey of a troubled teenage girl who finds healing in the most unlikely of places, and who must choose to either invest in her own recovery or succumb to the trauma of her past.
bee
Plush
Title: Plush
Character: Dr. Lopez
Released: September 13, 2013
Type: Movie
A young singer/songwriter, despite being married, becomes involved with her new guitarist, who she soon discovers has a dark past and may be a danger to her and those close to her.
bee
Blaze You Out
Title: Blaze You Out
Character: Dona
Released: July 30, 2013
Type: Movie
Lupe, a strong-willed aspiring DJ, and her younger sister Alicia live in the Esperanza Valley, a community that is suffocating by generations of heroin use. When Alicia witnesses a murder and disappears, Lupe sets out on a dangerous journey that forces her into the town's ruthless underworld. She quickly discovers that in order to save the person that matters most, she must harness the power that exists within her and connect with the divine that surrounds her.
bee
In the Dark
Title: In the Dark
Character: Dr. Weinette
Released: January 12, 2013
Type: Movie
Aspiring artist Ali must rebuild her life after a tragic accident kills her husband and their young child, and leaves her blind. Life in the dark proves to be a daunting task, so, at her doctor's suggestion, she hires a caretaker named Jeff to help her adjust with the transition. Jeff's aid proves to be indispensable, she even meets and quickly befriends her new neighbor, Linda. Before long, she is embroiled in a fight for her life from an obsessive predator. Will she learn to protect herself using her only remaining senses in time to save her life?
bee
Title: Charlie's Angels
Character: Warden Gloria Galvez
Released: September 22, 2011
Type: TV
Everyone deserves a second chance—even a thief, a street racer and a cop who got in a little too deep. After all, the three women who solve cases for their elusive boss, Charlie Townsend, are no saints. They're angels... Charlie's Angels.
bee
The Perfect Family
Title: The Perfect Family
Character: Christina Rayes
Released: April 30, 2011
Type: Movie
Kathleen Turner stars as suburban mother and devout Catholic Eileen Cleary, who has always kept up appearances. When she runs for the Catholic Woman of the Year title at her local parish, her final test is introducing her family to the board for the seal of approval. Now she must finally face the nonconformist family she has been glossing over for years...
bee
Down for Life
Title: Down for Life
Character: Mrs. Castro
Released: October 1, 2010
Type: Movie
Based on a New York Times article depicting a single dramatic day in the life of a Latina gang leader in South Central L.A.
bee
Mother and Child
Title: Mother and Child
Character: Lawyer
Released: November 7, 2009
Type: Movie
The lives of three women have a commonality: adoption. Karen is a physical therapist who regrets that, as a teenager, she gave up her daughter for adoption. Elizabeth was an adopted child and is now a successful lawyer, but her personal life lacks warmth. Lucy and her husband have failed to conceive and now hope to adopt a baby to make their family complete.
bee
Title: Modern Family
Character: Pilar Ramírez
Released: September 23, 2009
Type: TV
The Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker clan is a wonderfully large and blended family. They give us an honest and often hilarious look into the sometimes warm, sometimes twisted, embrace of the modern family.
bee
Nothing Like the Holidays
Title: Nothing Like the Holidays
Character: Anna Rodriguez
Released: December 12, 2008
Type: Movie
It’s Christmastime and the far-flung members of the Rodriguez family are converging at their parents’ home in Chicago to celebrate the season and rejoice in their youngest brother’s safe return from combat overseas.
bee
A Single Woman
Title: A Single Woman
Character: Storyteller
Released: September 21, 2008
Type: Movie
A Single Woman is a distinct, lively portrait of Jeannette Rankin (the first American woman elected to Congress; also a suffragist, peace activist and reformer) that takes us from her childhood in 1880's Montana, to her last television interview in 1972. Deliciously political, occasionally chilling, ironic and idiosyncratic, A Single Woman illuminates the role of the individual in the American legislative process with a whimsical amalgamation of storytelling, high-powered discourse and communion. The program is a filmed version of the successful stage play.
bee
Racing for Time
Title: Racing for Time
Character: Flores
Released: February 16, 2008
Type: Movie
Cleveland 'Stack' Stackhouse is a guard with the Texas Correctional Youth Authority who witnesses the cycle of destructive choices and racial tensions among female teen offenders and decides to do something about it. He gathers African-American, Latina and Caucasian teens, and organizes a multi-racial track team behind the bars of the prison. Participation in Stack's track team not only breaks down the racial divides between the girls, but puts them on a path to turn their lives around.
bee
Love Comes Lately
Title: Love Comes Lately
Character: Esperanza
Released: September 9, 2007
Type: Movie
Though approaching his eighties, Max Kohn shows no signs of slowing down. He pursues his love life - both real and imagined - with youthful vigor, thereby risking his relationship to Reisel, the woman he loves but neglects. LOVE COMES LATELY is a film about real and imagined longings, the never ending dream of love and the power of fiction.
bee
Dragon Wars: D-War
Title: Dragon Wars: D-War
Character: Agent Linda Perez
Released: August 1, 2007
Type: Movie
Based on the Korean legend, unknown creatures will return and devastate the planet. Reporter Ethan Kendrick is called in to investigate the matter.
bee
Goal! II: Living the Dream
Title: Goal! II: Living the Dream
Character: Rosa Maria
Released: February 9, 2007
Type: Movie
Tempted away from Newcastle United to join Real Madrid, rising star Santiago Munez finds this latest change of fortune the greatest challenge yet - personally as well as professionally. He is reunited with Gavin Harris, though they must compete to be on the team, and estranged from fiancee Roz, whose nursing career keeps her back home.
bee
Adrift in Manhattan
Title: Adrift in Manhattan
Character: Isabel Parades
Released: January 10, 2007
Type: Movie
The lives of three lonely strangers intersect while commuting on New York's 1 and 9 subway lines.
bee
Sueno
Title: Sueno
Character: Mirabela
Released: September 30, 2005
Type: Movie
A Mexican immigrant new to Los Angeles enters into a love triangle with two very different women.
bee
Title: Ghost Whisperer
Character: Marla
Released: September 23, 2005
Type: TV
Newlywed Melinda Gordon tries to help the dead communicate with loved ones, but sometimes the messages she receives are intense and confusing. Most of Melinda's efforts involve resolving conflicts that are preventing the spirits from passing over.
bee
Keep Your Distance
Title: Keep Your Distance
Character: Holly
Released: September 2, 2005
Type: Movie
In the perfectly normal town of Louisville, KY, there is a perfectly normal man living the perfect life. David Dailey is a man who has it all: A great career, a community that adores him, and an enduring marriage. But beneath the surface, David's idyllic world is crumbling. He's haunted by a series of mysterious notes that warn of an imminent fall from grace...
bee
Down in the Valley
Title: Down in the Valley
Character: Gale
Released: May 13, 2005
Type: Movie
On a trip to the beach, a teenage girl named Tobe meets a charismatic stranger named Harlan, who dresses like a cowboy and claims to be a former ranch hand. The pair feel an instant attraction and begin a relationship, but her father, a lawman, is suspicious of her lover.
bee
Transamerica
Title: Transamerica
Character: Margaret
Released: February 14, 2005
Type: Movie
A transgender woman takes an unexpected journey when she learns that she had a son, now a teenage runaway hustling on the streets of New York.
bee
Title: American Dad!
Character: Store Owner (voice)
Released: February 6, 2005
Type: TV
The series focuses on an eccentric motley crew that is the Smith family and their three housemates: Father, husband, and breadwinner Stan Smith; his better half housewife, Francine Smith; their college-aged daughter, Hayley Smith; and their high-school-aged son, Steve Smith. Outside of the Smith family, there are three additional main characters, including Hayley's boyfriend turned husband, Jeff Fischer; the family's man-in-a-goldfish-body pet, Klaus; and most notably the family's zany alien, Roger, who is "full of masquerades, brazenness, and shocking antics."
bee
How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer
Title: How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer
Character: Lolita
Released: January 23, 2005
Type: Movie
Three generations of women in a Mexican American family experience sexual awakenings over the course of a summer.
bee
Title: Numb3rs
Character: Sonya Benavides
Released: January 23, 2005
Type: TV
Inspired by actual cases and experiences, Numb3rs depicts the confluence of police work and mathematics in solving crime as an FBI agent recruits his mathematical genius brother to help solve a wide range of challenging crimes in Los Angeles from a very different perspective.
bee
The Incredibles
Title: The Incredibles
Character: Mirage (voice)
Released: October 27, 2004
Type: Movie
Bob Parr has given up his superhero days to log in time as an insurance adjuster and raise his three children with his formerly heroic wife in suburbia. But when he receives a mysterious assignment, it's time to get back into costume.
bee
Title: Maya & Miguel
Character: Rosa Santos (voice)
Released: October 11, 2004
Type: TV
Centering around the lives of pre-teen Hispanic twins named Maya and Miguel Santos and their friends, the program is aimed at promoting multiculturalism and education in general. It is geared to the 5-9 age range. Part of the dialogue in each episode in the English version is in Spanish but only individual words or phrases which are explained in English.
bee
Suburban Madness
Title: Suburban Madness
Character: Clara Harris
Released: October 4, 2004
Type: Movie
Based on the real story of Clara Harris, the Houston, Texas dentist who made headlines in July 2002 when she killed her adulterous husband by repeatedly running over him with her car.
bee
The Hollywood Mom's Mystery
Title: The Hollywood Mom's Mystery
Character: Theresa Shoe
Released: August 8, 2004
Type: Movie
Lucy Freers has a long-standing marriage, a nine-year old daughter, and a great family life in the suburbs of Hollywood. Great, that is, until the Hollywood set decides that motherhood is the newest way to go. When local neighbor Julia Prentice, the wife of a famous movie actor, adopts a baby in full view of the show-business media, the parenthood craze hits its peak. Soon after, Julia is found lying dead in Lucy's swimming pool, with Lucy and her husband labeled as suspects. Now Lucy must determine the truth to clear the name of both herself and her family.
bee
Title: Justice League Unlimited
Character: Paran-Dul (voice)
Released: July 31, 2004
Type: TV
Justice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the previous Justice League animated series.
bee
Justice League: Starcrossed - The Movie
Title: Justice League: Starcrossed - The Movie
Character: Paran Dul (voice)
Released: July 13, 2004
Type: Movie
When the Thanagarians visit Earth, Hawkgirl is forced to choose between loyalty to her people and love for her friends on her adopted planet Earth.
bee
Title: NCIS
Character: Lina Reyes
Released: September 23, 2003
Type: TV
From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, a team of special agents investigates any crime that has a shred of evidence connected to Navy and Marine Corps personnel, regardless of rank or position.
bee
Title: Without a Trace
Character: Rosie Diaz
Released: September 26, 2002
Type: TV
The series follows the ventures of a Missing Persons Unit of the FBI in New York City.
bee
Title: CSI: Miami
Character: Mercedes Escalante
Released: September 23, 2002
Type: TV
CSI: Miami follows Crime Scene Investigators working for the Miami-Dade Police Department as they use physical evidence, similar to their Las Vegas counterparts, to solve grisly murders. The series mixes deduction, gritty subject matter, and character-driven drama in the same vein as the original series in the CSI franchise, except that the Miami CSIs are cops first, scientists second.
bee
Ten Tiny Love Stories
Title: Ten Tiny Love Stories
Released: August 10, 2002
Type: Movie
Rodrigo Garcia's Ten Tiny Love Stories follows the stories of ten women with very different emotional and psychological experiences across ten scripted monologues.
bee
Zig Zag
Title: Zig Zag
Character: Ms. Tate
Released: June 14, 2002
Type: Movie
An autistic 15-year-old boy steals money from his boss to provide rent for his abusive father, who uses the money to repay a loan shark.
bee
Impostor
Title: Impostor
Character: Midwife (as Elizabeth Pena)
Released: December 3, 2001
Type: Movie
A top-secret government weapons designer is arrested by a clandestine government organization on suspicion of being a clone created by the hostile alien race wanting to take over Earth.
bee
Title: Justice League
Character: Paran Dul (voice)
Released: November 17, 2001
Type: TV
The long-awaited rebirth of the greatest superhero team of all time: Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Hawkgirl, Green Lantern, and Martian Manhunter.
bee
On the Borderline
Title: On the Borderline
Character: Connie
Released: October 23, 2001
Type: Movie
A young couple embark on a cross-country journey, only to run into trouble at the Texas/Mexico border.
bee
Things Behind the Sun
Title: Things Behind the Sun
Character: Carmen
Released: October 12, 2001
Type: Movie
A young music journalist's dark memories are awakened when he goes to interview a female rock singer, and both are forced to confront troubling secrets from their pasts.
bee
Tortilla Soup
Title: Tortilla Soup
Character: Leticia Narnjo
Released: August 24, 2001
Type: Movie
A Mexican-American master chef and father to three daughters has lost his taste for food but not for life.
bee
Title: Boston Public
Character: Superintendent Elizabeth Vasquez
Released: October 23, 2000
Type: TV
Principal Steven Harper runs Winslow High School as best as he can while dealing with the demands of the faculty, the students and their parents.
bee
Title: Resurrection Blvd.
Character: Beatrice 'Bibi' Corrales
Released: June 26, 2000
Type: TV
The Santiagos are a proud East Los Angeles Latino family whose hopes and dreams are rooted in the world of professional boxing.
bee
Seven Girlfriends
Title: Seven Girlfriends
Character: Martha
Released: April 21, 2000
Type: Movie
Jesse is charming, romantic, and he knows how to pop the question; he just can't face marriage. So, when he and Hannah split up during the same week that a former fiancée dies, he decides to figure things out. He visits each woman about whom he's been serious to ask what went wrong. His teen flame, an independent woman who sometimes sleeps with him, and a group of lesbians give him advice, as does Anabeth, dead but lively in his dreams. One ex remains furious, but with the help of her inventive colleague, the level-headed insomniac Laura, Jesse even gets to talk to her. It's on to Anabeth's funeral, where he'll see Hannah, and maybe grasp what has been eluding him.
bee
Border Line
Title: Border Line
Character: Maria Rodriguez
Released: February 22, 1999
Type: Movie
Allison Westlin, a Los Angeles-based immigration lawyer and single mother, investigates a murder with the help of private detective Mario Sparks and INS officer Dan McIvers. As the investigation continues and Westlin uncovers a human-smuggling ring, Westlin's nanny Maria jeopardizes her life to protect Westlin and her daughter.
bee
Aldrich Ames: Traitor Within
Title: Aldrich Ames: Traitor Within
Character: Rosario Ames
Released: November 29, 1998
Type: Movie
Fact-based story about a 90's espionage case that was chronicled as the worst case of espionage in US history
bee
Strangeland
Title: Strangeland
Character: Toni Gage
Released: October 2, 1998
Type: Movie
A pierced and tattooed sadist, Captain Howdy, trolls the Internet for naive teens, luring them to his home to torture and defile them. When Howdy kidnaps and tortures the daughter of police Detective Mike Gage, he is caught. Deemed insane, he is sent to an asylum but is released soon after, seemingly better. However, Gage knows it is only a matter of time before Howdy strikes again, and he's ready to unleash his own form of retribution when the time comes.
bee
Rush Hour
Title: Rush Hour
Character: Johnson
Released: September 18, 1998
Type: Movie
When Hong Kong Inspector Lee is summoned to Los Angeles to investigate a kidnapping, the FBI doesn't want any outside help and assigns cocky LAPD Detective James Carter to distract Lee from the case. Not content to watch the action from the sidelines, Lee and Carter form an unlikely partnership and investigate the case themselves.
bee
Highway Hitcher
Title: Highway Hitcher
Released: May 7, 1998
Type: Movie
Forsythe plays good samaritan who inadvertently picks up a madman on his way to Vegas. As the mystery surrounding the hitchhiker deepens, Forsythe finds himself in a deadly game of cat and mouse that reveals a surprise twist to the truth behind their encounter.
bee
The Pass
Title: The Pass
Character: Zeena
Released: May 7, 1998
Type: Movie
A businessman with a compulsive gambling problem which has led to his wife leaving him, travels to Reno, Nevada for some gambling therapy which takes a turn when he picks up a psychotic serial killer posing as a hitchhiker.
bee
The Second Civil War
Title: The Second Civil War
Character: Christina
Released: December 4, 1997
Type: Movie
When a planeload of Pakistani orphans are shipped to his state for permanent relocation, the governor of Idaho defies the president and closes the state's border. News Net Television, a cable news program that makes hay by reporting on political scandals, quickly spins the racist act into an overnight media sensation, creating a divide in national opinion over the issue.
bee
Contagious
Title: Contagious
Character: Det. Luisa Rojas
Released: January 22, 1997
Type: Movie
When shrimp from Mexico, tainted with Cholera, is served to people on a plane bound for LA, an outbreak ensues. A doctor sets out to find the source and contain it before it turns into an epidemic. And if things weren't bad enough, a drug mule from the plane, who was smuggling cocaine in his stomach, infects the drugs, which will be on the streets soon. And to top things off, her husband who is on a camping trip with their two children is sick but did not show any symptoms until they were isolated from the rest of the world. Can she get to them in time?
bee
Title: Two
Character: Elizabeth Gaitan
Released: September 12, 1996
Type: TV
Two is an American drama series which aired from September 1996 to June 1997. It featured Michael Easton as Gus McClain, a man framed for the murder of his wife by his twin brother Booth Hubbard. Hubbard, whose existence had previously been unknown to McClain, committed several murders while assuming McClain's identity, leaving Gus on the run from the FBI. The primary FBI investigator in the case was Terry Carter, whose partner was a victim of Hubbard. It featured Andrew Sikes as a recurring character trying to help McClain. Due to low ratings, the show was canceled after one year.
bee
Lone Star
Title: Lone Star
Character: Pilar
Released: June 21, 1996
Type: Movie
When the skeleton of his murdered predecessor is found, Sheriff Sam Deeds unearths many other long-buried secrets in his Texas border town.
bee
It Came from Outer Space II
Title: It Came from Outer Space II
Character: Ellen Fields
Released: December 31, 1995
Type: Movie
Aliens crashland near a small desert town, strewing odd bluish-glowing rocks throughout the area. Townfolk notice something is amiss when temperatures begin to soar, water disappears, power goes down and people seem not to be themselves.
bee
The Invaders
Title: The Invaders
Character: Ellen Garza
Released: November 12, 1995
Type: Movie
Nolan Wood is a pilot who uncovers a plot to promote the ecological destruction of Earth in order to pave the way for alien colonization. Now, with the help of a dedicated, open-minded doctor, Wood embarks on a desperate race to convince authorities of this conspiracy - while staying one step ahead of his alien pursuer - in this cautionary tale.
bee
Title: The Invaders
Character: Ellen Garza
Released: November 12, 1995
Type: TV
The Invaders (or The New Invaders) is a two-part television miniseries revival based on the 1967-68 original series The Invaders. Directed by Paul Shapiro, the miniseries was first aired in 1995. Scott Bakula starred as Nolan Wood, who discovers the alien conspiracy, and Roy Thinnes appears very briefly as David Vincent, now an old man handing the burden over to Wood.
bee
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home
Title: Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home
Character: Kate Haley
Released: July 19, 1995
Type: Movie
Jesse becomes reunited with Willy three years after the whale's jump to freedom as the teenager tries to rescue the killer whale and other orcas from an oil spill.
bee
Across the Moon
Title: Across the Moon
Character: Carmen
Released: March 28, 1995
Type: Movie
Two young women bond while living together out in the California desert to be close to their boyfriends who are serving time at the nearby state prison.
bee
Title: The Outer Limits
Character: Dr. Jennifer Martinez
Released: March 26, 1995
Type: TV
Anthology series of composed of distinct story episodes, sometimes with a plot twist at the end, with occasional recurring story elements that were often tied together during season-finale clip shows.
bee
Roommates
Title: Roommates
Character: Lisa
Released: May 30, 1994
Type: Movie
The story of a macho straight and a well-educated gay man who have to share an apartment at a half-way house for aids-patients. Slowly they become friends.
bee
Dead Funny
Title: Dead Funny
Character: Viv Saunders
Released: May 21, 1994
Type: Movie
When her practical joker boyfriend dies, a young woman recalls all the pranks he pulled as she tries to figure out who murdered him.
bee
The Waterdance
Title: The Waterdance
Character: Rosa
Released: May 13, 1992
Type: Movie
Author Joel Garcia breaks his neck while hiking, and finds himself in a rehab center with Raymond, an exaggerating ladies man, and Bloss, a racist biker. Considerable tension builds as each character tries to deal with his new found handicap and the problems that go with it, especially Joel, whose lover Anna is having as difficult a time as he is.
bee
Fugitive Among Us
Title: Fugitive Among Us
Character: Flo Martin
Released: February 4, 1992
Type: Movie
An increasingly obsessed detective chases an escaped rapist across the Southwest and enters into a complicated relationship with one of the victims.
bee
Building 'Jacob's Ladder'
Title: Building 'Jacob's Ladder'
Character: Self
Released: December 1, 1990
Type: Movie
An overview of the making of the film Jacob's Ladder (1990).
bee
Jacob's Ladder
Title: Jacob's Ladder
Character: Jezzie
Released: November 2, 1990
Type: Movie
After returning home from the Vietnam War, veteran Jacob Singer struggles to maintain his sanity. Plagued by hallucinations and flashbacks, Singer rapidly falls apart as the world and people around him morph and twist into disturbing images. His girlfriend, Jezzie, and ex-wife, Sarah, try to help, but to little avail. Even Singer's chiropractor friend, Louis, fails to reach him as he descends into madness.
bee
Title: Dream On
Released: July 8, 1990
Type: TV
The family life, romantic life, and career of Martin Tupper, a divorced New York City book editor. The show distinctively interjected clips from older black and white television series to punctuate Tupper's feelings or thoughts.
bee
Title: Shannon's Deal
Character: Lucy Acosta
Released: April 16, 1990
Type: TV
Shannon's Deal is an American legal drama. The show centers on a successful Philadelphia corporate lawyer named Jack Shannon, who lost his family and his job to a compulsive gambling habit. The saga of Shannon, who leaves a prestigious law firm after years of becoming unhappy with the legal system and being forced to take his clients to court, and whom subsequently opens his own low-rent practice
bee
Blue Steel
Title: Blue Steel
Character: Tracy Perez
Released: March 16, 1990
Type: Movie
Megan Turner, a rookie NYC cop, foils an armed robbery on her first day and then engages in a cat-and-mouse game with one of the witnesses who becomes obsessed with her.
bee
Title: Drug Wars: The Camarena Story
Character: Mika Camarena
Released: January 7, 1990
Type: TV
Fact-based story of undercover DEA agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena who, while stationed in Guadalajara, uncovered a massive marijuana operation in Northern Mexico that led to his death and a remarkable investigation of corruption within the Mexican government.
bee
Shannon's Deal
Title: Shannon's Deal
Character: Lucy Acosta
Released: June 4, 1989
Type: Movie
A washed-up lawyer refuses to take a bribe and instead goes after the South American drug cartel that's trying to push those in its way. Pilot for the TV Series.
bee
Vibes
Title: Vibes
Character: Consuelo
Released: August 5, 1988
Type: Movie
Medium Sylvia Pickel and psychometrist Nick Deezy meet at a psychic research facility in New York. Not long after, they're contacted by Harry Buscafusco, who offers them $50,000 to find his lost son in South America, in the heart of Incan territory where they discover an ancient mystical secret, and each other.
bee
*batteries not included
Title: *batteries not included
Character: Marisa Esteval
Released: December 18, 1987
Type: Movie
In a soon to be demolished block of apartments, the residents resist the criminal methods used to force them to leave so a greedy tycoon can build his new skyscraper. When tiny mechanical aliens land for a recharge, they decide to stay and help out.
bee
Title: I Married Dora
Released: September 22, 1987
Type: TV
I Married Dora is an American sitcom that appeared on the ABC television network. It premiered on September 22, 1987, and its final first-run episode aired on December 18, 1987. The series was created by Michael J. Leeson, who was one of the creators of the long running TV series The Cosby Show.
bee
La Bamba
Title: La Bamba
Character: Rosie Morales
Released: July 24, 1987
Type: Movie
Los Angeles teenager Ritchie Valens becomes an overnight rock 'n' roll success in 1958, thanks to a love ballad called "Donna" that he wrote for his girlfriend. But as his star rises, Valens has conflicts with his jealous brother, Bob, and becomes haunted by a recurring nightmare of a plane crash just as he begins his first national tour alongside Buddy Holly.
bee
Title: L.A. Law
Character: Jinx Baldasseri
Released: September 15, 1986
Type: TV
L.A. Law is an American television legal drama series that ran for eight seasons on NBC from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994. Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, it contained many of Bochco's trademark features including a large number of parallel storylines, social drama and off-the-wall humor. It reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s, and many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot-topic issues such as abortion, racism, gay rights, homophobia, sexual harassment, AIDS, and domestic violence. The series often also reflected social tensions between the wealthy senior lawyer protagonists and their less well-paid junior staff. The show was popular with audiences and critics, and won 15 Emmy Awards throughout its run, four of which were for Outstanding Drama Series.
bee
Title: Tough Cookies
Released: March 5, 1986
Type: TV
Tough Cookies is sitcom that aired on CBS from March 5 to April 23, 1986. The series centers on the young detective Cliff Brady, played by Robby Benson.
bee
Down and Out in Beverly Hills
Title: Down and Out in Beverly Hills
Character: Carmen
Released: January 31, 1986
Type: Movie
Beverly Hills couple Barbara and Dave Whiteman find their lives altered by the arrival of a vagrant who tries to drown himself in their swimming pool.
bee
Crossover Dreams
Title: Crossover Dreams
Character: Liz Garcia
Released: August 23, 1985
Type: Movie
Salsa singer screws over everybody on his way to the top; when his latest record flops, his career starts doing downhill.
bee
Title: Cagney & Lacey
Released: March 25, 1982
Type: TV
Mary Beth Lacey and Chris Cagney are teamed up as NYPD police detectives. Their opposing personalities (one is tough and the other sensitive) mesh to make this one of the great crime-fighting duos of all time.
bee
Title: T. J. Hooker
Released: March 13, 1982
Type: TV
Sergeant Thomas Jefferson Hooker is a tough-as-nails veteran police officer with the LCPD who turns his back on a gold badge and goes back to patrolling the streets and training recuits. Along with his young partners in blue, Hooker take on Lake City's toughest criminals.
bee
They All Laughed
Title: They All Laughed
Character: Rita
Released: November 20, 1981
Type: Movie
New York's Odyssey Detective Agency is hired by two different clients to follow two women suspected of infidelity. Ladies' man John Russo trails Angela Niotes, the elegant wife of a wealthy Italian industrialist, while Charles Rutledge and Arthur Brodsky follow Dolores Martin, the beautiful young wife of a jealous husband. Their respective cases are complicated when John falls for Angela, and Charles falls for Dolores.
bee
Title: Hill Street Blues
Released: January 15, 1981
Type: TV
A realistic glimpse into the daily lives of the officers and detectives at an urban police station.
bee
Times Square
Title: Times Square
Character: Disco Hostess
Released: October 17, 1980
Type: Movie
When a 13-year-old girl befriends a defiant antisocial child of the streets, the mismatched runaways set off to the Big Apple to find their own adventure.
bee
El Super
Title: El Super
Character: Aurelita
Released: April 28, 1979
Type: Movie
February, 1978. Roberto and Aurelia are Cuban exiles living in New York City with their 17-year-old daughter. For ten years Roberto's been the super of an apartment building, firing up the boiler, repairing windows, and moving bags of garbage. He's homesick for Cuba, stuck in repetitive conversations about the Bay of Pigs, Castro, and life back home. After receiving some tragic news, Robert makes up his mind to quit the city and move to Miami.