Elizabeth Peña

Elizabeth Maria Peña (September 23, 1959 – October 14, 2014) was an American actress known for her work in films such as Batteries Not Included, La Bamba, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Jacob's Ladder, Lone Star, Rush Hour, and The Incredibles. 2Early life Peña was born on September 23, 1959 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, where she was raised, the daughter of Mario Peña, an actor, director, and writer who co-founded the Latin American Theatre Ensemble, and Estella Margarita (Toirac) Peña, an arts administrator and producer. She was of Cuban descent, and spent her early years in Cuba. At age 8, Peña and her family moved to New York City. In 1975, she was a founding member of the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors. In 1977, she graduated from New York's High School of Performing Arts. Her classmates were Ving Rhames and Esai Morales, whom she would later star with in La Bamba and Resurrection Blvd. 2Career In 1979, Peña made her film debut, El Super, and described as a "moving and melancholy comedy about a family of lower middle class Cuban refugees attempting to adjust to life in Spanish Harlem". She worked once again with director Leon Ichaso in his next feature, Crossover Dreams. She appeared in films such as La Bamba, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Jacob's Ladder, Lone Star, *batteries not included, Vibes and Rush Hou