Justina Machado
| Justina Machado | |
|---|---|
 Machado at the 2014 Alma Awards | |
| Born |
September 6, 1972 Chicago, Illinois |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1993–present |
Justina Machado (born September 6, 1972) is an American actress. She is known for her role as Vanessa Diaz on the HBO drama series, Six Feet Under, as well as Brenda, on the drama Queen of the South.
Early life
Machado was born in Chicago, Illinois, where her family moved to from Puerto Rico. There, her parents met and were married. The couple had two children and subsequently divorced. Her mother remarried and had three children. She was very active in drama, always participating in her school plays. In 1986, Machado attended Lane Technical College Prep High School ("Lane Tech") and during her spare time performed with the Latino Chicago Theater Company.[1][2][3]
In 1990, Machado graduated from Lane Tech and moved to New York City. The experience which she had gained as a performer with the Latino Chicago Theater Company helped open the doors for her in that city. Soon, she was offered a job as a professional actress in Los Angeles, California. Machado moved to Los Angeles and in 1996, she landed her first two acting roles. She was cast as "Elsa" in the TV series NYPD Blue episode #311, and she was also cast as "Val Cho" in the movie made for television No One Would Tell.[2][3][4]
Career
Television
On June 10, 2001, Machado auditioned for the TV series Six Feet Under and was cast as Vanessa Diaz, originally a supporting character, later evolving into one of the series' main characters. Machado and her castmates were honored with a Screen Actors Guild Award for "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series". The series completed its final season in 2005.[5][2][3]
She has also appeared in the Canadian television series, 1-800-Missing, as a character named Sunny Estrada.
Films
Machado has participated in over 15 films. Amongst her most notable roles so far have been Carmen Rodriguez in She's So Lovely, Isabella Hudson in Final Destination 2, Agent Henderson in Torque, Natalia in Little Fugitive, Teresa in Man Maid, Sofia in The Accidental Husband, and FBI Agent Rosie Gomez in the film In the Electric Mist.[3][4]
Theatre
Machado has also made appearances on stage, including Neil LaBute's Some Girl(s) at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. She participated in the productions of Blade to the Heat and Black Butterfly at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. She was the first replacement for Andrea Burns in Broadway's In the Heights. In 2010, Machado appeared in the Los Angeles run of Love, Loss and What I Wore.
Other work
In 2003, Machado appeared in the music video for TLC's song "Damaged", the third single from their fourth studio album 3D, as a young woman trapped in an abusive relationship and unsure of what to do with her life.[2][3] In 2009, she appeared in nine episodes on the TV series ER as Claudia Diaz.[2][3] Machado also appeared in The Purge: Anarchy [as Tanya], as well as Brenda in the USA series, Queen of the South.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | She's So Lovely | Carmen Rodriguez | |
| 1998 | Week That Girl Died, TheThe Week That Girl Died | Marita | |
| 1999 | Swallows | America | |
| 2000 | Following Paula | Paula Ormida | Short film |
| 2001 | Sticks | Maria | |
| 2001 | A.I. Artificial Intelligence | Assistant | |
| 2002 | Dragonfly | Oncology Desk Nurse | |
| 2002 | Full Frontal | Linda's Friend in Kitchen | |
| 2003 | Final Destination 2 | Isabella Hudson | |
| 2004 | Torque | Henderson | |
| 2006 | Little Fugitive | Natalia | |
| 2007 | I Think I Love My Wife | Paramedic | |
| 2008 | Accidental Husband, TheThe Accidental Husband | Sofia | |
| 2008 | Breast Pump & Blender | Lizzie | Short film |
| 2008 | Man Maid | Terressa | |
| 2008 | Pedro | Mily | |
| 2009 | In the Electric Mist | Rosie Gomez | |
| 2013 | Call, TheThe Call | Rachel | |
| 2014 | Endgame | Karla | |
| 2014 | The Purge: Anarchy | Tanya |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | ABC Afterschool Special | Episode: "Love Hurts" | |
| 1993 | Missing Persons | Juanita Gonzales | Episode: "That's My Sister, Pal" |
| 1996 | NYPD Blue | Elsa | Episode: "Burnin' Love" |
| 1996 | Second Noah | Roxanna | Episode: "Second Noah" |
| 1996 | No One Would Tell | Val Cho | TV film |
| 1997 | ER | Ms. Cruz | Episode: "Ambush" |
| 1997 | Moloney | Episode: "I'm Ambivalent About L.A." | |
| 1997 | Crisis Center | Raquel | Episode: "He Said, She Said" |
| 1997 | Arsenio | Anna Montez | Episode: "We Can Still Be Friends" |
| 1997 | Goode Behavior | Raquel Delarosa | Recurring role (5 episodes) |
| 1998 | Gregory Hines Show, TheThe Gregory Hines Show | Maria | Episode: "James Stevenson Stands Alone" |
| 1998 | Any Day Now | Olivia | Episode: "It's Who You Sleep With" |
| 1998 | Touched by an Angel | Marisol | Episode: "An Angel on the Roof" |
| 1998 | Malcolm & Eddie | Laura Morales | Episodes: "Love Thy Neighbor", "The Fool Monty" |
| 1999 | Promised Land | Roxie Kahle | Episode: "Darkness Visible" |
| 1999 | Early Edition | Laura | Episode: "Camera Shy" |
| 1999-2000 | Oh Baby | Mona | Episodes: "Guilt", "Friendship", "Cinderella" |
| 2000 | Angel | Jo | Episode: "Judgment" |
| 2001-2005 | Six Feet Under | Vanessa Diaz | Regular role (42 episodes) |
| 2002 | Johnny Chronicles, TheThe Johnny Chronicles | Marisol | TV film |
| 2002 | Strong Medicine | Episode: "Type & Cross" | |
| 2003-2004 | Missing | Sunny Estrada | Main role (17 episodes) |
| 2006 | Alpha Mom | TV film | |
| 2006 | Ghost Whisperer | Suzanne | Episode: "Demon Child" |
| 2006 | Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America | Alma Ansen | TV film |
| 2006 | Grey's Anatomy | Anna Nyles | Episode: "Oh, the Guilt" |
| 2007 | Cold Case | Amelia Lopez | Episode: "The Good Death" |
| 2007 | Ugly Betty | Cousin Clara | Episodes: "A Tree Grows in Guadalajara", "Family/Affair" |
| 2008 | Man of Your Dreams | Sheryl | TV film |
| 2008 | Kath & Kim | Angel | Episodes: "Old", "Money" |
| 2009 | ER | Claudia Diaz | Recurring role (8 episodes) |
| 2009-2010 | Three Rivers | Pam Acosta | Main role (13 episodes) |
| 2010 | Burn Notice | Lauren | Episode: "Neighborhood Watch" |
| 2010 | Bones | Lupe Rojas | Episode: "The Couple in the Cave" |
| 2011 | Off the Map | Teresa | Episode: "Hold on Tight" |
| 2011 | Protector, TheThe Protector | Marisol Casas | Episode: "Blood" |
| 2011 | Body of Proof | Emily Burrows | Episode: "Lazarus Man" |
| 2011 | Harry's Law | Counsel | Episode: "American Girl" |
| 2012 | Desperate Housewives | Claudia Sanchez | Episodes: "Who Can Say What's True?", "What's the Good of Being Good" |
| 2012 | Switched at Birth | Nurse Manos | Episodes: "Starry Night", "The Art of Painting" |
| 2012-2013 | Private Practice | Stephanie Kemp | Recurring role (6 episodes) |
| 2013 | Fosters, TheThe Fosters | Sonia Rivera | Episodes: "Saturday", "The Fallout", "I Do" |
| 2013 | Welcome to the Family | Lisette Hernandez | Episodes: "1.1", "1.2" |
| 2013 | Murder Police | Rosa Sanchez | TV series, pre-production |
| 2014 | Major Crimes | Ana Ruiz | Episode 13, Season 3 |
| 2015 | Devious Maids | Reina | Episodes: "She Done Him Wrong", "The Turning Point" |
| 2016 | Heartbeat | Beth and Emily | Episode: "Twins" |
| 2016 | Jane The Virgin | Darcy Factor | Episode: "Chapter Fifty-One" |
| 2016-present | Queen of the South | Brenda | Main; 13 episodes |
| 2017 | One Day at a Time | Penelope | Main |