Liza Colón-Zayas

Liza Colón-Zayas
Liza Colón-Zayas
Born	Liza Colón; July 15, 1972 (age 52); New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Actress, playwright
Years active	1994–present
Spouse	David Zayas (m. 1998)

Liza Colón-Zayas (born 1972) is an American actress and playwright. She is best known for playing Tina Marrero on the comedy-drama series The Bear, for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2024.

Quick Facts Born, Occupation(s) ...

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Liza Colón-Zayas was born as Liza Colón in 1972 in the Bronx borough of New York City.^[1] She is of Puerto Rican descent.^[2]

She earned her bachelor's degree in theater from SUNY Albany.^[1]

Colón-Zayas began her career off-Broadway. She broke into mainstream theatre when she wrote, produced, and starred in a one-woman show titled Sistah Supreme, a semi-autobiographical play in which she chronicles growing up as a Latina woman in New York during the 1970s and 1980s.^[1]

Colón-Zayas has been a member of the LAByrinth Theatre Company, a New York-based traveling actors' group, since its founding in 1992.^[3] On stage, she originated the role of Norca in the off-Broadway productions of Our Lady of 121st Street and the role of Haiku Mom in Quiara Alegría Hudes Pulitzer winner, Water by the Spoonful.^[4] In 1999, she appeared in the Philip Seymour Hoffman directed play, In Arabia, We'd All Be Kings.^[5]^[6]

One of Colón-Zayas' most memorable roles to theatergoers was the "Church Lady" in Stephen Adly Guirgis's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Between Riverside and Crazy which played the Atlantic Theater Company in 2014 and then Second Stage Theater in 2015. Colón-Zayas earned a Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Actress for her portrayal. She went on to play the role once more in 2022 on Broadway at Second Stage's Hayes Theatre.^[7]

In 2021, she was honored at the Dramatists Guild Foundation with the Madge Evans and Sidnet Kingsley Award. DGF’s longest-running award honors a mid-career dramatist and stage actresses for excellence in the theatre.^[5]

On the big screen, she's appeared in United 93 (2006), Righteous Kill (2008), and the 2016 action horror film The Purge: Election Year.^[8]

Colón-Zayas has also appeared in television series such as Sex and the City, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Blue Bloods, Dexter, and many more. In 2019, she got her first recurring role on the short-lived OWN drama, David Makes Man, and in 2021, she joined the cast of the Emmy-winning drama, In Treatment, as Rita.^[9]^[1]

In 2022, Colón-Zayas rose to significant fame after starring in Hulu's critically acclaimed drama comedy series The Bear as Tina Marrero. She has received critical praise for her portrayal, including a Screen Actors Guild Award and an Imagen Award.^[10]^[11]^[12]^[13]^[14]^[15]

She starred in John Krasinski's live action animated fantasy comedy feature IF released in 2024.^[16]

Her win of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2024^[15] made her the first Latina to win a Primetime Emmy in that category.^[17]

Colón-Zayas is married to actor David Zayas, known for his role as Angel Batista on Showtime's Dexter.^[10]

Film

More information Year, Title ...

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1995	The Keeper	C.O. Melendez
2002	Unfaithful	Grumpy teacher
2002	Apartment #5C	Yolanda
2004	Keane	1st Ticket Agent
2005	Heights	Ana
2006	Freedomland	Bea
2006	United 93	Waleska Martinez	^[18]
2007	Goodbye Baby	Host
2008	Righteous Kill	Judge Angel Rodriguez
2011	Margaret	Nurse
2012	Won't Back Down	Yvonne	^[19]
2013	All Is Bright	Mother of Six
2015	The Stockroom	April
2016	The Purge: Election Year	Dawn
	All at Once	Linda Ramirez
	Collateral Beauty	Trevor's Mom
2017	Lost Cat Corona	Jasmine
2018	Breaking Brooklyn	Ms. Cruz
2020	Before/During/After	Juanita
2021	Naked Singularity	Liszt	^[20]^[21]
2022	Allswell in New York	Daisy	^[22]
2023	Cat Person	Officer Elaine
2024	IF	Janet

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Television

More information Year, Title ...

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1994	New York Undercover	Speaker	Episode: "Los Macheteros"
2000	Deadline	Social Worker	Episode: "Daniel in the Lion's Den"
2001	Third Watch	Maria	Episode: "Adam 55-3"
2002–2022	Law & Order	Luisa / Sherry Velez / Lara Vega	3 episodes
2004	Sex and the City	Melita	Episode: "Splat!"
2004	Hope & Faith	Rusti	Episode: "Queer as Hope"
2004–2015	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit	Dolores Rodriguez / Cyndi	3 episodes
2005	Jonny Zero	Lucia	Episode: "La Familia"
2006	Conviction	M.E. Muldoon	Episode: "Breakup"
2006	The Bedford Diaries	Dr. Stern	Episode: "Abstinence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder"
2007	Rescue Me	Sarah	Episode: "Balance"
2008	House	Maria	Episode: "Emancipation"
2009	Taking Chance	Ticketing Agent	Television film
2009	Nurse Jackie	Mrs. Armando	Episode: "School Nurse"
2010	How to Make It in America	Gloria	Episode: "Big in Japan"
2010	Dexter	Paloma Aragon	Episode: "Take It!"
2011	Louie	Miss Hernandez	2 episodes
2011	Hung	Gloria	Episode: "The Whole Beefalo"
2013	Assistance	Dorothy	Television film
2015	Get Some!	Mickie Martell	Episode: "Chopped"
2016	Unforgettable	Laura Barton	Episode: "Bad Company"
	Blue Bloods	Ana Baez	Episode: "Stomping Grounds"
	The Pearl	Eileen Rosado	Television film
2017	Bull	ADA Jessica Goodman	Episode: "Already Gone"
2018	Titans	Detective Jessica Perez	2 episodes
2019	Proven Innocent	Lucia Rincon	Episode: "Pilot"
2019	David Makes Man	Principal Fallow	6 episodes
2021	In Treatment	Rita Ortiz	6 episodes
2022–present	The Bear	Tina Marrero	Main role, 26 episodes^[23]^[11]^[12]

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Theatre

More information Year, Title ...

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1995	¡Olé!	Liza (Sistah Supreme)	Off-Broadway; Playwright
1999	In Arabia, We'd All Be Kings	Daisy	Original Off-Broadway cast
2003	Our Lady of 121st Street	Norca	Off-Broadway
2003	Living Out	Zoila Tezo	Off-Broadway
2005	The Last Days of Judas Iscariot	Gloria / Mother Teresa	Off-Broadway
2007	A View From 151st Street	Lea	Off-Broadway
2008	The Little Flower of East Orange	Magnolia / Nurse 1 / Pope John XXIII	Off-Broadway
2009	Othello	Emilia	Off-Broadway
2012	Water by the Spoonful	Haiku Mom	Second Stage Theater Production
2014	Between Riverside and Crazy	Church Lady	Atlantic Theater Production
2015	Between Riverside and Crazy	Church Lady	Second Stage Theater Production
2017	Mary Jane	Sherrie	New York Theatre Workshop Production
2017	The Blameless	Amanda Garcia	Regional
2019	Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven	Sarge	Atlantic Theatre's Off-Broadway World Premiere
2022	Between Riverside and Crazy	Church Lady	Original Broadway Production

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Film and television

More information Year, Association ...

Year	Association	Category	Project	Result	Ref.
2023	Imagen Awards	Best Supporting Actress – Comedy (Television)	The Bear	Won	^[13]
2023	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series		Nominated	^[24]
2024	Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series		Won	^[25]
2024	Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series		Won	^[26]

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Theatre

More information Year, Association ...

Year	Association	Category	Project	Result	Ref.
2004	Lucille Lortel Awards	Outstanding Featured Actress	Living Out	Nominated	^[27]
2015		Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play	Between Riverside and Crazy	Won	^[27]
2018		Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play	Mary Jane	Nominated	^[27]
2020	Outer Critics Circle Awards	Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play	Halfway Bitches Go Straight to Heaven	Won	^[27]
	Obie Awards	Performance Award		Won	^[27]
	Drama League Awards	Distinguished Performance Award		Nominated	^[27]
	Drama Desk Awards	Outstanding Actress in a Play		Won	^[27]
2021	Dramatists Guild Foundation	Madge Evans and Sidney Kingsley Award		Won	^[5]

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List of Puerto Ricans

[1]
"'The Bear' Star Liza Colón-Zayas Pinches Herself Daily". Shondaland. June 30, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
[2]
"Liza Colón-Zayas's Medallion". The New York Times. August 24, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
[3]
"Company Members". LAByrinth Theatre Company. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved June 10, 2007.
[4]
"Liza Colón-Zayas Biography | Broadway Buzz | Broadway.com". www.broadway.com. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
[5]
Gans, Andrew (September 10, 2021). "Stephen Adly Guirgis, Elizabeth Canavan, Liza Colón-Zayas, and Elizabeth Rodriguez Honored by Dramatists Guild Foundation". Playbill. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
[6]
"Review of Our Lady of 121st Street". New York Times.
[7]
"Interview: Liza Colón-Zayas Is Between "The Bear" and "Riverside" and "Crazy" on Broadway". December 21, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
[8]
Roche, Barbara (January 12, 2024). "Stewart Talent celebrates two SAG Award noms". Reel Chicago News. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
[9]
Petski, Denise (November 17, 2020). "'In Treatment': Liza Colón-Zayas, John Benjamin Hickey & Quintessa Swindell To Recur In HBO Series". Deadline. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
[10]
Bahr, Sarah (November 21, 2022). "Liza Colón-Zayas Swears by Brené Brown, 'Hacks' and Hugs". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
[11]
"The Making of The Bear's Showstopper Monologue: "It's a Love Letter"". Vanity Fair. June 29, 2022. Archived from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
[12]
"Between Riverside And Crazy". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
[13]
"Flamin' Hot Takes Home Best Feature Film, Best Director and Best Actor at 38th Annual Imagen Awards". Imagen Foundation. December 3, 2023. Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
[14]
Journal, Kathleen Squires / Photographs by Laura Murray for The Wall Street. "How Liza Colón-Zayas, Everyone's Favorite Line Cook From 'The Bear,' Cooks at Home". WSJ. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
[15]
"Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series Nominees / Winners 2024". Television Academy. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
[16]
Petski, Denise (October 31, 2023). "'The Bear's Liza Colón-Zayas Signs With Liebman Entertainment". Deadline. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
[17]
Feinberg, Scott (September 15, 2024). "2024 Emmys Live Blog: Instant Analysis, Stats, Fun Facts and Reporting From Inside the Ceremony".
[18]
"United 93 review". the Guardian. June 2, 2006. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
[19]
Rooney, David (September 26, 2012). "Won't Back Down: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
[20]
Rooney, David (April 10, 2021). "'Naked Singularity': Film Review | San Francisco 2021". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
[21]
Catsoulis, Jeannette (August 5, 2021). "'Naked Singularity' Review: Injustice For All". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
[22]
Song, Katie (November 13, 2021). "'Allswell,' Starring Elizabeth Rodriguez, Liza Colón-Zayas and Daphne Rubin-Vega, Wraps Production". Variety. Archived from the original on October 10, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
[23]
Jr, Richie Ramirez (November 22, 2022). "How an up-and-coming comic broke big with the drama 'The Bear'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 9, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
[24]
Hipes, Patrick (January 11, 2023). "SAG Awards Nominations". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
[25]
"Nominations Announced for the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®" (Press release). Screen Actors Guild. January 10, 2024. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
[26]
"76th Emmy Awards Complete Nominations List" (PDF). Television Academy. July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
[27]
"Liza Colon-Zayas: Credits, Bio, News & More | Broadway World". www.broadwayworld.com. Retrieved February 11, 2024.

Liza Colón-Zayas at IMDb
Liza Colón-Zayas at the Internet Off-Broadway Database

[bear-star-1] [1]
"'The Bear' Star Liza Colón-Zayas Pinches Herself Daily". Shondaland. June 30, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2024.

[2] [2]
"Liza Colón-Zayas's Medallion". The New York Times. August 24, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.

[3] [3]
"Company Members". LAByrinth Theatre Company. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved June 10, 2007.

[4] [4]
"Liza Colón-Zayas Biography | Broadway Buzz | Broadway.com". www.broadway.com. Retrieved February 11, 2024.

[Dramatists_Guild-5] [5]
Gans, Andrew (September 10, 2021). "Stephen Adly Guirgis, Elizabeth Canavan, Liza Colón-Zayas, and Elizabeth Rodriguez Honored by Dramatists Guild Foundation". Playbill. Retrieved February 10, 2024.

[6] [6]
"Review of Our Lady of 121st Street". New York Times.

[7] [7]
"Interview: Liza Colón-Zayas Is Between "The Bear" and "Riverside" and "Crazy" on Broadway". December 21, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2024.

[8] [8]
Roche, Barbara (January 12, 2024). "Stewart Talent celebrates two SAG Award noms". Reel Chicago News. Retrieved February 11, 2024.

[9] [9]
Petski, Denise (November 17, 2020). "'In Treatment': Liza Colón-Zayas, John Benjamin Hickey & Quintessa Swindell To Recur In HBO Series". Deadline. Retrieved February 11, 2024.

[Zayas_Swears-10] [10]
Bahr, Sarah (November 21, 2022). "Liza Colón-Zayas Swears by Brené Brown, 'Hacks' and Hugs". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.

[Love_Letter-11] [11]
"The Making of The Bear's Showstopper Monologue: "It's a Love Letter"". Vanity Fair. June 29, 2022. Archived from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.

[Riverside_Crazy-12] [12]
"Between Riverside And Crazy". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.

[Hot_Film-13] [13]
"Flamin' Hot Takes Home Best Feature Film, Best Director and Best Actor at 38th Annual Imagen Awards". Imagen Foundation. December 3, 2023. Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2024.

[14] [14]
Journal, Kathleen Squires / Photographs by Laura Murray for The Wall Street. "How Liza Colón-Zayas, Everyone's Favorite Line Cook From 'The Bear,' Cooks at Home". WSJ. Retrieved February 11, 2024.

[auto-15] [15]
"Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series Nominees / Winners 2024". Television Academy. Retrieved August 2, 2024.

[16] [16]
Petski, Denise (October 31, 2023). "'The Bear's Liza Colón-Zayas Signs With Liebman Entertainment". Deadline. Retrieved February 11, 2024.

[17] [17]
Feinberg, Scott (September 15, 2024). "2024 Emmys Live Blog: Instant Analysis, Stats, Fun Facts and Reporting From Inside the Ceremony".

[18] [18]
"United 93 review". the Guardian. June 2, 2006. Retrieved January 10, 2023.

[19] [19]
Rooney, David (September 26, 2012). "Won't Back Down: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.

[20] [20]
Rooney, David (April 10, 2021). "'Naked Singularity': Film Review | San Francisco 2021". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.

[21] [21]
Catsoulis, Jeannette (August 5, 2021). "'Naked Singularity' Review: Injustice For All". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.

[22] [22]
Song, Katie (November 13, 2021). "'Allswell,' Starring Elizabeth Rodriguez, Liza Colón-Zayas and Daphne Rubin-Vega, Wraps Production". Variety. Archived from the original on October 10, 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2023.

[23] [23]
Jr, Richie Ramirez (November 22, 2022). "How an up-and-coming comic broke big with the drama 'The Bear'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 9, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.

[24] [24]
Hipes, Patrick (January 11, 2023). "SAG Awards Nominations". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2023.

[25] [25]
"Nominations Announced for the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®" (Press release). Screen Actors Guild. January 10, 2024. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.

[2024Emmys-26] [26]
"76th Emmy Awards Complete Nominations List" (PDF). Television Academy. July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.

[Colon_Bio-27] [27]
"Liza Colon-Zayas: Credits, Bio, News & More | Broadway World". www.broadwayworld.com. Retrieved February 11, 2024.

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Liza Colón-Zayas

Film

Television

Theatre

Film and television

Theatre

Wikiwand in your browser!

Liza Colón-Zayas

Film

Television

Theatre

Film and television

Theatre

Wikiwand in your browser!

Early life and education

Career

Personal life

Acting credits

Awards and nominations

See also

References

External links

Liza Colón-Zayas
Born	Liza Colón (1972-07-15) July 15, 1972 (age 52) New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Actress, playwright
Years active	1994–present
Spouse	David Zayas (m. 1998)