Elizabeth Peña was an actress who appeared in dozens of feature films and television programs over the course of a career that spanned nearly 40 years.

 Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Peña was the daughter of Cuban immigrants who were steeped in the arts — her father was an actor, writer and director who co-founded the Latina American Theatre Ensemble; her mother was a producer and arts administrator.

She graduated from New York's High School of Performing Arts in 1977 and made her first film two years later when she was cast in El Super. In the years that followed she made many other movies, including Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Jacob’s Ladder, Lone Star, La Bamba, Rush Hour, Blue Steel and Batteries Not Included.

In 1985 she made her first television appearance with a role in an episode of Cagney & Lacey. She later had roles in such series as Tough Cookies, I Married Dora, Shannon's Deal, Dream On, L.A. Law, Resurrection Blvd., Boston Public, Off the Map, Matador and many others. She also played Pilar, mother of Sofia Vergara's Gloria, in the hit comedy Modern Family.

In addition to her on-camera work, she lent her voice to many animated films, TV programs and video games, including The Incredibles, Justice League, Maya & Miguel and American Dad!

Peña died October 14, 2014, in Los Angeles. She was 55.