Selenis Leyva
Selenis Leyva (born May 26, 1972) is an American actress. She is known for her role as Gloria Mendoza in the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black, and she currently stars on the Disney+ comedy-drama series Diary of a Future President.
Selenis Leyva | |
|---|---|
 Leyva at the 2014 Peabody Awards. | |
| Born | May 26, 1972 New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Children | 1 |
Life and career
Leyva was born and raised in The Bronx.[1] She is of Cuban and Dominican descent.[2] She has appeared in a number of Off-Broadway productions.[3] On television, Leyva had a recurring role of Detective Mariluz Rivera in Law & Order, and also appeared in different roles on the show and on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She has guest-starred on Third Watch, The Sopranos, The Good Wife, Girls, and Elementary.
In 2013, Leyva began starring as Gloria Mendoza, a Latina leader in the jail, in the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black. Her character was recurring for the first two seasons and she was promoted to series regular in Season 3.[4][5] Along with cast, she received three Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. She also received ALMA Award for Outstanding Special Achievement in Television in 2014.[6] The series ended in 2019, after seven seasons. During her time in Orange Is the New Black, Leyva co-starred opposite Viola Davis and Catalina Sandino Moreno in the 2016 courtroom drama film Custody directed and written by James Lapine,[7] and played Monica Warren in the 2017 superhero film Spider-Man: Homecoming.[8] In 2018, she had a supporting role in the Netflix miniseries Maniac.
In 2019, Leyva was cast in the Disney+ comedy-drama series Diary of a Future President produced by Gina Rodriguez.[9] The series premiered on January 17, 2020.
Books
Leyva is the co-author,[10] with her sister Marizol, of the book My Sister: How One Sibling's Transition Changed Us Both (Bold Type Books, March 2020).
Personal life
Leyva has one daughter, Alina.[11] She is a supporter of the LGBT community and revealed in June 2015 that her sister Marizol is transgender.[11][12][13][14]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Debutante | Daisy Dominguez | |
| 2002 | Apartment #5C | Luisa | |
| 2004 | Maria Full of Grace | Customs Inspector | |
| 2007 | Illegal Tender | Wanda | |
| 2007 | Ben's Plan | Maria | |
| 2009 | Don't Let Me Drown | Sonia | |
| 2009 | Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs | Additional Voices | Voice |
| 2010 | Sex and the City 2 | Teacher | |
| 2010 | Trouble Child | Trouble Child | Short film |
| 2011 | Man in the Mirror | Sonia | Short film |
| 2012 | Ice Age: Continental Drift | Additional Voices | Voice |
| 2013 | Epic | Additional Voices | Voice |
| 2014 | Living with the Dead | Dr. Quenda | |
| 2015 | Chapter & Verse | Yolanda | |
| 2016 | Custody | Jackie | |
| 2016 | I Can I Will I Did | Maria | |
| 2017 | Spider-Man: Homecoming | Monica Warren | |
| 2020 | Shadows | Pamela | Short film |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Law & Order | Louisa | Episode: "Refuge: Part 2" |
| 1999 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Lorinda Gutierrez | Episode: "Hysteria" |
| 2001 | The $treet | Kate | Episode: "Junk Bonds" |
| 2001 | Law & Order | DeeDee Salazar | Episode: "Sunday in the Park with Jorge" |
| 2001 | Taina | Titi Rose | Recurring role, 6 episodes |
| 2001 | 100 Centre Street | Delfina Romero | Episodes: "Kids: Part 1" and "Kids: Part 2" |
| 2002 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Isabella Costas | Episode: "Homo Homini Lupis" |
| 2003 | Third Watch | Phyllis | Episode: "Goodbye to All That" |
| 2004 | Third Watch | Gonzalez | Episode: "Leap of Faith" |
| 2004 | Law & Order | Nita Cabrera | Episode: "Veteran's Day" |
| 2005 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Warden's Secretary | Episode: "Prisoner" |
| 2004–2006 | Law & Order | Detective Mariluz Rivera | Recurring role, 18 episodes |
| 2006 | The Sopranos | Jill Dibiaso | Episode: "Live Free or Die" |
| 2007 | Dirty Sexy Money | Detective Angelina Adams | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2008 | New Amsterdam | Susan Boyle | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2010 | Law & Order | Rona Henderson | Episode: "Boy on Fire" |
| 2010 | The Good Wife | Marisol | Episode: "Doubt" |
| 2010 | The Whole Truth | Claudia | Episode: "Liars" |
| 2011 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Detective Mariluz Rivera | Episode: "Icarus" |
| 2011 | Person of Interest | Hosking | Episode: "Number Crunch" |
| 2011–2012 | Blue Bloods | Assistant M.E. Craig | Recurring role, 4 episodes |
| 2012 | Girls | Chastity | Episode: "Hannah's Diary" |
| 2012 | Elementary | Sara Castillo | Episode: "Child Predator" |
| 2013 | The Following | Detective Morales | Episode: "Chapter Two" |
| 2013–2019 | Orange Is the New Black | Gloria Mendoza | Recurring role (Seasons 1-2), Series regular (Season 3-Season 7), 88 episodes ALMA Award for Outstanding Special Achievement in Television (2014) Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2015–2016) Nomination — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2018) |
| 2015 | Madam Secretary | Bolivian Ambassador Mariana Dominguez | Episode: "The Time Is at Hand" |
| 2015 | Veep | Governor Ramos | Episode: "B/ill" |
| 2018 | DuckTales | Detective Cabrera | Voice role; recurring |
| 2018 | Dietland | Soledad | |
| 2018 | Maniac | Patricia Lugo | 3 episodes |
| 2018 | Murphy Brown | Maria Gonzales | Episode: "Thanksgiving and Taking" |
| 2020 | Diary of a Future President | Gabi Cañero-Reed | Series regular |
| 2020 | Saved by the Bell | Ms. Jimenez | Episode: "Rent-A-Mom" |
References
- Kaufman, Joanne (February 18, 2020). "Selenis Leyva's Clean Slate". New York Times.
- "Selenis Leyva Explains Why 'Orange Is The New Black' Is A Huge Step For Latinas". Huffingtonpost.com. 2013-11-18. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
- "Lortel Archives-The Internet Off-Broadway Database". Lortel.org. Archived from the original on 2012-10-23. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
- Andreeva, Nellie. "Nick Sandow & Selenis Leyva Upped To Regulars On 'Orange Is The New Black'; Damon Wayans Jr. On 'New Girl'". Deadline.com. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
- "TV Casting News For Selenis Leyva, Jocko Sims, Damon Wayans Jr, RZA|Shadow and Act". Blogs.indiewire.com. Retrieved 2014-06-10.
- "Selenis Leyva". IMDb.
- "'OITNB' Star Selenis Leyva Says Gloria Will 'Come Undone' In Season 3". The Huffington Post. 2015-06-11. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
- Cassidy, Mark (June 21, 2016). "OITNB Star Selenis Leyva Joins Spider-Man: Homecoming".
- Pedersen, Erik (July 11, 2019). "'Diary Of A Future President': EP Gina Rodriguez To Recur As POTUS In Disney+ Series; Main Cast Set".
- "Exclusive: Selenis Leyva Talks About Her Memoir Written With Her Transgender Sister Marizol". People en Español. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
- Serico, Chris (May 11, 2015). "'Orange is the New Black' star attends prom for ill teens - TODAY.com". Today. NBC. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
- Leyva, Selenis (June 3, 2015). "What Caitlyn Jenner's Vanity Fair Cover Sparked For Me As Sister of Trans Woman | Selenis Leyva". The Huffington Post. AOL. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
- Nunez, Alanna (June 15, 2015). "Orange Is the New Black Star Selenis Leyva on Gloria, Motherhood, and Talking About Sex with Her Daughter". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
- Erazo, Vanessa (June 3, 2015). "'Orange is the New Black' Actress Reveals Her Sister Is a Transgender Woman?". Remezcla. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
