Elizabeth Pena has passed away at the young age of 55. Ms. Pena became famous after starring in the film La Bamba which was one of the first major Hollywood films with a full Latino cast. She quickly found other roles, such as that of the maid "Dora" in I Married Dora, alongside future star Juliette Lewis.
Eager to leave her maid roles behind, Ms. Pena soon took on television roles in which she played judges, detectives and eventually even criminal figures running cartels. A far cry from her previous parts.
Recently Ms. Pena has guest starred on Modern Family and even NCIS as a tough as nails detective. Suffering from an undisclosed illness, Elizabeth has passed away far too young. She will certainly be remembered as a role model for Latina actresses.
