Ana Ortiz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ana Ortiz
Ortiz in 2014
Born	(1971-01-25) January 25, 1971 (age 54) New York City, U.S.
Other names	Ana Lebenzon
Occupation	Actress, singer
Years active	1995–present
Spouse(s)	Noah Lebenzon ​ (m. 2007)​
Children	2

Ana Ortiz (born January 25, 1971) is an American actress and singer. She started her career in ballet and singing when she was young. Later, she went to the University of the Arts.

Ortiz began acting in theater. In the early 2000s, she starred in TV shows like Kristin (2001) and A.U.S.A. (2003). She also had repeating roles in Over There and Boston Legal.

She became well-known for playing Hilda Suarez in the ABC comedy-drama series Ugly Betty from 2006 to 2010. Ana Ortiz also appeared in movies such as Labor Pains (2009) and Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son (2011). She also starred in Little Girl Lost: The Delimar Vera Story (2008). From 2013 to 2016, Ortiz played Marisol Suarez in the TV series Devious Maids. For this role, she won an Imagen Award for Best Actress. In 2020, Ortiz started starring in the Hulu series Love, Victor as Isabel Salazar, who is the mother of the main character, Victor.

Life and Career

Early Life and Theater Work

Ana Ortiz was born in New York City. Her father, Angel Ortiz, used to be a member of the Philadelphia City Council and was of Puerto Rican descent. Her mother, Kathleen Kuhlman, is Irish-American. As a child, Ortiz studied ballet for eight years. She stopped because dancing on her toes (called en pointe) became too painful.

She then switched to singing. Ortiz went to the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City. She also attended the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Her first professional stage role was in a play called Dangerous Liaisons. She also played Chrissy in a European tour of the musical Hair.

Ortiz appeared in several TV shows. These included NYPD Blue, Everybody Loves Raymond, Commander In Chief, ER, and The New Adventures of Old Christine. Her first regular role in a TV series was in the comedy Kristin in 2001. She later starred in another comedy called A.U.S.A. in 2003. She also had recurring roles in the drama Over There and the series Boston Legal.

Becoming Famous with Ugly Betty

Ortiz at The Heart Truth Fashion Show 2008

In 2006, Ortiz was chosen to play Hilda Suarez in the ABC comedy-drama series Ugly Betty. Hilda was the sister of the main character. Ortiz had actually tried out for the role of Betty Suarez. She said she dressed very simply for the audition, wearing glasses and flat hair. She wanted them to remember her for future roles.

While working on Ugly Betty, Ortiz also acted in movies. She had starring roles in Tortilla Heaven and Labor Pains. She also lent her voice to Batman: Gotham Knight. In 2008, she starred in the TV movie Little Girl Lost: The Delimar Vera Story. Ortiz also appeared as a guest star on Army Wives, playing a waitress named Sandi. In 2010, she was in the music video for Enrique Iglesias and Juan Luis Guerra's song "Cuando me enamoro".

After Ugly Betty: Devious Maids and More

Ortiz at the Alma Awards 2012.

After Ugly Betty finished in 2010, Ortiz was cast in a new ABC drama pilot called True Blue. This show was about San Francisco detectives. However, the show was not picked up to become a full series. The next year, she appeared in the comedy movie Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son. She also starred in another TV pilot for Fox called Outnumbered, which also wasn't picked up. Later, she had a recurring role in the HBO comedy series Hung. Ortiz also starred in independent films like Sleeping with the Fishes and Such Good People.

In 2012, Ortiz was chosen for a main role in the ABC comedy-drama pilot Devious Maids. Even though ABC didn't pick up the show, the Lifetime network decided to make it into a series. The show started on June 23, 2013, and received good reviews. In Devious Maids, she played the main character, Marisol Duarte (also known as Professor Marisol Suarez). In 2013, Ortiz was a special guest star in the ABC show Revenge, playing Bizzy Preston. In 2014, she guest-starred in episodes of two other ABC shows: How to Get Away with Murder and Black-ish.

In 2014, Ortiz was cast in the drama film Love is All You Need? (2016). This movie was based on a short film from 2011. She also did voice work in the 2018 animated movie Ralph Breaks the Internet.

Devious Maids ended after four seasons in 2016. The next year, Ortiz starred in another TV pilot that wasn't sold, a comedy called Charlie Foxtrot. From 2019, Ortiz was a main cast member in the comedy-drama Whiskey Cavalier, where she played FBI profiler Susan Sampson.

In 2020, Ortiz starred in the popular Hulu series Love, Victor. She played Isabel Salazar, the mother of the main character, Victor Salazar. Critics praised her performance in this role.

Personal Life

Ana Ortiz married musician Noah Lebenzon on June 7, 2007, in Rincón, Puerto Rico. Their daughter, Paloma, was born on June 25, 2009. Their second child, a son named Rafael, was born on September 24, 2011.

Ortiz works to raise awareness about difficult relationships. She has shared that she had her own experiences with a challenging romantic relationship when she was in her 20s. She mentioned that a scene in an Ugly Betty episode, where her character Hilda was sad after a loss, was inspired by her own feelings. She said, "It's something that is always with me."

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Ana Ortiz para niños