Justina Machado facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Justina Machado
Machado in 2016
Born	Justina Milagros Machado (1972-09-06) September 6, 1972 (age 52) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1993–present

Justina Milagros Machado (born September 6, 1972) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in popular TV shows and movies. Justina started her career with smaller parts in television and films. She then became well-known for playing Vanessa Diaz in the TV show Six Feet Under from 2001 to 2005. For this role, she won an award with her castmates.

Justina later starred in the comedy series One Day at a Time from 2017 to 2020. Critics really liked her performance in this show. She also appeared in movies like Final Destination 2 (2003) and The Purge: Anarchy (2014). In 2023, she played the main character in the comedy-horror series The Horror of Dolores Roach. In 2025, Justina performed in the Broadway musical Real Women Have Curves and was nominated for a special award.

Justina Machado's Early Life

Justina Machado was born in Chicago, Illinois, on September 6, 1972. Her parents were Alicia Morales Ruiz and Ismael Machado. Her mother was born in Puerto Rico, and her father's parents were also from Puerto Rico. Justina grew up in Chicago and was raised Catholic.

Even when she was young, Justina loved drama. She always took part in her school plays. She also took dance classes at the Franklin Fine Arts Center. In 1986, she went to Lane Technical College Prep High School. In her free time, she performed with a group called the Latino Chicago Theater Company.

Starting Her Acting Career

After finishing high school in 1990, Justina moved to New York City. Her experience with the Latino Chicago Theater Company helped her find opportunities there. Soon, she got a job as a professional actress in Los Angeles.

In 1996, Justina got her first two acting jobs. She played Elsa in an episode of the TV series NYPD Blue. She also co-starred in a TV movie called No One Would Tell. In 1997, she appeared in her first big movie, She's So Lovely. Justina also made guest appearances on many other TV shows.

Machado at the 2014 ALMA Awards

In 2001, Justina played a main role in the movie Sticks. Later that year, she joined the cast of the HBO show Six Feet Under. She played Vanessa Diaz, a character who became very important to the show. Justina and her fellow actors won a Screen Actors Guild Award for their work on the series. The show finished in 2005.

Justina also appeared in the horror movie Final Destination 2 in 2003. The next year, she was in the action movie Torque. From 2003 to 2004, she starred in the TV series 1-800-Missing as an FBI agent. In 2006, she starred in the movie Little Fugitive. Justina also performed in plays on stage, including a Broadway show called In the Heights.

She appeared in many popular TV shows like Grey's Anatomy, Ugly Betty, Bones, and Desperate Housewives. She had a repeating role as a police officer in the medical drama ER in 2009. From 2009 to 2010, she starred in the TV series Three Rivers. She also had roles in Private Practice and Devious Maids. In 2013, she starred in the TV show Welcome to the Family.

Becoming a Lead Actress

In 2016, Justina played Brenda Parra in the TV series Queen of the South. Later that year, she joined the cast of Jane the Virgin.

In 2017, Justina got a main role in the Netflix comedy series One Day at a Time. This show was based on an older TV series. Justina played Penelope Alvarez, a single mother raising two children. She received great reviews for her acting and won two Imagen Awards. The show ended in 2020 after four seasons.

In 2019, Justina starred in the TV movie Family Pictures. She also had a repeating role in the NBC comedy series Superstore. In 2020, Justina was one of the celebrities who competed on Dancing with the Stars. She finished in fourth place. In 2021, she was a singing bust in Muppets Haunted Mansion.

Justina starred in the drama movie All Together Now in 2020. In 2021, she starred in the TV movie Switched Before Birth. She also starred with Will Sasso in the comedy movie The Throwback.

In 2023, Justina played the main character, Dolores Roach, in the comedy-horror series The Horror of Dolores Roach on Amazon Prime Video. Her performance was highly praised. In 2024, she was cast as Dr. Natalie Cruz in the Netflix medical drama series Pulse.

In 2025, Justina Machado played Carmen Garcia in the Broadway musical Real Women Have Curves. She was nominated for a Tony Award for her role.

Justina Machado's Work in Film

Justina Machado's Work in Television

Justina Machado's Theatre Roles

Images for kids

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  Machado in 2016

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  Machado at the 2014 ALMA Awards

See also

In Spanish: Justina Machado para niños