Paula Garcés facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paula Garcés
Garcés in 2008
Born	(1974-03-20) March 20, 1974 (age 51) Medellín, Colombia
Citizenship	United States Colombia
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1991–present
Spouse(s)	Antonio Hernandez ​ (m. 2002)​
Children	2

Paula Garcés (born March 20, 1974) is an American actress known for her roles in movies and television shows. You might have seen her in films like Clockstoppers, Man of the House, and the popular Harold & Kumar series. She has also appeared in many TV series, including CSI: Miami, The Shield, On My Block, and All My Children.

Early Life and Background

Paula Garcés was born in Medellín, Colombia. When she was very young, her family moved to the United States and she grew up in the East Harlem neighborhood of New York City.

Acting Career

From Early Roles to Big Movies

Garcés began her acting career in the 1990s. One of her early roles was in the 1995 movie Dangerous Minds with actress Michelle Pfeiffer. She also had a main role on the TV soap opera Guiding Light as Pilar Santos.

In 2002, she starred in the science-fiction movie Clockstoppers with Jesse Bradford. She later appeared in comedies like Marci X and Man of the House, where she acted alongside Tommy Lee Jones.

One of her most famous roles is Maria in the Harold & Kumar movies. She played the love interest of John Cho's character in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004), Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008), and A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (2011).

Television Appearances

Garcés with Julissa Bermudez in March 2011

Garcés has been a familiar face on television for many years. She played Officer Tina Hanlon on the crime drama The Shield. She also had a main role on the science-fiction series Defying Gravity and a recurring role as Dr. Kelly Hernandez on the Syfy show Warehouse 13.

She has made guest appearances on many popular shows, including The Sopranos, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Elementary. More recently, she played the role of Ruby's mom, Geny Martinez, in the Netflix series On My Block and its spinoff, Freeridge.

Creating a Superhero

When Paula Garcés attended a Comic-Con, a large convention for comic book fans, she noticed that there were many Latino fans but not many Latino superheroes. This inspired her to create her own.

She started a company called Further Lane Productions and created a Latina superhero named Aluna. Aluna first appeared in a comic book and was later added as a playable character in the video game Heroes of Newerth. In 2019, an action role-playing game based on Aluna was also released.

Personal Life

Paula Garcés is a citizen of both the United States and Colombia. She has two children. Her daughter was born in 1992. In 2002, she married Antonio Hernandez, and they have a son who was born in 2013.

Selected Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Paula Garcés para niños