Ana Ortíz (born
January 251971) is an
American actress and singer. She is a native of
Manhattan,
New York but was raised in
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. She is a regular cast-member on the
ABC comedy-drama series
Ugly Betty, in which she plays the
title character's older sister,
Hilda Suarez. The role earned her the
ALMA Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in
2007.
Biography
Ortiz is the daughter of
Angel L. Ortiz, a former
Philadelphia City Council member
[Gray, Ellen, "'Betty's' Ortiz relishes show's hit status", Philadelphia Daily News, Jan. 16, 2007] and an
Irish American mother who works in Manhattan with autistic children and runs a soup kitchen.
As a child, Ortiz originally dreamed of becoming a
ballerina, and she studied ballet for eight years, until the pain of dancing
en pointe forced her to pursue a different artistic discipline, prompting her to pursue a career outside of the world of ballet.
Switching to singing, Ortiz attended the
Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts (the school of
Fame) in
New York City and later the
University of the Arts in Philadelphia before making her professional stage debut in a regional theater production of "Dangerous Liaisons." Her additional stage credits include portraying Chrissy in a European touring production of
Hair, regional theater productions such as "Dog Lady and the Cuban Swimmer" and in the
South Coast Repertory Theater's production of "References to Salvador Dalí Make Me Hot."
After joining LAByrinth Theatre Company
[LAByrinth Theatre Company], she appeared off-Broadway in "In Arabia, We'd All Be Kings," which also co-starred Puerto Rican actress
Liza Colón-Zayas and was directed by
Academy Award-winning actor
Philip Seymour Hoffman and named one of the 10-best plays of
1999 by the magazine Time Out New York.
Career
On television, Ortiz's resume includes
NYPD Blue,
Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman,
Commander In Chief,
Boston Legal,
ER,
The New Adventures of Old Christine,
Over There, her first full-time series role,
Kristin and
Everybody Loves Raymond. Ortiz also had a guest starring role on
Army Wives during its second season as a waitress named Sandi
[From TVGuide.com].
In addition to her current gig on
Ugly Betty she is also active in films, which include starring roles
King of L.A. and
Tortilla Heaven.
Ortiz is also one of two
Philadelphians who are regulars on
Ugly Betty, the other being
Mark Indelicato, who plays her son Justin. Another connection to the city is co-star
Becki Newton (who plays
Amanda Tanen), who graduated from the
University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
Originally, Ortiz had auditioned for the Betty Suarez role, but it went to Ferrera instead. Ortiz said in 2008, "I was super plain. I just put on some glasses and kept my hair kind of flat and layered on the clothing", describing what she wore when auditioning for the role of Betty. "I just wanted them to remember me, so that I could be involved in the future".
[Claustro, Lisa, "Ortiz Went 'Super Plain' for 'Ugly Betty' Audition, BuddyTV.com, January 05, 2008, reprinting quotes from Sheridan, Patricia, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article (no date or title given)]
Personal life
Ortiz used to live in
Los Angeles, California, but recently moved to Dumbo in New York City. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, horseback riding, softball, water sports, and writes poetry. She married musician Noah Lebenzon on
June 9 2007 in
Rincón,
Puerto Rico.
[Actress Ana Ortiz married in Puerto Rico 11/06/2007]
Ortiz is also active in raising awareness against domestic abuse, citing her own experiences when she was in her 20s and involved in a romantic relationship that turned physically abusive. In a article for
USA Today, Ortiz notes that the final scene from the
Ugly Betty episode "
How Betty Got Her Grieve Back", in which Hilda sat on her bed staring at the bathroom after realizing that Santos had died was drawn from that experience: "I used some of that subconsciously ... It's something that is always with me".
[Ana Ortiz of 'Ugly Betty' let her pain fuel Hilda's From USA Today (September 24, 2008)]
