Jaina Lee Ortiz (born Jessica Ortiz; November 20, 1986) is an American actress and dancer. She is known for her starring role as Detective Annalise Villa on the Fox police drama Rosewood from 2015 to 2017. From 2018 to 2024, she starred as lead in the ABC drama series Station 19.
Early life
Ortiz was born November 20, 1986[1][2] in California and raised in The Bronx, New York.[3] Ortiz's father, Joe Ortiz, is Puerto Rican and a retired NYPD first grade detective. She began her dance training at the age of nine by taking salsa/mambo classes; and, at the age of 15, she began teaching. By the next year, Ortiz was traveling internationally as a professional instructor and performer.[3][4]
Ortiz started acting by appearing in student films.[4] She studied for two years at Maggie Flanigan Studios, where she learned the Meisner technique.[3][4]
Career
In 2009, Ortiz auditioned and was cast on the second season of VH1's reality show Scream Queens,[5] where she and nine other aspiring actresses competed in challenges based on acting for the opportunity to win the prize of a role in Saw 3D.[3][5] The show premiered on August 2, 2010[3][5] and on the season finale, Ortiz was named first runner-up.[6]
In 2012, Ortiz was in a photo used in the Modern Family episode Yard Sale where she was beauty pageant contestant Miss Galapa.[7]
In 2013, Ortiz landed the role as a series regular in The After, produced by The X-Files creator, Chris Carter.[8] The pilot, which began airing via Amazon Video in February 2014,[9] received positive feedback and was ordered to series.[10][11] However, on January 5, 2015, Amazon Studios canceled the show.[12][13] Two months later, Ortiz was cast as the female lead in Rosewood on Fox. Rosewood ran for two seasons.[14][15] In 2017, she had a recurring role during the second season of USA Network drama series, Shooter.[16] Ortiz appeared in the comedy film Girls Trip, playing herself.
In 2017, Ortiz was cast in a leading role on the spin-off to ABC's longest-running drama series Grey's Anatomy, titled Station 19.[17][18][19] In 2023, Ortiz starred in the thriller film Righteous Thieves[20] and in the historical drama film The Long Game.[21][22]
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