Liza Colón-Zayas is an American actress and playwright. She is best known for playing Tina Marrero on the comedy-drama series The Bear (2022–2026), for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2024, becoming the first Latina to win a Primetime Emmy in that category.
Early life and education Liza Colón-Zayas was born as Liza Colón in The Bronx borough of New York City. She is of Puerto Rican descent.
She earned her bachelor's degree in theater from University at Albany.
Career Colón-Zayas began her career off-Broadway. She broke into mainstream theatre when she wrote, produced, and starred in a one-woman show titled Sistah Supreme, a semi-autobiographical play in which she chronicles growing up as a Latina woman in New York during the 1970s and 1980s.
Colón-Zayas has been a member of the LAByrinth Theatre Company, a New York-based traveling actors' group, since its founding in 1992. On stage, she originated the role of Norca in the off-Broadway productions of Our Lady of 121st Street and the role of Haiku Mom in Quiara Alegría Hudes' Pulitzer winner Water by the Spoonful. In 1999, she appeared in the Philip Seymour Hoffman directed play, In Arabia, We'd All Be Kings.
One of Colón-Zayas' most memorable roles to theatergoers was the "Church Lady" in Stephen Adly Guirgis's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Between Riverside and Crazy which played the Atlantic Theater Company in 2014 and then Second Stage Theater in 2015. Colón-Zayas earned a Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Featured Actress for her portrayal. She went on to play the role once more in 2022 on Broadway at Second Stage's Hayes Theater.
In 2021, she was honored at the Dramatists Guild Foundation with the Madge Evans and Sidnet Kingsley Award. DGF’s longest-running award honors a mid-career dramatist and stage actresses for excellence in the theatre.
On the big screen, she's appeared in United 93 (2006), Righteous Kill (2008), and the 2016 action horror film The Purge: Election Year.
Colón-Zayas has also appeared in television series such as Sex and the City, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Blue Bloods, Dexter, and many more. In 2019, she got her first recurring role on the short-lived OWN drama, David Makes Man, and in 2021, she joined the cast of the Emmy-winning drama, In Treatment, as Rita.
In 2022, Colón-Zayas rose to significant fame after starring in Hulu's dramady series The Bear as cynical cook Tina Marrero. She received critical praise for her performance and won a Screen Actors Guild Award, Imagen Award, and Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Her Emmy win made her the first Latina to win a Primetime Emmy in that category. She starred as Janet in John Krasinski's live-action animated fantasy comedy feature IF, released on May 17, 2024.
In May 2025, Colón-Zayas was announced to have joined the cast of Spider-Man: Brand New Day as Jean DeWolff, a detective and ally to Spider-Man, played by Tom Holland. Brand New Day released on July 31, 2026, and was a massive critical and commercial success.
Personal life Colón-Zayas is married to actor David Zayas.
Acting credits
Film YearTitleRoleNotes1995The KeeperC.O. Melendez2002UnfaithfulGrumpy teacherApartment #5CYolanda2004Keane1st Ticket Agent2005HeightsAna2006FreedomlandBeaUnited 93Waleska Martinez2007Goodbye BabyHost2008Righteous KillJudge Angel Rodriguez2009Taking ChanceTicketing Agent2011MargaretNurse2012Won't Back DownYvonne2013All Is BrightMother of Six2015The StockroomApril2016The Purge: Election YearDawnAll at OnceLinda RamirezCollateral BeautyTrevor's Mom2017Lost Cat CoronaJasmine2018Breaking BrooklynMs. Cruz2020Before/During/AfterJuanita2021Naked SingularityLiszt2022Allswell in New YorkIda2023Cat PersonOfficer Elaine2024IFJanet 2026 Spider-Man: Brand New Day Detective Jean DeWolff
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1994New York UndercoverSpeakerEpisode: "Los Macheteros"2000DeadlineSocial WorkerEpisode: "Daniel in the Lion's Den"2001Third WatchMariaEpisode: "Adam 55-3"2002–2022Law & OrderLuisa / Sherry Velez / Lara Vega3 episodes2004Sex and the CityMelitaEpisode: "Splat!"Hope & FaithRustiEpisode: "Queer as Hope"2004–2015Law & Order: Special Victims UnitDolores Rodriguez / Cyndi3 episodes2005Jonny ZeroLuciaEpisode: "La Familia"2006ConvictionM.E. MuldoonEpisode: "Breakup"The Bedford DiariesDr. SternEpisode: "Abstinence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder"2007Rescue MeSarahEpisode: "Balance"2008HouseMariaEpisode: "Emancipation"2009Taking ChanceTicketing AgentTelevision filmNurse JackieMrs. ArmandoEpisode: "School Nurse"2010How to Make It in AmericaGloriaEpisode: "Big in Japan"DexterPaloma AragonEpisode: "Take It!"2011LouieMiss Hernandez2 episodesHungGloriaEpisode: "The Whole Beefalo"2013AssistanceDorothyTelevision film2015Get Some!Mickie MartellEpisode: "Chopped"2016UnforgettableLaura BartonEpisode: "Bad Company"Blue BloodsAna BaezEpisode: "Stomping Grounds"The PearlEileen RosadoTelevision film2017BullADA Jessica GoodmanEpisode: "Already Gone"2018TitansDetective Jessica Perez2 episodes2019Proven InnocentLucia RinconEpisode: "Pilot"David Makes ManPrincipal Fallow6 episodes2021In TreatmentRita Ortiz2022–2026The BearTina MarreroMain role, 42 episodes
Theatre YearTitleRoleNotes1995¡Olé!Liza (Sistah Supreme)Off-Broadway; Playwright1999In Arabia, We'd All Be KingsDaisyOriginal Off-Broadway cast2003Our Lady of 121st StreetNorcaOff-BroadwayLiving OutZoila TezoOff-Broadway2005The Last Days of Judas IscariotGloria / Mother TeresaOff-Broadway2007A View From 151st StreetLeaOff-Broadway2008The Little Flower of East OrangeMagnolia / Nurse 1 / Pope John XXIIIOff-Broadway2009OthelloEmiliaOff-Broadway2012Water by the SpoonfulHaiku MomSecond Stage Theater Production2014Between Riverside and CrazyChurch LadyAtlantic Theater Production2015Second Stage Theater Production2017Mary JaneSherrieNew York Theatre Workshop ProductionThe BlamelessAmanda GarciaRegional2019Halfway Bitches Go Straight to HeavenSargeAtlantic Theatre's Off-Broadway World Premiere2022Between Riverside and CrazyChurch LadyOriginal Broadway Production
Awards and nominations In 2024, she made history as the first Latina to win an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for The Bear. In 2025, she was nominated again for an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for The Bear.
Film and television YearAssociationCategoryProjectResultRef.2023 Imagen Awards Best Supporting Actress – Comedy (Television)The Bear Screen Actors Guild AwardsOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series 2024 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Imagen Awards Best Supporting Actress – Comedy (Television) 2025 Golden Globes Awards Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role on Television Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Theatre Year Association Category Project Result Ref.2004Lucille Lortel AwardsOutstanding Featured ActressLiving Out2015Outstanding Featured Actress in a PlayBetween Riverside and Crazy2018Mary Jane2020Outstanding Lead Actress in a PlayHalfway Bitches Go Straight to HeavenOuter Critics Circle AwardsOutstanding Featured Actress in a PlayObie AwardsPerformance AwardDrama League AwardsDistinguished Performance AwardDrama Desk AwardsOutstanding Actress in a Play2021Dramatists Guild FoundationMadge Evans and Sidney Kingsley Award
See also
List of Puerto Ricans
References
External links