Gloria Garayua is an American actress. Garayua made her major film debut in the 2005 comedy film Fun With Dick and Jane, and is now commonly cast in guest roles on long-running series such as Six Feet Under, Weeds and The Shield. After being cast in an ongoing role in Grey's Anatomy, Garayua has played recurring roles in other popular TV shows such as Cougar Town and How to Get Away with Murder.

Early life and education Garayua graduated from Long Island University, Post with a Bachelor's Degree in acting, graduating summa cum laude. Her portrayal of Ariel in The Tempest earned her an Irene Ryan Nomination, where she placed as the 1st National Alternate. She joined Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc. at the Xi chapter.

Acting career Garayua moved to California in 2004 after being cast in the leading role in Nilo Cruz's Two Sisters and A Piano at the Old Globe Theater in San Diego. Afterwards, she moved to the greater Los Angeles area and was cast for a minor role in Fun With Dick and Jane after only 2 weeks. During this time she also appeared in an episode of NYPD Blue as a guest star.

In 2007, Garayua guest starred in an episode of Grey's Anatomy as an intern named Graciella. She would ultimately become a recurring guest star in the show, appearing in a total of 24 episodes from 2007 to 2010. In 2008 she played the part of Reyna in two episodes of Showtime's Weeds titled No Man is Pudding and The Three Coolers.

Other notable roles include Nurse Chapel in American Housewife, Madison Young in Criminal Minds, Vita Chacon in Cold Case, and Gloria Ortiz in ER. As of 2024, Garayua has worked in over 75 projects as an actress.

Garayua is also a prolific stage actress that has been featured in productions such as La Posada Magica (The Magic Journey) at South Coast Repertory, Real Women Have Curves at CASA 0101, The Skriker at the Kennedy Center Stage and Romeo and Juliet at the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble.

Awards Garayua was nominated for Best Female Principal Performer by the San Francisco Bay Area Theater Critics Circle in 2009.

Fixing Paco, in which Garayua played the lead role of Margie Fuentes, was nominated for 2013 Best Webseries in the "Drama" Category. The show was also nominated in 2014 to the Best WebSeries in 3 categories, "Drama", "Comedy", and "Reality or Informational.

Gloria won the award for “Best Supporting Actress” at the Houston Comedy Film Festival in 2016 for her work as “Talula” in the feature film “Driving While Black”.

Other endeavors Garayua has worked as a private acting coach in the Los Angeles area since 2005. She has also taught “Beginning and Intermediate Drama” at the Los Angeles Unified School District's “Gifted and Talented Fine Arts Conservatory", “Adult Beginner’s Scene Study” at “The Mauricio Ochmann Studio” in North Hollywood, “Advanced On-Camera Technique” at “Actor Training in LA” in North Hollywood, and “Teen Scene Study” at the “John D’Aquino’s Acting Studio” in Toluca Lake.

Garayua plays beginner piano, sings Mezzo-soprano, and is an intermediate dancer in Jazz and various Latin styles.

Gloria has added teaching acting as an adjunct professor at the University level to her teaching resume. For one academic year, she taught Intermediate Scene Study for the Stage, Intermediate and Advanced Scene Study for the camera, and Acting for Non-Majors at Azusa Pacific University. She also taught “On-Camera Scene Study” one semester for the MFA students at CAL State LA. Additionally, she has taught “Fundamentals of Acting” at El Camino College.

In addition to her private coaching business, Gloria produced an online course for beginning actors of all ages called “Acting for True Beginners”.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes2005Fun with Dick and JaneBlanca2006Foreign CurrencyDoloresShort2007Homeless DestinyMrs. SantiagoShort2008Henry Poole Is HereFemale Worshipper2009Mother and ChildMelissa2010FasterGospel Choir2011Jen XCapShort2014STFU! Stop Catcalling AnthemBoss LadyShort2015Cartwheels and BackflipsMs. RodriguezShort2015I Am GangsterIsabel Flores2015Fair WarningWomanShort2016Driving While BlackTalula2016Wake Up America!Jimena2016UnremarkableCourtneyShort2017Oui Oui Wee WeeTinder Girl #1Short2017Cattle CallPeggyShort2019SnoozefestOren's MomShort2020Four Good DaysDetox Receptionist2020Tokyo GodfathersMaria

Television

Year Title Role Notes2004NYPD BlueAnnaEpisode: "Great Balls of Ire"2005JoeyThe Happy WomanEpisode: "Joey and the Moving In"2005ConcepcionEpisode: "Ain't That a Shame"2005Six Feet UnderAgnesEpisode: "Time Flies"2005Strong MedicineJasmineEpisode: "It Takes a Clinic"20063 lbsLucy CanetEpisode: "Lost for Words"2007Cold CaseVita ChaconEpisode: "A Dollar, a Dream"2007–2010Grey's AnatomyDr. Graciella GuzmanRecurring role (seasons 4–6)2008WeedsReyna2 episodes2008LifeRosaEpisode: "Crushed"2008ERGloria OrtizEpisode: "The High Holiday"2008BertaTV film2009Raising the BarMonicaEpisode: "I'll Be Down to Get You in a Taxi, Honey"2009–10Seattle Grace: On CallDr. Graciella GuzmanWeb series2010Desperate HousewivesCelia Solis (age 30)Episode: "If..."2010–11Cougar TownRosa2 episodes2011Imagination MoversCarol the ElfEpisode: "A Little Elf Esteem"2012ShamelessLaurieEpisode: "A Bottle of Jean Nate"2012CastleJesseEpisode: "Once Upon a Crime"2012–2014Fixing PacoMargieTV series2013BonesCarlene BlayneyEpisode: "The Doom in the Gloom"2013SouthlandReya SuarezEpisode: "Bleed Out"2013Rizzoli & IslesJosie GarciaEpisode: "But I Am a Good Girl"2014Love That Girl!Ava LopezEpisode: "10.July.2014"2014LegendsSurveillance FBI #1Episode: "Lords of War"2014NCIS: Los AngelesAmintaEpisode: "Black Budget"2014Anger ManagementNikkiEpisode: "Charlie and the Houseful of Hookers"2015Criminal MindsMadison YoungEpisode: "Rock Creek Park"2016CarmenTV film2016Animal KingdomKrystalEpisode: "Stay Close, Stick Together"2016American HousewifeNurse ChapelEpisode: "The Nap"2016–17How to Get Away with MurderDet. Brianna DavisRecurring role (season 3)2017SoniaEpisode: "Not Fake"2017S.W.A.T.SofiaEpisode: "Cuchillo"2017Bounty HuntersCarolina2 episodes2019SnowfallSophieSeason 32019ReckoningCyd Ramos10 episodes2019Fate/Grand Order - Absolute Demonic Front: BabyloniaQuetzalcoatlEnglish voice dubbing2020Badwater (TV Film)Felicia Machado2020Control ZEnglish voice dubbing2021MaidPennyEpisode: "Sky Blue" 2021Elize Matsunaga:Once Upon A CrimeRoseli de Araujo CamarottoEnglish voice dubbing (4 Episodes)20229-1-1Charity NielsonEpisode: "Red Flag" 2022Cyberpunk: EdgerunnersGloriaEnglish voice dubbing2023Linked by LoveDr. Margie Fuentes5 Episodes 2024FoundSofia DiazEpisode: "Missing While Presumed Dead" 2024Thank you, NextEsraEnglish voice dubbing (8 Episodes) 2024ZorroNah-LinEnglish voice dubbing (10 Episodes) 2024Love & TranslationJhenniferEnglish voice dubbing (13 Episodes)

References

External links Official website