Selenis Leyva
| Selenis Leyva | |
|---|---|
Leyva at the 2014 Peabody Awards.
|
|
| Born |
May 26, 1972 Baracoa, Cuba |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1999-present |
| Children | 1 |
Selenis Leyva (born May 26, 1972) is a Cuban-born American actress, known for her role as Gloria Mendoza in the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black.
Leyva was born in Baracoa, Cuba and raised in the Bronx, New York City, of Cuban and Dominican descent. She has appeared in a number of Off-Broadway productions. On television, Leyva had a recurring role of Detective Mariluz Rivera in Law & Order, and also appeared in different roles on the show and on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She has guest-starred on Third Watch, The Sopranos, The Good Wife, Girls, and Elementary.
In 2013, Leyva began starring as Gloria Mendoza, a Latina leader in the jail, in the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black. Her character was recurring for the first two seasons and she was promoted to series regular in Season 3. In 2015, she co-starred opposite Viola Davis and Catalina Sandino Moreno in the courtroom drama film Custody directed and written by James Lapine.
Leyva has one daughter, Alina. She is a supporter of the LGBT community and revealed in June 2015 that her sister Marizol is transgender.
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