Justina Machado

Justina Milagros Machado, born on September 6, 1972, is an accomplished American actress with a career spanning over three decades. Her foray into acting began with secondary roles on TV and film before she was cast as Vanessa Diaz in the HBO comedy-drama series, Six Feet Under, which earned her a Screen Actors Guild Award. From 2017 to 2020, she played Penelope Alvarez in the Netflix/Pop TV comedy series, One Day at a Time, receiving acclaim and multiple award nominations. Machado has also ventured into films, starring in Final Destination 2, Torque, The Call, The Purge: Anarchy, and others. In 2023, she achieved another milestone by leading the cast in Amazon Prime Video's black comedy-horror series, The Horror of Dolores Roach.\n\nMachado was born in Chicago, Illinois, to parents Alicia Morales Ruiz and Ismael Machado, of Puerto Rican descent. She grew up amid financial difficulties on the Northwest Side of Chicago, where she took part in drama and dance during her school days. After graduating from Lane Tech, she pursued acting in New York City, later moving to Los Angeles where she landed her first roles. Audiencing performances on TV, film, and stage, in 2010 Machado appeared in the Los Angeles run of Love, Loss and What I Wore. Her prolific career encompasses various acclaimed TV shows, including Grey's Anatomy, Ugly Betty, Bones, and Desperate Housewives. Besides acting, she has also made a significant impact in hosting gigs, being the Master of Ceremonies at the National Hispanic Media Coalition Impact Awards.