Lauren Vélez

Luna Lauren Vélez (born November 2, 1964) is an American actress with an extensive career. Notably, Vélez is the identical twin of actress Lorraine Vélez. Her distinguished roles include María LaGuerta on Showtime's Dexter, Detective Nina Moreno on Fox's New York Undercover, Dr. Gloria Nathan on HBO's prison drama Oz, and Elena on ABC's comedy-drama Ugly Betty. She further showcased her talent in the films Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023). Vélez's parents migrated from Puerto Rico to Brooklyn, New York, which is where she and her twin, amongst five other sisters and one brother, were born. Their father, a New York City Police Department officer, relocated the family to Far Rockaway, Queens. Both twins displayed an early passion for acting, playing major roles in their high school productions. This led them to earn scholarships to the Alvin Ailey Dance School and further study acting at The Acting Studio - New York. Vélez began her professional career by performing in the national touring company of the musical Dreamgirls. Her career quickly escalated, leading her to star in numerous films and series. She is the recipient of HOLA Award for Excellence and has been nominated for several prestigious awards in her acting career.