Justina Milagros Machado is an American actress and the voice of Carla Gonzalez in the series Dragons: The Nine Realms.
Biography[]
Machado was born in Chicago, Illinois, one of two children of Alicia Morales Ruiz and Ismael Machado. Her mother was born in Puerto Rico and her father was born to Puerto Rican parents. They subsequently divorced and her mother remarried and had three children. Her family roots are in Barceloneta, Puerto Rico and Barrio Jagual, Patillas, Puerto Rico, and her ancestry includes Afro-Latino. Machado had a traditional quinceañera. She said her family was poor, and she grew up in the Northwest Side of Chicago. Machado was raised Catholic.
Machado was very active in drama, always participating in her school plays. She also took dance at Franklin Fine Arts Center. In 1986, Machado attended Lane Technical College Prep High School. During her spare time, she performed with the Latino Chicago Theater Company.
Machado was a guest appearing in Episode 6 of Season 6 of "Finding Your Roots", a documentary show by PBS that is hosted by Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., during which it was confirmed that she has African matrilineal ancestry (i.e. through a female ancestor on her mother's side) through genetics testing of her mitochondrial DNA.
Filmography[]
| Year | Title | Role(s) | Type of Media |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | She's So Lovely | Carmen Rodriguez | Romantic drama film |
| 1999 | Swallows | America | Film |
| 2001 | Sticks | Maria | |
| A.I. Artificial Intelligence | Assistant | Science fiction drama film | |
| 2001-2005 | Six Feet Under | Vanessa Diaz | TV Series |
| 2003-2004 | Missing | Sunny Estrada | |
| 2003 | Final Destination 2 | Isabella Hudson | Film |
| 2006 | Ghost Whisperer | Suzanne | Television series |
| Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America | Alma Ansen | TV Movie | |
| Grey's Anatomy | Anna Nyles | Television series | |
| 2008 | The Accidental Husband | Sofia | Film |
| Breast Pump & Blender | Lizzie | Short film | |
| Man Maid | Terressa | Film | |
| Pedro | Mily | ||
| 2009-2010 | Three Rivers | Pam Acosta | TV Series |
| 2013 | Murder Police | Rosa Sanchez | |
| 2014 | Endgame | Karla | Film |
| The Purge: Anarchy | Tanya | ||
| 2016-2019 | Jane the Virgin | Darci Factor | Telenovela |
| 2020 | Scoob! | Jamie Rivera | Film |
| All Together Now | Becky | Film | |
| 2021 | Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It | Herself | Documentary |
| 2022 | The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild | Zee | Animated film |
DreamWorks Dragons Filmography[]
| Year | Title | Role(s) | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-2023 | Dragons: The Nine Realms | Carla Gonzalez |
External Links[]
Justina Machado on Wikipedia
Justina Machado at the Internet Movie Database
Justina Machado on Instagram
Justina Machado on Twitter
