61 Latina And Hispanic Actresses Who Are Changing Hollywood For The Better In 2023

I think I speak for everyone when I say America Ferrera *made* the Barbie movie. It just wouldn't have been the same super smash hit without her. But before she was tearing up the patriarchy one epic monologue at a time, the Superstore actress first made a splash as Betty Suarez in the early 2000s hit dramedy TV series Ugly Betty (which is now experiencing a well-deserved resurgence on Netflix).

In addition to being an incredibly talented actress, the 39-year-old is also a purveyor of Latinx voters and talent. In 2020, the Emmy-winning actress launched "She Se Puede," a platform designed to empower Latinx voters, with a fellow actress on this list, Eva Longoria. Additionally, from 2020 to 2021, she was an executive producer for Gentified, a Netflix series that touched on topics such as queerness, immigration, and gentrification.

Rachel had her breakout moment as María in Steven Spielberg's 2021 adaptation of West Side Story, for which she won a Golden Globe (casual!). The actress, born to a Colombian mother, played the role alongside Rita Moreno (also on this list). Then, she went on to play Anthea in Shazam! Fury of the Gods.

What's next for the blossoming star? The booked and busy 22-year-old is set to play Lucy Gray Baird in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes—which, at the moment, is still set to premiere on November 17, 2023. She also has the titular role in Snow White, which will premiere in March 2024.

The Cuban-Spanish actress made it onto the scene at only 16 years old, playing Marie in 2006's Una rosa de Francia. Since then, Ana has starred in various popular films, including Knives Out, No Time to Die, Blade Runner 2049, and Ghosted. Notably, she starred as Norma Jean, a.k.a. Marilyn Monroe, in Blonde—for which she received an Oscar nomination.

Even if you know Selena for her mega hits on the radio—or her killer line of blushes—don't forget that her roots are in acting! After landing a role on Barney & Friends at just 7 years old, Selena went on to star as Alex Russo in Disney's Wizards of Waverly Place, and is now in another New York-based comedy, Only Murders in The Building alongside Martin Short and Steve Martin.

As if all that weren't enough, the actress has also devoted a lot of her career to mental health advocacy and owns the website Wondermind, which focuses on being the first "mental fitness ecosystem."

The Mexican-Puerto Rican actress became a household name in the last year with her starring role of Wednesday Addams on the hit Netflix series Wednesday.

You might also know Jenna from her role as Ellie Alves in the hit Netflix series You, but before then, the 20-year-old (who has been acting since she was 9) starred in countless television shows and films, including Jane the Virgin, Insidious: Chapter 2, and Disney's Stuck in the Middle.

The one and only J.Lo has been on the scene since 1991 with her first gig dancing as one of the "Fly Girls" on sketch comedy show In Living Color. After that, the multi-hyphenate star snagged the role of beloved Tejano singer Selena in the 1997 biopic by the same name.

Since then, the actress/singer/fashion icon/entrepreneur has been in more than 40 movies and TV shows. She also holds producer credits for films and series such as The Fosters, Marry Me, and Hustlers, for which she won a Hollywood Critics Association Award. More recently, she appeared in the drama The Mother, and the action rom-com Shotgun Wedding.

Camila Mendes, 29, first stole hearts with her breakout role as Veronica Lodge in Riverdale. In 2022, she became everyone's favorite try-hard in the Netflix hit Do Revenge. Off-screen, the actress is a very public advocate for those who suffer from eating disorders, and serves as a member of the global advisory council for CARE.

You might recognize the Mexican-American actress from her breakout role as artist Frida Kahlo in the 2002 film Frida, for which she was nominated in the Best Actress category at the Academy Awards.

In addition to directing the family movie The Maldonado Miracle, Salma has starred in several other film roles, including Desperado, From Dusk Till Dawn, Spy Kids 3: Game Over, Eternals, and House of Gucci.

Camila is an Argentinian-American model and actress (and also Al Pacino's "stepdaughter"). The 26-year-old got her start in the 2013 film Bukowski, a biography of writer Charles Bukowski.

You may recognize her from her more recent role as Camila Dunne in Daisy Jones & The Six.

The Fantastic Four actress has also starred in some of your other favorite movies and television shows, including L.A.'s Finest, Dark Angel, and Sin City.

Like many of her multitalented colleagues, Jessica is also an entrepreneur. She launched Honest Company—home to an array of all-natural household and beauty products—in 2011. Now, the company even has its own television show, Honest Renovations, which is similar to Extreme Makeover: Home Edition—except, they simply renovate a space instead of creating a new one.

The previous Women's Health cover star told WH that running her company has helped Jessica learn a lot about the areas where she can grow: "At every stage, I learned that fun lesson."

You probs fell in love with Xochitl as Dawn Schafer in Netflix's The Baby-Sitters Club. Other than taking on a key role in the beloved book series turned television show, the 17-year-old Mexican-American actress and Los Angeles native played America Chavez in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and in the upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars movie.

But before she continues to kick butt with her fellow superheroes, Xochitl is kicking it on the latest season of Dancing With The Stars.

Fun fact about Aubrey? She actually worked as an NBC page before starring as the beloved April Ludgate on the hit NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation. The 39-year-old has also starred in the FX Drama series Legion, as well as several films, including Funny People, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Happiest Season, and Black Bear. Most recently, you may recognize Aubrey from the second season of The White Lotus, or Emily The Criminal.

With a career spanning more than 70 years, it's a no-brainer that Rita Moreno is one of the actors who paved the way for other Latinx performers.

The Puerto Rican actress first made her mark as a 14-year-old in the Broadway production of Skydrift. Since then, she has not only nabbed EGOT status, but starred in numerous Broadway, film, and television productions, including West Side Story (both the original and the 2021 remake), The King and I, Jane the Virgin, One Day at a Time, and Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?

Another actress who helped forge the path for today's Latinx talent in Hollywood, Lupe Vélez was a Mexican actress who starred in films such as The Gaucho, Stand and Deliver, and Half-Naked Truth, as well as Broadway's You Never Know, by Cole Porter.

Liza Colón-Zayas is a Bronx-born Puerto Rican, and stars in The Bear as Tina. The actress will also appear in the upcoming Cat Person film, inspired by the viral New Yorker short story. Although the 51-year-old actress just broke into the mainstream this year, she has been acting since 1994, and often uses her social media to promote causes she cares about—such as informing followers of gentrification in Puerto Rico, or posting selfies at a SAG-AFTRA picket line.

If you didn't absolutely fall in love with Eva as Gabrielle Solis in the hit ABC show Desperate Housewives, then you have elsewhere. Whether it's because of her role as Isabella Braña Williams on The Young and The Restless or her work with the Eva Longoria Foundation—which was built to better the lives of Latinas through education and entrepreneurship—there's a lot to love about the 48-year-old actress.

When creating her 2023 film Flamin' Hot, which tells the story of a Latino Frito Lay janitor who helped create Flamin' Hot Cheetos, the former Women's Health cover star says that hiring Latinos was very important to her: “It was Latino or Latina, all the way down the line.”

Sure, you might currently be loving Sofia as one of the judges on America's Got Talent, but America first fell for the Colombian-American actress in her role as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett in the 11-year-run of Modern Family, which, BTW, made her the highest paid actress in American television from 2013 to 2020.

Before then, Sofia got her start in the late 1990s, co-hosting two shows for Spanish-language television network Univision. The 51-year-old has also starred in Hot Pursuit and Chef and was the voice of Carmen in Happy Feet Two.

You probably recognize Argentinian-British actress Anya as chess prodigy Beth Harmon from Netflix's The Queen's Gambit. That role turned Anya into a household name, but she's been around for a while. You've probably also seen the 27-year-old in Emma, The Menu, Last Night in Soho, or as Gina Gray in British television series Peaky Blinders, or as Olga in The Northman.

You might have caught Justina lighting up the dance floor alongside partner Sasha Farber on Dancing With the Stars Season 29, where she was runner-up to Kaitlyn Bristowe of Bachelorette fame.

The 51-year-old actress is constantly working, with roles in several of your favorite shows, including One Day at a Time, Jane the Virgin, Grey's Anatomy, Ugly Betty, and Superstore.

Zoe made her film debut as Eva Rodriguez in Center Stage, the 2000 film about surviving the cutthroat world of professional ballet. Since then, the 45-year-old has also starred in the Avatar franchise, Guardians of the Galaxy, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, and Star Trek. NBD.