Liz Torres (born Elizabeth Torres on September 27, 1947, in New York City) is an actress, singer, and comedian of Puerto Rican descent.

Liz's parents settled in the Bronx section of New York after immigrating from Puerto Rico. She received her primary and secondary education there. Torres started her career as a comedian and singer working the city's night club circuit with her friend Bette Midler.

In 1971, she was spotted doing one of her acts by the producer of Johnny Carson's Tonight Show and invited her to do a stand-up comedy skit on the show. After that, she appeared on other television comedy shows such as All In The Family, Ally McBeal, and The Nanny.

She made her film debut in 1969 playing a prostitute in a low-budget movie titled Ulterly Without Redeeming Social Value. She has had roles in over 50 films since.

Liz has made over a hundred television guest appearances. The majority of these were in the Gilmore Girls, where she was cast as Miss Patty. In 1993, she was cast as Mahalia Sanchez in The John Larroquette Show, a role for which she received a Grammy and Golden Globe Award nomination. She won an Emmy Award for her performance as Angie in the 1989 television comedy series The Famous Teddy Z, and received a Bravo Award for "Outstanding Individual Performance in a Comedy Series". Liz also received two nominations for the American Comedy Award for the Best Television Performance.

On Broadway, she participated in the The Ritz as Googie Gomez, Man of La Mancha as Aldonza, and in House of Blues as Bunny.

Liz has performed for King Hussan II of Morrocco, and was invited to the White House by President Jimmy Carter for America's first National Hispanic Week Celebration.

Liz resides in Los Angeles, California and is currently in post-production of West of Brooklyn, in which she is cast as Mom and which is to be released in 2005. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of Write Act Repertory.

See also

• List of famous Puerto Ricans

External links