Actress Jaina Lee Ortiz first captured public attention as a contestant on the reality show Scream Queens (MTV, 2008–10), and later secured her breakout role as the lead in the police procedural Rosewood (Fox, 2015–17). Born in 1986 at Ford Ord Army base, Jaina Lee Ortiz grew up as the daughter of first-generation Puerto Rican parents. Before diving into acting, she pursued a career in dance, becoming a professional salsa dancer and instructor by the time she was just 16. Her interest in acting began to grow after she landed a small role in the indie film Sad Spanish Song (2004).
In 2010, Jaina Lee Ortiz came close to landing a part in Saw 3D (2010), after finishing as runner-up in the second season of Scream Queens. That same year, she was accepted into the prestigious Maggie Flanigan Studio in New York, where she further honed her craft. To support herself during her two years of training, Ortiz worked as a MAC makeup artist. During this time, she also built up her acting portfolio with appearances in the action drama Justice on the Border (2011) and the LGBT-themed short Pink and Green (2012).
That same year, Jaina Lee Ortiz appeared in multiple projects, including playing the clumsy receptionist Petrona in the web series The Shop (2012), which centered around a Sherman Oaks hair salon. She also took on the role of the assassin Isis in the low-budget action film Misfire (2012). In 2014, Ortiz portrayed Officer Marly Gonzalez in Chris Carter’s post-apocalyptic drama The After (Amazon, 2014). Unfortunately, the show didn’t move beyond the pilot stage, which was a disappointment for her.
However, Jaina Lee Ortiz soon found her big break in 2015 when she was cast as Annalise Villa in the crime drama Rosewood. Her character, a tough and no-nonsense detective, formed a compelling partnership with Morris Chestnut’s character, a brilliant pathologist. The show aired on Fox from 2015 to 2017 and marked a major turning point in Ortiz’s career, firmly establishing her as a leading actress in primetime television.
Well, when it comes to Jaina Lee Ortiz, her most acclaimed project in recent years has definitely been The Long Game (2023)—that one really stood out as her highest-rated film so far. I mean, Jaina Lee Ortiz brought such a strong presence to the role, and critics seemed to notice. On the flip side, though, not every project hits the same high notes, and unfortunately, Righteous Thieves (2023) didn’t resonate quite as well—it ended up being the lowest rated among Jaina Lee Ortiz’s works that year. Still, it’s impressive how Jaina Lee Ortiz continues to take on diverse roles and deliver performances that keep audiences engaged, regardless of the reviews.