Andrea Navedo

Andrea Navedo was born on October 11, 1969, in The Bronx, New York City. She is a second-generation New York Puerto Rican who graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School in 1988. Navedo continued her education at the State University of New York at Old Westbury, earning a B.A. in Communicative and Creative Arts with a concentration in theater in 1998. Her early career began in daytime soap operas, where she played Linda Soto in “One Life to Live” from 1995 to 1997 and Theresa Sandoval in “Guiding Light” from 1999 to 2000. These roles provided her initial experiences in professional acting.

Navedo transitioned into primetime television and film, taking on supporting roles in various projects. She had a recurring role as Detective Ana Cordova in “Law & Order” from 2001 to 2004. Her filmographic credits include appearances in “Double Take” (2001), “Washington Heights” (2002), “El Cantante” (2006), “Remember Me” (2010), and “Superfast!” (2015), a parody of the “Fast and the Furious” film series. From 2014 to 2019, Navedo gained significant recognition for her role as Xiomara “Xo” Villanueva, the title character’s mother, in The CW’s comedy-drama series “Jane the Virgin.” Her performance in this series earned her critical acclaim and an Imagen Award.

Following her success in “Jane the Virgin,” Navedo continued to expand her acting portfolio. In 2017, she appeared as Captain Perez in the fantasy crime film “Bright,” starring Will Smith. She also took on the role of civil rights activist Carmen Delgado Votaw in the Hulu miniseries “Mrs. America” in 2020. Her consistent work across different genres and platforms, including voice roles in animated series like “Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia” and “Elena of Avalor,” showcases her versatility as an actress. Navedo has also explored directing and producing, seen in her 2018 video project “Love Spoken.”