Gaby Ruiz

Gabrielle Ruiz is an American actress who came to prominence for her performance as Valencia Perez on the musical comedy-drama series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, which aired on The CW. She made her mark on Broadway with performances in a number of musicals, including In the Heights, which was created by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Gabrielle Ruiz was born in Edinburg, Texas, to Eduardo and Sylvia Ruiz. Both of her parents were born in Mexico. Melba’s School of Dance and the Texas Association for Teachers of Dance both contributed to her education in the art of dance. In addition to that, she was a member of the Texas All-State Choir and received vocal training. In 2007, she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance Performance from Oklahoma City University. During her time at the university, she participated in the Alpha Phi women’s fraternity, the American Spirit Dance Company, OCU Rhythms, a number of musical productions, and work-study programmes.

After graduating college, Ruiz found work in a variety of roles on both Broadway and television. Her breakthrough performance came as the character Valencia Perez on the comedy-drama series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015), which aired on The CW. The creator of Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda, was in the audience when she performed in his musical In the Heights, and he recommended her to the producers of the show. Because of his endorsement, she was given the opportunity to try out for the role, and ultimately got it. In August 2016, Ruiz married Philip Pisanchyn in a low-key private ceremony that took place at a villa in Saint Martin. They primarily reside in New York City, but also spend time in Los Angeles. Ruiz’s first child Mercedes was born in April 2021.