Judy Reyes

Judy Reyes
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Name:
Judy Reyes
Who is:
Birth date:
(57 y.o.)
Place of birth:
New York
Height:
5'3 ft ()
Relationship:
single
Birth Sign:
(characteristic)
Chinese zodiac:
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Judy Reyes Biography

Judy Reyes is a Dominican-American actress who won audiences over as nurse Carla Espinosa in the cult medical comedy "Scrubs." She's also known for "Devious Maids" and the crime drama "Claws." In 2024, she landed a lead role in "High Potential."
Actress Judy Reyes in a lilac blouse against a yellow background
Judy Reyes
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Childhood and Family

Judy Reyes was born November 5, 1967, in the Bronx, New York, to immigrant parents from the Dominican Republic. She has three sisters, including her twin Joselin, who also became an actress and appeared in "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." Another sister, Fidias, pursued acting as well.

Judy grew up in the Bronx on Bainbridge Avenue. As the daughter of Dominican immigrants in late-'70s New York, she absorbed the fierce determination that defines families fighting for a better life and learned to push past stereotypes.
Childhood photo of actress Judy Reyes
Judy Reyes as a child
Source: Pinterest
After high school, Judy enrolled at Hunter College in Manhattan—traditionally a gateway to opportunity for bright kids from working-class families. That's where she discovered acting, though she never finished her degree:
I took a break and got a job. And then I became part of the LAByrinth Theater Company. I never went back to college because that break changed my life for the better.
Judy Reyes

Acting Career

In 1992, Reyes became one of the 13 founding members of the multicultural theater company LAByrinth Theatre Company. Over time, the troupe grew to nearly 100 members, including Eric Bogosian, Sam Rockwell, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, who became the company's artistic director.

Judy's first film work was the independent movie Jack and His Friends with Sam Rockwell, her colleague from LAByrinth. In 1992, she appeared in an episode of Law & Order.
Young Judy Reyes with a frightened look
Judy Reyes in Jack and His Friends
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Between auditions, Reyes, like many aspiring actors, hustled to make ends meet: helping a friend assemble jewelry, selling shoes, waitressing catered events, and hostessing at a restaurant. But her persistence paid off. Throughout the 1990s, she landed guest spots on hit shows like NYPD Blue, Cosby, and The Sopranos.

A bigger role came her way in the prison drama Oz. In 1999, she appeared in Martin Scorsese's Bringing Out the Dead, where she ironically played a nurse.

Her breakthrough came in 2001 when Reyes scored a role on Scrubs. Her character, nurse Carla Espinosa, was one of the show's two main female characters and the love interest of surgical intern Turk (Donald Faison).
Judy Reyes hugs Donald Faison with Zach Braff sitting nearby
Judy Reyes in Scrubs
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Carla embodied the perfect nurse: kind, pragmatic, and with zero tolerance for nonsense. Reyes brought genuine humanity to her – as she would to all her future characters, from Zoila in Devious Maids to Quiet Ann in Claws.

In fall 2006, Reyes broke her hip, which meant many of her Scrubs scenes were shot sitting down. This is especially noticeable in the episode "My Musical" (2007), where she remained seated almost the entire time – except for the "Dominican" number, which was filmed five weeks later after she'd fully recovered.

After Scrubs wrapped in 2009, Reyes's career kept moving forward. She appeared in various TV series (Castle, Medium), and in 2011 starred in the indie drama Gun Hill Road, which was shot in her native Bronx.
Gun Hill Road is a wide street in the Bronx that crosses Bainbridge Avenue, where I grew up. Going back there to shoot was… It really helped me with the character, gave me direction.
Judy Reyes
In 2012, Reyes landed a role in the pilot of Devious Maids, a series created by Marc Cherry that ran until 2016. Just two weeks after its cancellation, she scored a role in TNT's crime comedy-drama Claws. The show aired from 2017 to 2022.

Reyes could also be seen in Jane the Virgin (2015-2019), One Day at a Time (2017-2020), and Succession (2018).

In 2017, the actress became executive producer of the animated series La Golda, centered on an eight-year-old Latina orphan determined to make the world better. The series tackled various social and environmental issues through the lens of soccer.

In 2022, Reyes appeared in the box office horror hit Smile. Though her role was supporting, the film proved to be a commercial success, pulling in over $217 million worldwide.
Judy Reyes in a denim jacket looks down with concern, a young woman standing beside her
Judy Reyes in Smile
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The following year brought Reyes a leading role in the psychological horror Birth/Rebirth, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. In this feminist reimagining of Frankenstein, Reyes played Celie, an exhausted nurse who forms a bond with a morgue technician experimenting with bringing the dead back to life. The performance earned her an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Lead Performance.

Interestingly, when Reyes first read the script, one of her reactions was: "Another nurse, seriously?" But she approached the role of Celie with complete commitment – this character shares nothing in common with Carla.

Judy Reyes' Personal Life

In the early 2000s, Reyes married cinematographer Edwin M. Figueroa. The marriage lasted until 2008.

The actress's next partner was director and producer George Valencia. In November 2009, they welcomed their daughter, Leila Rey Valencia. As she grew older, their daughter also pursued a career in theater.
Judy Reyes, her husband George Valencia and their daughter Leila Rey Valencia at a social event
Judy Reyes with her husband and daughter
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Judy Reyes Now

In September 2024, ABC launched the new series High Potential, with Reyes playing one of the key characters – Lieutenant Selena Soto, head of the major crimes unit. In January 2025, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on September 16, 2025.
Judy Reyes in a striped blazer gazes thoughtfully to the side
Judy Reyes in High Potential
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In 2024, audiences also saw Reyes in the leading role in Turtles All the Way Down, based on John Green's bestselling novel.

In September 2025, it was announced that Judy Reyes would return as Carla Espinosa in the Scrubs continuation. The announcement noted she'd appear less frequently than before, as she's dedicating significant time to filming High Potential.