Gina Torres

Gina Torres is an American television and movie actress. The youngest of three children, Torres was born in Manhattan and raised in The Bronx with her close-knit Cuban family. She graduated from Fiorello LaGuardia School of Arts where, before entering the world of acting, she studied opera and jazz as a vocal major.

Within a year of graduating, she was cast as Deena Jones in "Dreamgirls," her first professional acting job. It wasn’t long before she started appearing on Broadway, being directed by such legends as Tommy Tune and Pete Masterson in "Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public" and Jerry Zaks in "Face Value."

She began her onscreen career with roles on “Law & Order,” “One Life to Live,” “Any Day Now” and “La Femme Nikita” but it was her collaboration with producers Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert on four different shows – “MANTIS,” “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys,” “Xena: Warrior Princess” and “Cleopatra 2525" that brought her to the masses and promptly shifted her career.

Torres played a main role on the USA Network series "Suits" as Jessica Pearson for the first seven seasons. She reprised the role in the drama "Pearson," a spin-off about Jessica Pearson moving to Chicago and becoming involved in politics.

In 2001, she won the ALMA Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Syndicated Drama Series for her role in "Cleopatra 2525." In 2004, she was nominated for the International Press Academy's Golden Satellite Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Drama, for her role as Jasmine in "Angel."

Torres’s film credits include “The Matrix Reloaded,” “The Matrix Revolutions," “Jam,” South of Pico,” “I Think I Love My Wife” with Chris Rock, “Hair Show” with Mo’Nique, “Five Fingers” opposite Laurence Fishburne and “Don’t Let Me Drown,” which won critic’s choice at the Sundance Film Festival 2009.