Jessica Marie Garcia
Jessica Marie Garcia (born March 23, 1987) is an American actress. She made her acting debut starring as Sierra on the drama series Huge (2010). She then portrayed Becky on the sitcom The Middle (2012–2014), and received recognition for her role as Willow Cruz on the Disney Channel series Liv and Maddie (2013–2017). She portrayed Rhonda Navarro on the thriller series How to Get Away with Murder (2018–2019), and currently portrays Jasmine Flores on the Netflix series On My Block (2018–present).
Jessica Marie Garcia | |
---|---|
Born | Jessica Marie Garcia March 23, 1987 Orlando, Florida, U.S. |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1999–present |
Spouse(s) | Adam Celorier ( m. 2018) |
Early life
Garcia was born on March 23, 1987, in Orlando, Florida.[1] Garcia's father is of Mexican descent, while her mother is of Cuban descent.[1] At the age of 19, Garcia moved to Los Angeles.[1] Before pursuing acting, she worked at Olive Garden and a restaurant called The Counter, a job she continued while appearing on the show Liv and Maddie.[2]
Career
Garcia began acting in 2010, making her professional debut starring as Sierra, a recurring role, on the ABC Family drama series Huge,[3] and in the same year starred as Lucero in the independent film Las Angeles. Following this, from 2012 to 2014, she starred as Becky in the ABC sitcom The Middle.[4] During her appearances on The Middle, Garcia began appearing on the Disney Channel series Liv and Maddie as Willow Cruz, a role she played until 2017.[5] In 2017, she starred as Peaches in the film Avenge the Crows.[6]
From 2015 to 2019, Garcia starred in and co-wrote episodes for the comedy sketch show Betch.[7] In 2018, Garcia began appearing in the Netflix drama series On My Block as Jasmine Flores.[8] Originally cast in a recurring role, Garcia was promoted to a series regular from the second season.[9] For her performance, she was nominated for Choice Summer TV Actress at the 2019 Teen Choice Awards.[10] In the same year, she portrayed Rhonda Navarro on the thriller series How to Get Away with Murder, a role she held until 2019.[11] In 2020, Garcia began appearing in the Disney+ series Diary of a Future President as Camila.[12]
Personal life
In 2013, Garcia discovered that she was pre-diabetic, and to prevent getting diabetes, she lost over 70 pounds, stating that her career was her "biggest motivation to start living a healthier life."[2]
In January 2016, Garcia became engaged to actor Adam Celorier,[13] whom she married two years later in October 2018.[13]
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1999 | Our Friend, Martin | Maria Ramirez | Direct-to-video |
2010 | Las Angeles | Lucero | Film |
2017 | Avenge the Crows | Peaches | Film |
TBA | How to Get $100 Million | TBA | Short film; filming |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | Huge | Sierra | Recurring role; 5 episodes |
2012 | County | Vicky Santos | Television film |
2012–2014 | The Middle | Becky | Recurring role; 11 episodes |
2013–2017 | Liv and Maddie | Willow Cruz | Recurring role; 36 episodes |
2015–2019 | Betch | Various | Also co-writer |
2016 | Casual | Marta | Episode: "Phase 3" |
2017–2018 | Hacking High School | Becca | Recurring role; 4 episodes |
2018–present | On My Block | Jasmine Flores | Recurring (season 1); main role (season 2–present) |
2018 | Goliath | Ana | Episode: "Alo" |
2018 | Starter Pack | Penley | Recurring role; 4 episodes |
2018–2019 | How to Get Away with Murder | Rhonda Navarro | Recurring role; 5 episodes |
2019 | American Princess | Nurse Paloma | Recurring role; 2 episodes |
2019 | The Filth | Kevin | Episode: "Filthy Bro Day" |
2020 | Diary of a Future President | Camilla | Recurring role; 5 episodes |
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Summer TV Actress | Nominated | [14] |
References
- "Jessica Marie Garcia: 11 facts about the On My Block star you probably didn't know". PopBuzz. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- "10 Things You Didn't Know about Jessica Marie Garcia". TV Overmind. March 30, 2020. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
- "Jessica Marie Garcia Talks ABC Family's 'Huge,' Self-Worth And Choosing To Be Healthy". Galo. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- "Cuban actress Jessica Marie García stars "On my block"". In South. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- "Liv and Maddie Star Jessica Marie Garcia on Losing Weight, Gaining Confidence, and Everything in Between". Glamour. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- Hipes, Patrick. "'On My Block': Jessica Marie Garcia Upped To Regular On Netflix Series". Deadline. Deadline. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
- "'On My Block': Jessica Marie Garcia Upped To Regular On Netflix Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- "On My Block Is a Remarkable Coming-of-Age Story". Vulture.com. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- "How On My Block Turned Jasmine From a Punch Line Into a Star". Vulture.com. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- "Teen Choice Awards: Full List of Winners". Billboard. August 11, 2019. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- "'How To Get Away With Murder' season 5: Jessica Marie Garcia has 'the blisters to prove' she was on the sets of the Viola Davis show". meaww.com. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
- "'On My Block's Jessica Marie Garcia Loves Supporting Latino Shows: "We Have to Raise Each Other Up"". Remezcla. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- "'Liv and Maddie' Star Jessica Marie Garcia Is Married". J-14. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
- Swift, Andy (July 8, 2019). "Teen Choice Awards: 'Stranger Things' Leads Final Wave of 2019 Nominations". TVLine. Retrieved July 17, 2019.