Judy Reyes

Judy Reyes, best known for starring as the sassy, no-nonsense nurse Carla Espinosa on the comedy series "Scrubs," stars in the film Gun Hill Road (directed by Rashaad Ernesto Green), which debuted at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, competing in the U.S. Dramatic category.

Scrubs received seventeen Emmy nominations throughout the show's successful nine-season run and even earned a prestigious Peabody Award for the fifth-season episode My Way Home. The series also took home the coveted Humanitas Prize in 2002, 2008 and 2009, which is an award that honors film and television writing intended to promote human dignity, meaning, and freedom.

Reyes, born to Dominican parents, grew up along with three sisters in the Bronx as her family's first-generation Americans. While performing at a talent show for her mother's church, the triple-threat singer, dancer, and actress realized her passion for performing. After this life-changing performance, Reyes enrolled in theatre classes at Hunter College in Manhattan, and in 1992 she landed her first major acting role in the independent feature film Jack and his Friends opposite Sam Rockwell. From here she went on to perform extensively in the New York theatre. She is particularly proud of her work with the LAByrinth Theatre Company, a multicultural acting space in Manhattan where she is a founding member, along with Philip Seymour Hoffman, Sam Rockwell, John Ortiz and Lauren Velez, among others. She has served as a member of the Company in numerous productions over the past 15 years.

Reyes' other film credits include independent picture Dirty opposite Cuba Gooding, Jr., Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God … Be Back at Five opposite Jon Cryer, King of the Jungle alongside John Leguizamo and Rosie Perez, and Washington Heights. Additionally, Reyes starred and produced the independent film Glow Ropes: The Rise and Fall of a Bar Mitzvah Emcee, co-directing with George Valencia. Glow Ropes screened and won the Best Film award at the 2005 HBO New York Latino Film Festival. She also acted in and co-produced Taino, a short film that was screened at the 1999 New York International Latino Film Festival and was one of four finalists to air on Showtime's Latino Filmmakers Forum.

Reyes' other television credits include a star turn opposite Doris Roberts in the 2006 Hallmark original movie Our House. She had a recurring role as Tina on the acclaimed HBO series Oz and has appeared in The Sopranos, Third Watch, NYPD Blue, and Law and Order, among many other series. Her made-for-television movies include John Sanford's Mind Prey with Eriq La Salle. Reyes has received numerous award nominations and received the 2006 Alma Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Series and the 2007 National Hispanic Media Coalition Impact Award for Outstanding Performance in a Comedy Television Series.

Reyes resides in the Hollywood Hills during production but frequently returns to her native New York. When she is not entertaining audiences, Reyes loves to do yoga, hike, salsa dance and spend time with her Chow-Shepherd mix Chulo.