Puerto Rican actress Liza Colón-Zayas made history this past Sunday when she won the Best Supporting Role in a Comedy Series Emmy for her portrayal in Hulu’s hit show The Bear. Though this was the 76th Emmy’s Award Show, Colón-Zayas proved there were still barriers to be broken as she became the first Latina ever to win in this category. This was a revolutionary achievement, made all the more important when thinking about all the iconic shows that were never awarded. Legendary series like Ugly Betty with America Ferrera, The George Lopez Show, or Modern Family’s Sofia Vergara. For both Colón-Zayas and the Latino Community, this Emmy has been a long time coming.
While most people know of her for her portrayal of the tough-as-nails chef Tina Marrero in The Bear, Liza Colón-Zayas has been pursuing a career in acting for years. She grew up in The Bronx and earned her Bachelor’s degree in theater at SUNY Albany in the early 90s. From there on, Colón-Zayas would be committed to that off-Broadway lifestyle. Joined multiple theater companies, performing in play after play before ultimately writing and performing her own one-woman show called Sistah Supreme based loosely around her life and upbringing as a Latina in New York City. In her decades-long career, Colón-Zayas has been in everything from hit TV shows like Sex and the City and Dexter (where she met her husband, actor David Zayas.) to even iconic films like The Purge: Election Year.
Her career was consistent, but it was Hulu’s The Bear that catapulted her into stardom. In her acceptance speech, Liza seemed genuinely shocked at the turn of events, “Thank you to my husband David Zayas–he told me to write a speech and I didn’t, because I didn’t think it would be possible. How could I have thought it would be possible?” As she continued on, her awe never wavered, and towards the end, she acknowledged just how momentous this win was for the community, “To all the Latinas who are looking at me. Keep believing, and vote.” She emphasized before the symphony of thank yous and gracias that followed.
Her win is a win for everyone in the Latino Community. It is a massive step forward in forcing Hollywood to not just acknowledge us, but see us. Our careers and our talent. Liza Colón-Zayas will now and forever always be the first Latina winner, but hopefully, this is a sign that she will not even come close to the last.
