(CNN) — Actress Elizabeth Peña has died of natural causes after a brief illness, her manager told CNN. She was 55.
Peña passed away Tuesday, Gina Rugolo said in a statement.
Among her many roles, Peña is known for appearing as the mother of a character played by Sofia Vergara in the sitcom “Modern Family.”
She’s played on both the big and small screens during her more than three-decade career. She also tried her hand at directing, becoming only the fourth Latina member of the Director’s Guild of America when she joined, the statement said.
Other career highlights include roles in “Down and Out in Beverly Hills,” “La Bamba,” “Rush Hour,” and “The Incredibles.”
Most recently, Peña appeared in the TV drama “Matador.”
“I am stunned and heartbroken, just found out about the passing of my friend Elizabeth Peña. She was such a Life Force it’s hard to believe,” tweeted actor Lou Diamond Phillips, who starred in “La Bamba.”
“Elizabeth was not only an amazing actress, she was one of the most vibrant, wonderful people I have ever known. My prayers to her family,” he said.
Peña was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and she graduated from New York’s High School of Performing Arts in 1977.
She is survived by her mother, a sister, her husband, and two children.
