Gabrielle Ruiz (born December 12, 1984) is an American actress best known for playing the role of Valencia Perez on

The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

musical comedy-drama series ''

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend ''Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'' is an American romantic musical comedy-drama television series that premiered on October 12, 2015, on The CW and ran for four seasons, ending on April 5, 2019. The series was created, written, and directed by Rachel Bloo ...

''. Prior to ''Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'', she performed in several Broadway musicals.

Early life and education

Gabrielle was born to Eduardo and Sylvia Ruiz in

Edinburg, Texas Edinburg ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. Its population was 74,569 as of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, and in 2019, its estimated population was 101,170, making it the second-largest city ...

. Both parents are of Mexican heritage. She discovered her love of performing at a young age through dance. She was trained in dance at Melba's School of Dance and the Texas Association for Teachers of Dance. She also took vocal lessons and was part of the Texas All-State Choir. She attended public schools through high school, and graduated from

Oklahoma City University Oklahoma City University (OCU) is a private university historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church and located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The university offers undergraduate bachelor's degrees, graduate master's degrees and doctor ...

with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance in 2007. While in college she was a member of the American Spirit Dance Company, OCU Rhythms, numerous musicals, work-study, and the

Alpha Phi Alpha Phi International Women's Fraternity (, also known as APhi) is an international sorority with 172 active chapters and over 250,000 initiated members. Founded at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York on September 18, 1872, it is the fo ...

women's fraternity.

Career

After college, Ruiz landed various roles on both television and Broadway. Her breakthrough role was playing Valencia Perez on

comedy-drama series ''

''.

Lin-Manuel Miranda Lin-Manuel Miranda (; born January 16, 1980) is an American songwriter, actor, playwright and filmmaker. He is known for creating the Broadway musicals ''Hamilton'' (2015) and ''In the Heights'' (2005), and the soundtracks for the Disney animate ...

, the creator of ''

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

'', saw her perform in his musical ''

In the Heights ''In the Heights'' is a musical theatre, musical with concept, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a Book (musical theatre), book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. The story is set over the course of three days, involving characters in the larg ...

'' and referred her to the ''CXG'' show producers. On the basis of his recommendation, she got an audition and then landed the part.

Personal life

On August 4, 2016, Ruiz married Philip Pisanchyn in a small private ceremony at a villa in Saint Martin. They live in New York City and occasionally Los Angeles. On April 28, 2021 she gave birth to a girl, Mercedes.

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ruiz, Gabrielle 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Texas Oklahoma City University alumni Living people 1984 births American stage actresses American film actresses American television actresses People from Edinburg, Texas Actresses from New York City Actresses from Los Angeles American actresses of Mexican descent