Diana-Maria Riva (born July 22, 1969) is an American actress, known for her performances on television. She was regular cast member in series including '' Philly'' (2001-02), '' Side Order of Life'' (2007), '' The Good Guys'' (2010), ''

Telenovela A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") and ''novela'' (meaning "novel"). Similar drama genres around the world include '' teleserye'' ( ...

'' (2015-16) and '' Gordita Chronicles'' (2022). Riva also had major recurring roles in ''

The West Wing ''The West Wing'' is an American serial (radio and television), serial political drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999, to May 14, 2006. The series is set primarily in the ...

'', ''

The Bridge The Bridge may refer to: Art, entertainment and media Art * ''The Bridge'' (sculpture), a 1997 sculpture in Atlanta, Georgia, US * Die Brücke (''The Bridge''), a group of German expressionist artists * ''The Bridge'' (M. C. Escher), a lithograph ...

'' and '' Dead to Me''.

Early life

Diana-Maria Riva grew up in

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state lin ...

, the daughter of Maria (née Riva) and Chris, a dentist. She attended St. Ursula Academy and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music

Career

Riva began her career on stage appearing in Michael Weller play ''Help!'' in 1996. Also that year, she made her screen debut in the short-lived ABC comedy series, ''Common Law''. The series was canceled after only four episodes. She later was cast in a recurring role in the ABC legal series, '' Murder One'' created by Steven Bochco. She later would appear on regular and recurring roles on his shows including '' NYPD Blue'' (1997, 1999), '' City of Angels'' (2000), and '' Philly'' (2001-02). Her other early television credits including '' Party of Five'', '' The X Files'', ''

The Drew Carey Show ''The Drew Carey Show'' is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from September 13, 1995 to September 8, 2004. Set in Cleveland, Ohio, the series revolved around the retail office and home life of "everyman" Drew Carey, a fictionali ...

'', '' Everybody Loves Raymond'', '' CSI'', and '' Less Than Perfect''. She has also appeared as a celebrity guest on the Donny Osmond version of the game show ''

Pyramid A pyramid (from el, πυραμίς ') is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge to a single step at the top, making the shape roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrila ...

''. In 2000, Riva made her big screen debut playing the supporting role in the romantic comedy film, '' What Women Want''. She later appeared in films '' The Third Wheel'' (2002), '' Chasing Papi'' (2003), '' Our Family Wedding'' (2010), '' Short Term 12'' (2012), '' Love & Mercy'' (2014), and '' McFarland, USA'' (2015). Riva had recurring roles in '' Sabrina The Teenage Witch'' (2002-03), ''

'' (2005-06), and '' Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip'' (2006-07). In 2007, she starred in the short-lived Lifetime drama series, '' Side Order of Life''. In 2010, Riva starred as Lieutenant Ana Ruiz in the

FOX Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelv ...

police comedy series, '' The Good Guys'' as the boss of detectives Dan Stark (''West Wing''/''Studio 60'' alum Bradley Whitford) and Jack Bailey ( Colin Hanks) in the

Dallas Police Department The Dallas Police Department, established in 1881, is the principal law enforcement agency serving the city of Dallas, Texas. Organization The department is headed by a chief of police who is appointed by the city manager who, in turn, is hir ...

. In 2012, she starred as a mother-in-law of Rob Schneider's title character in the short-lived CBS sitcom ''

Rob! ''Rob'' (stylized as ''¡Rob!'') is an American sitcom television series that premiered on CBS on January 12, 2012, at as a mid-season replacement for ''Rules of Engagement (TV series), Rules of Engagement'', and ended on March 1, 2012. The seri ...

''. From 2013 to 2015, she had a recurring role in the FX crime drama ''

'', and from 2015 to 2016 starred alongside

Eva Longoria Eva Jacqueline Longoria Bastón ( Longoria; March 15, 1975) is an American actress, producer, and director. After a number of guest roles on several television series, she was recognized for her portrayal of Isabella Braña on the CBS daytim ...

in the NBC comedy series, ''

''. The following year, she was regular cast member during the first season of CBS sitcom '' Man with a Plan'' as Mrs. Rodriguez. In 2019, she starred in the NBC sitcom '' Sunnyside'' opposite

Kal Penn Kalpen Suresh Modi (born April 23, 1977), known professionally as Kal Penn, is an American actor, author, academic lecturer, and former White House staff member in the Barack Obama administration. As an actor, he is known for his role portrayin ...

, and from 2019 to 2022 had a recurring role on the Netflix comedy-drama series, '' Dead to Me''. In 2022, she starred in the another short-lived comedy series, '' Gordita Chronicles'' for HBO Max.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

*
AllMovie entry
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Riva, Diana-Maria 1969 births Living people Actresses from Cincinnati American film actresses American people of Dominican Republic descent American people of German descent American television actresses Hispanic and Latino American actresses 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses