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The talented actress Justina Machado was born on September 6, 1972, in Chicago, Ill. She is a graduate of Lane Tech High School and has performed in the Latino Chicago Theater Company. After high school, Justina moved to New York City in 1996, where she landed her first two acting roles: as Elsa on the television series "NYPD Blue" and as Valcho in the made-for-TV movie "No One Can Tell." This led to the roles of Raquel DeLaRosa on "Good Behavior" and as Vanessa Diaz on the award-winning HBO series "Six Feet Under." Her film credits include "Torque," "Final Destination 2," "Full Frontal" and "She's So Lovely." Justina has also appeared in the Los Angeles stage productions of "Blade To The Heat" and "Black Butterfly." She currently lives in LA, and in her spare time Justina enjoys reading and singing.

A performer whose onscreen activity peaked in the 2000s, Puerto Rican-American actress Justina Machado specialized in portrayals of mature and professional Latina types, often with a pronounced maternal quality and a sexy edge. Early assignments consisted of bit roles in the Nick Cassavetes-directed drama She's So Lovely and the Steven Spielberg epic fantasy A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, as well as guest spots on such series as ER, Angel and Touched by an Angel, though Machado only shot to fame courtesy of her portrayal of R.N. Vanessa Diaz on the HBO drama Six Feet Under. In 2007, Machado starred in a supporting role as Sophia, under the aegis of director Griffin Dunne, in the romantic comedy The Accidental Husband. Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide