Biography
Rose Portillo is an American actress, writer and director. Born in Los Angeles, California, on 7 November 1953, she began her screen career with the role of Spanish Girl in Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977).
Her stage breakthrough came as Della Barrios in the original Los Angeles and Broadway productions of Luis Valdez's Zoot Suit, a role she reprised in the 1981 film adaptation. She later played the Mother in the 2017 revival at Center Theatre Group. Portillo has appeared in numerous film and television roles, including the voice of Señora Guzmán in Encanto (2021), Emilia Lopez in The Rookie (2018) and Sheriff Jo in NCIS (2003).
She has worked extensively in regional theatre and as an educator, serving as associate director of About Productions and as faculty at Pomona College, where she directs the Theater for Young Audiences programme.
