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

The CW The CW Network, LLC (commonly referred to as The CW or simply CW) is an American commercial broadcast television network which is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75% ownership interest. The network's name is derived from the firs ...

musical comedy-drama series '' Crazy Ex-Girlfriend''. 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. The population was 100,243 at the 2020 census, and in 2022, its estimated population was 104,294, making it the second-largest city in Hidalgo County, and th ...

. 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 docto ...

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 Fraternities and sororities in North America, sorority with 175 active chapters and over 270,000 initiated members. Founded at Syracuse University in Syracuse, ...

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 '' Crazy Ex-Girlfriend''.

Lin-Manuel Miranda Lin-Manuel Miranda (; born January 16, 1980) is an American songwriter, actor, singer, filmmaker, rapper, and librettist. He created the Broadway musicals '' In the Heights'' and ''Hamilton'', and the soundtracks for the animated films '' Moana' ...

, the creator of ''

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...

'', saw her perform in his musical ''

In the Heights ''In the Heights'' is a musical with concept, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. The story is a romance as well as a celebration of community, culture, and aspirations. It is set over the course of thr ...

'' 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 on 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 Hispanic and Latino American actresses People from Edinburg, Texas Actresses from New York City Actresses from Los Angeles American actresses of Mexican descent