Stephanie Beatriz to discuss representation in media during Tuesday’s ULS

Stephanie Beatriz, best known for her role as Detective Rosa Diaz in “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” will speak at USF Week’s University Lecture Series. CREATIVE COMMONS

With a passion for theater and advocacy, actress, singer and model Stephanie Beatriz will take the stage as keynote speaker for USF Week’s University Lecture Series (ULS) event on Tuesday to talk about her career and representation. 

The talk will be held in the Marshall Student Center Ballroom from 8-9 p.m. Check-in begins at 5:30 p.m., and doors will open at 7:30 p.m.

Beatriz will speak on her roles, advocacy and representation in the media and her identity as a bisexual Latina. The price tag of the talk is $36,500, and will include a 45-minute moderated lecture and a 15-minute Q&A to follow, according to graduate assistant of Bulls Nite Out Hannah Sutherland. 

USF’s Campus Activities Board (CAB) has designed questions for Beatriz that the moderator, CAB Vice President of Programming Jonathan Borelley, will ask during the lecture and Q&A.

As of now, 721 students are registered for the lecture, according to BullsConnect. Up to 770 people will be able to attend. 

Playing Detective Rosa Diaz in the 2013 Fox and NBC series “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” is the role that catapulted Beatriz to fame. 

“Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” which ran for eight seasons, was an American police procedural comedy that followed the work of NYPD detective Jake Peralta, played by Andy Samberg, and his interactions with other members of the Brooklyn police precinct, including Beatriz’s character.

During its run, the show received numerous awards and nominations, including a Golden Globe Award in 2014 for Best Television Series and a GLAAD Media Award in 2018 for Outstanding Comedy Series. 

While in her role on the series, Beatriz received multiple distinctions, including a Gracie Allen Award for Outstanding Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Comedy or Musical in both 2019 and 2020. 

After graduating from Stephens College in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts for theater arts, Beatriz moved to New York City to pursue her acting career. 

She began her career in theater, playing Lydia in playwright Octavio Solis’ play “Lydia” in 2008. In her early career, she also acted at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Theatreworks USA, The Old Globe Theater and the Yale Repertory Times. 

She debuted on screen in her role as Camila Santiago in the 2009 series “Closer.” She went on to play the recurring minor role of Sonia, Gloria’s sister, in the popular 2009 sitcom “Modern Family.” 

Beatriz is well-known for her starring roles as Carla in the 2021 Tony Award-winning onscreen adaptation of Lin Manuel-Miranda’s musical “In the Heights” and Mirabel Madrigal in the Academy Award-winning film “Encanto” in 2021. The Disney animated film took home the award for Best Animated Feature at this year’s Oscars ceremony.

Identifying as a bisexual Latina has been a large influence in Beatriz’s career, according to a June 2021 interview with Metro Weekly. She said that growing up LGBTQIA representation was not varied and often presented queer stories associated with trauma. 

As a result, Beatriz made headlines in 2018 after calling on all casting directors to be more diverse in their casting, especially for those of the LGBTQIA community. 

In her past roles as detective Rosa Diaz and Carla, which were both queer characters, Beatriz said she was glad to bring more multifaceted, refreshing experiences to the screen. 

The desire to increase this visibility has also spread outside of the acting realm for Beatriz, as she has become an advocate for improving this representation. 

Beatriz has been credited in 61 films and shows, according to her IMDb filmography page. Some of her iconic appearances include those on “Bob’s Burgers” and “Bojack Horseman.” 

Voice acting has been the actress’ forte long before her work in “Encanto.” Beatriz has lent her voice to a number of other animated films, such as “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” as Sweet Mayhem and “Ice Age: Collision Course” as Gertie. 

Currently, Beatriz is playing the role of PO Guzman in director Kase Peña’s debut film “Trans Los Angeles,” a slice-of-life anthology series offering a glimpse into the daily life of a transgender character.