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Daphne Rubin-Vega

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Daphne Rubin-Vega
Rubin-Vega in 2022
Born (1969-11-18) November 18, 1969 (age 54)
Panama City, Panama
Occupation(s)Dancer, actress, singer-songwriter
Years active1979–present
Spouse
Thomas Costanzo
​
(m. 2002)​
Children1
RelativesLeonard Rubin (stepfather)[1]

Daphne Rubin-Vega (née Vega; born November 18, 1969) is an American actress, dancer, and singer-songwriter. She is best known for originating the roles of Mimi Marquez in the 1996 premiere of the Broadway musical Rent and Lucy in the 2007 premiere of the Off-Broadway play Jack Goes Boating.[2]

Rubin-Vega also appeared as Bombshell publicist Agnes in the second season of the TV series Smash (2012) and as Luisa Lopez in the TV series Katy Keene (2020). In 2021, Rubin-Vega starred as salon owner Daniela in the film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's In the Heights.[3] In 2024, she voiced Carmilla Carmine in the adult animated musical animated series Hazbin Hotel.

Early life

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Rubin-Vega was born in Panama City, Panama, the daughter of Daphine Corina, a nurse, and José Mercedes Vega, a carpenter.[1] Her stepfather Leonard Rubin was a writer.[1] She also has Afro-Barbadian ancestry on her mother’s side.[4] Her mother moved from Panama to the United States with her children when Daphne was only two years old, and died eight years later.[5]

Rubin-Vega studied theater at the New LAByrinth Theater Company as well as with William Esper Studio. She also performed with the comedy group El Barrio USA.[6][7]

Career

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Rent and Broadway

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While performing with El Barrio USA, Rubin-Vega landed an audition for a new musical written and composed by Jonathan Larson. The role was for Broadway musical Rent, and the role was Mimi Marquez, a nineteen-year-old, HIV-positive heroin addict who works at the Cat Scratch Club as an exotic dancer. Before landing the role, Rubin-Vega claims that she was not a major fan of musical theater. The struggling actress auditioned for musical director Tim Weil by singing "Roxanne" by The Police. She was then handed an original number from the production and told to learn it.[6]

Rubin-Vega performed in the original workshop before the play went to Broadway. At the time, the script was vastly different from the current version. She developed the role all the way to its Broadway premiere on April 29, 1996.[8] She left the cast on April 5, 1997, and was replaced by Marcy Harriell. Rubin-Vega did not participate in the film adaptation of Rent, as she was pregnant at the time of the movie's casting and filming.[9] The role subsequently went to Rosario Dawson. One of her castmates was Wilson Jermaine Heredia, with whom she also starred in the 1999 film Flawless.[10]

Rubin-Vega has two Tony Award nominations to her credit: Best Actress in a Musical for her performance in Rent,[11] and Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play for her performance as Conchita in Anna in the Tropics (2003).[12] She won the Theatre World Award in 1996 for Rent. She was also awarded the Blockbuster Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Suspense Thriller for her role in the film Wild Things.

She later appeared in the 2000 Broadway production of The Rocky Horror Show in the role of Magenta. She continued the role through the 2001 terrorist attacks in New York, and in 2005, Rubin-Vega later recounted in an interview with Fox News that the theater had gone from selling out to barely selling any tickets at all: "It went from full house to practically two people."[13]

She starred with Phylicia Rashad in a musical version of Federico García Lorca's The House of Bernarda Alba at Lincoln Center in March 2006.[14] She played the role of Fantine in the 2006 Broadway revival of the popular musical Les Misérables beginning November 9.[9] On March 2, 2007, she was replaced by Lea Salonga.

Later career: Jack Goes Boating and further productions

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In February 2007, Daphne Rubin-Vega performed alongside Philip Seymour Hoffman in the play Jack Goes Boating off-Broadway at The Public Theater.[15][16] She appeared in a cameo role in the 2008 feature film Sex and the City.

In November 2010, she received an Independent Spirit Awards nomination, for reprising her role in the film adaptation of Jack Goes Boating.[17] She starred Off-Broadway as Yvette in Tommy Nohilly's world premier of Blood From A Stone at The New Group's Acorn Theater until February 19, 2011. She appeared in the Off-Broadway cast of Love, Loss, and What I Wore from March 23 to April 24, 2011. Later that year, the feature film Union Square, co-written and directed by the Sundance Film Festival's Grand Jury Award Winner, Nancy Savoca, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.[18] In spring 2012, Rubin-Vega returned to Broadway in a new revival of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, playing the role of Stella Kowalski opposite Blair Underwood as Stanley.[5]

On October 25, 2016, Rubin-Vega starred as Beatriz in the world premiere of Miss You Like Hell, a new musical by Quiara Alegría Hudes and Erin McKeown, commissioned by – and staged at – the La Jolla Playhouse.[19] The show opened off-Broadway, in the Newman Theater venue at The Public Theater, on April 10, 2018, with Rubin-Vega reprising the role.[20]

Rubin-Vega performed the lead role in the scripted fiction podcast, The Horror of Dolores Roach, which was released by Gimlet Media in October 2018.[21] The story, co-starring Bobby Cannavale as Louis,[22] is a contemporary reimagining of Sweeney Todd, using cannibalism as a metaphor for gentrification.[23] Dolores Roach is an adaptation of Rubin-Vega's stage performance in the one-woman play Empanada Loca. Both Empanada Loca and Dolores Roach were written by playwright Aaron Mark especially for Rubin-Vega, who said in a Vulture interview that he "wanted to do a deep dive into a character we haven't seen depicted much in the horror cannon."[23][24]

Since 2020, she has played the role of Luisa Lopez, a recurring character, in the television series Katy Keene on The CW. In 2021, she played the role of Daniela in In the Heights, earning praise for her performance from critics. Her involvement with the original musical dates back to its Off-Broadway and Broadway productions, where she provided the voice of the DJ who opens the show.[25]

Music career

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She began her musical career as the lead singer for the Latin freestyle girl group Pajama Party, placing three songs on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1989 and 1990. As a solo artist her biggest success is on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, where in 1996 she hit No. 1 with the song "I Found It."

She returned to the top of the dance/club play charts in 2003 with a dance version of Elton John's "Rocketman". In 2001, she recorded her debut full-length rock album of original songs, Souvenirs. The album was never officially released after Mercury Records was purchased by Seagram. After being dropped from her label, Rubin-Vega began gifting copies out to fans, encouraging them to leak it online.[26] The record later saw limited release for the charity Broadway Cares.[27]

Rubin-Vega also released her second full-length album of original songs titled Redemption Songs released in October 2006 on Sh-K Boom Records.[9]

Personal life

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Rubin-Vega has been married to businessman Thomas Costanzo since 2002.[28] They have a son.[29]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role(s) Notes
1994 I Like It Like That Jasmine
1995 Lotto Land Gloria
1998 Wild Things Gloria Perez
1999 Flawless Tia
2001 Skeleton Woman Olya
2003 Virgin Frances
2005 Alchemy Belladonna Editor Uncredited
2008 Sex and the City Baby-voiced Woman Cameo
Rachel Getting Married Wedding Guest Uncredited
2010 Jack Goes Boating Lucy
2011 Union Square Sara
2014 Emoticon ;) Anna
2021 In the Heights Daniela
The Same Storm Lupe Ramirez
Tick, Tick... Boom! Sunday Legend 14 Cameo
2022 Allswell in New York Serene Also co-producer and co-writer
2023 Bucky F*cking Dent Eva
Ezra Agent Margo Jenkins

Television

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Year Title Role(s) Notes
1996 New York Undercover Lydia Episode: "Brown Like Me"
1997 Spin City Herself Episode: "An Affair to Remember"
2000 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child Little Juanita Voice role; episode: "Robinita Hood"
2003 Hey Joel Michelle Ipanima Voice role; 4 episodes
2007 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Carmen Mendoza Episode: "Senseless"
2013 Smash Agnes 8 episodes
2019 Rent: Live Extra Special; member of the original Broadway cast
Tales of the City Mrs. Rodriguez 3 episodes
2020 Katy Keene Luisa Lopez 9 episodes
Social Distance Reina Villareal Episode: "A Celebration of the Human Life Cycle"
2021 The Blacklist Delores Knapp Episode: "Balthazar 'Bino' Baker (No. 129)"
2022 New Amsterdam Christy Cummings Episode: "No Ifs, Ands or Buts"
2023 Accused Rose Episode: "Ava's Story"
The Horror of Dolores Roach None Executive producer only
The Changeling Mrs. Ortiz 2 episodes
2024 Hazbin Hotel Carmilla Carmine Voice role; recurring role[30]
Songs: "Respectless", "Whatever It Takes", "Out for Love"
2024 Only Murders in the Building Inez 4 episodes

Discography

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With Pajama Party:

Solo-work:

  • 1994 – When You Love Someone (Single)
  • 1995 – Change (Single)
  • 1995 – I Found It (Single) Produced and co-written by David Anthony
  • 2001 – Souvenirs
  • 2003 – Rocket Man (EP)
  • 2006 – Redemption Songs

Rubin-Vega also appears on the original cast recording of Rent and the revival recording of The Rocky Horror Show. Rubin-Vega also appears on A Very Marti Holiday, a Christmas album heavily featured on Shade: Queens of NYC in which Rubin-Vega also had a guest appearance, and on the Katy Keene soundtrack.

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Work Result
1996 Tony Award Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical Rent Nominated
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actress in a Musical Nominated
Theatre World Award Theatre World Award Won
1999 ALMA Award Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film Wild Things Nominated
Blockbuster Entertainment Awards Favorite Supporting Actress – Suspense Won
2001 New York International Independent Film and Video Festival Best Actress Skeleton Woman Won
2004 Tony Award Best Featured Actress in a Play Anna in the Tropics Nominated
2010 Independent Spirit Awards Best Supporting Female Jack Goes Boating Nominated
2012 Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play A Streetcar Named Desire Nominated
2013 GenArt Film Festival Feature Film Emoticon ;) Won
Indie Series Awards Best Supporting Actress (Drama) Hustling Nominated
2014 Best Lead Actress (Drama) Nominated
2016 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Solo Performance Empanada Loca Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Solo Performance Nominated
2018 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actress in a Musical Miss You Like Hell Nominated

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Daphne Rubin-Vega Biography (1969-)". filmreference.com. Retrieved June 1, 2008.
  2. ^ Dziemianowicz, Joe (March 19, 2007). "Hoffman goes 'Boating,' and it's smooth sailing". New York Daily News. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  3. ^ Ford, Rebecca (April 16, 2019). "'In The Heights' Adds Daphne Rubin-Vega, Stephanie Beatriz, Dascha Polanco". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
  4. ^ "Daphne Rubin-Vega". afrotaino.com. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Mandell, Jonathan (July 3, 2012). "Stellaaaaa! Streetcar's Daphne Rubin-Vega Relishes Wounded and Resilient Characters". Playbill. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  6. ^ a b Levin, Hannah (April 23, 2013). "Daphne Rubin-Vega: A Smash Hit". masterchatmag.com. Archived from the original on August 26, 2018. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
  7. ^ Gonzalez, Irina. "The Vagina Monologues in Spanish". Latina. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
  8. ^ Susan Haskins, Michael Riedel, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Michael Musto (September 2008). Goodbye Rent!, Billy Elliot Update. Theater Talk (YouTube). New York: CUNY TV. Retrieved August 5, 2023.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  9. ^ a b c Gans, Andrew (October 13, 2012). "DIVA TALK: Chatting with Les Miz's Daphne Rubin-Vega PLUS News of LuPone, D'Abruzzo and Murphy". Playbill. Archived from the original on August 6, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  10. ^ Kissel, Howard (April 30, 1996). "'Rent' Comes Due on Broadway Pay-Up Time as Lauded Show's Flaws are Magnified in the Move Uptown". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on July 25, 2008. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
  11. ^ "The Tony Award Nominations / 1996 / Actress (Leading Role - Musical)". tonyawards.com. June 2, 1996. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  12. ^ "The Tony Award Nominations / 2004 / Actress (Featured Role - Play)". tonyawards.com. June 6, 2004. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  13. ^ Martha MacCallum, Daphne Rubin-Vega (January 3, 2007). In The Know. The Live Desk (YouTube). New York: Fox News. Archived from the original on March 11, 2016. Retrieved July 13, 2014.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  14. ^ Simonson, Robert (March 6, 2006). "Hello, Again: LaChiusa Opens Bernarda Alba, His Second New Musical of Season, March 6". Playbill. Archived from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  15. ^ Weitzman, Elizabeth (September 17, 2010). "Philip Seymour Hoffman great in 'Jack Goes Boating,' but supporting cast feels too scripted". New York Daily News. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
  16. ^ Brantley, Ben (March 19, 2007). "The Zen Art of Life Maintenance (Pass the Bong, Please)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 30, 2014. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
  17. ^ "Daphne Rubin-Vega, John Cameron Mitchell & More Nab 2011 Independent Spirit Award Nominations". Broadway.com. November 30, 2010. Archived from the original on June 22, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
  18. ^ "tiff. festival'11 | Union Square". Toronto International Film Festival. August 9, 2011. Archived from the original on January 23, 2012. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  19. ^ "Miss You Like Hell". Know Before You Go. La Jolla Playhouse: P8. October 25, 2016. Archived from the original on March 5, 2017. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
  20. ^ "Miss You Like Hell | Newman Theater March 20 - May 6". The Public Theater. December 12, 2017. Archived from the original on December 11, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  21. ^ Aaron Mark (written by), Daphne Rubin-Vega, Bobby Cannavale (October 17, 2018). The Horror of Dolores Roach (Podcast). Gimlet Media. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  22. ^ Dixon, Emily (October 21, 2018). "You'll Be OBSESSED With Daphne Rubin-Vega's New Podcast Based On A Classic Horror". Bustle. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  23. ^ a b Shapiro, Lila (October 31, 2018). "The Story Behind The Horror of Dolores Roach". Vulture. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  24. ^ Hess, Amanda (September 13, 2018). "The Best New Social Thriller Is a Podcast". The New York Times. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  25. ^ Brody, Caitlin (June 11, 2022). "Stephanie Beatriz, Dascha Polanco, and Daphne Rubin-Vega Are the Holy Trinity of In the Heights". Vanity Fair. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  26. ^ Strauss, Neil (May 16, 2001). "Daphne Rubin-Vega keeps chasing after hard luck". The New York Times. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
  27. ^ Vettorino, Jackie (April 22, 2009). "Rubin-Vega crowds Lower New York City pub with solo pop-rock performance". The Quinnipiac Chronicle. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
  28. ^ Ehren, Christine (September 17, 2002). "Photo Call: Mrs. Daphne Rubin-Vega-Costanzo". Playbill.
  29. ^ "Broadway Star Daphne Rubin-Vega Welcomes Baby Boy". Broadway.com. December 7, 2004.
  30. ^ Petski, Denise (November 27, 2023). "'Hazbin Hotel' Gets Premiere Date At Prime Video; Sets Guest Cast Including Darren Criss, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Patina Miller, Jeremy Jordan, Jessica Vosk". Deadline. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
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