Justina Machado (born September 6, 1972) is an American actress. Justina Machado is best known for her role as Darci Factor in the CW show Jane the Virgin. She is also known for her roles as Vanessa Diaz on the HBO drama series Six Feet Under, and as Brenda on the drama Queen of the South. As of 2017, Machado stars as Penelope Alvarez on the Netflix show, One Day at a Time. Machado was born in Chicago, Illinois. Her parents moved to Chicago from Puerto Rico where they had two children. Her parents subsequently divorced and her mother remarried and had three children. Machado had a traditional quinceañera. She said her family was poor, and that she grew up in the Northwest Side of Chicago. Machado was raised Catholic. Machado was very active in drama, always participating in her school plays. She also took dance at Franklin Fine Arts Center. In 1986, Machado attended Lane Technical College Prep High School. During her spare time, she performed with the Latino Chicago Theater Company. In 1990, after graduating from Lane Tech, Machado moved to New York City. The experience which she had gained as a performer with the Latino Chicago Theater Company helped open the doors for her in that city. Soon, she was offered a job as a professional actress in Los Angeles, California. Machado moved to Los Angeles and in 1996, she landed her first two acting roles. She was cast as "Elsa" in the TV series NYPD Blue episode #311, and she was also cast as "Val Cho" in the movie made for television No One Would Tell.

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