Why Angela Lopez From The Rookie Looks So Familiar
Created by Alexi Hawley, ABC's 2018 police procedural "The Rookie" follows 45-year-old John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) as he switches career paths to follow his dream of joining the Los Angeles Police Department, thereby becoming the oldest rookie cop on record. The series, which also stars Richard T. Jones, Melissa O'Neil, and Eric Winter, is based on the real life of William Norcross (via New York Post).
There's one more talent prominently featured in every episode, and that's the actress who portrays Angela Lopez, ambitious LAPD officer — and later detective — Alyssa Diaz. Diaz has worked in the acting industry since 2001, where she has since accrued approximately 50 credits in film, television, and music videos, including another appearance as Detective Lopez in an untitled spinoff for "The Rookie" that has yet to be aired (per her IMDb page). Several of her appearances in media have been for extended televised runs, so she's been in the spotlight for quite some time now.
Here are a few of the highlights that span Alyssa Diaz's' decades-long career.
Alyssa Diaz's first major appearance is as an aspiring singer in As The World Turns
It's no exaggeration to say that CBS's "As The World Turns" is one of the longest-running American programs of all time. The first episode aired in April 1956, and it continued to air new content for 54 consecutive years, with the final episode airing in September 2010 (via SoapsInDepth.com). The series, in brief, is the brainchild of Irna Phillips, who also created "Guiding Light," and broadly follows the experiences of the Hughes family. While, yes, the series is functionally a soap opera, Phillip's intentions were aimed toward realistic character development for working professionals (via WeLoveSoaps.com).
Alyssa Diaz portrayed Celia Ortega, an aspiring, but unsuccessful, singer. Ortega functions as a potential romantic interest for Casey Hughes (Zach Roerig) for a brief time, until she discovers that he's the father of her friend's, Gwen Norbeck (Jennifer Landon), unborn child. Diaz's character featured in 59 episodes in 2005, with her departure being framed as the wish to assist her mother in her restaurant in Montega.
Alyssa Diaz is a lonely soul in Army Wives
Based on the nonfiction book "Under the Sabers: The Unwritten Code of Army Wives," by Tanya Biank, ABC's 2007 serial drama "Army Wives" follows a group of army wives coping with the hardships and loneliness of having an enlisted spouse (via DailyPress). Though based on factual events, the ABC production differs drastically from the source material, branching heavily into the realm of fiction.
Alyssa Diaz portrayed Gloria Cruz in the later seasons of "Army Wives" which aired in 2012 and 2013. Cruz works at Roxy's HUMP Bar and was married to Hector Cruz (Joseph Julian Soria) until their eventual divorce in Season 7. In an interview with TalkNerdyToUs, Diaz admitted that she had no idea that the character would stick the way it did, or that her character would become so integral for the shifting dynamics between seasons six and seven. She went on to say that even she doesn't know how Cruz's story ends because there were still things she wanted to explore, if "Army Wives" were to get another season.
Alyssa Diaz is an army brat in Zoo
Based on James Patterson's novel of the same name, CBS' 2015 science-fiction drama "Zoo" follows a group of professionals attempting to solve the mystery as to why animals have become tactically violent towards humans across the globe. The series, which stars James Wolk, Kristen Connolly, Nonso Anozie, and Billy Burke, aired for three seasons, ending in 2017. Diaz's character appeared for the second and third seasons of "Zoo," which aired in 2016 and 2017.
Alyssa Diaz portrays Dariela Marzan/Kenyatta (she marries Abraham, Anozie's character), an ambitious army brat who joined the moment she turned 18. She rises through the ranks quickly and is an amazing soldier in the war against mutated animals. Marzan/Kenyatta is also one of the last mothers on earth before the human race is forcefully sterilized by a terrorist group called The Shepherds as part of the process to eliminate the mutated creatures assaulting humanity.
Much like Diaz' struggle with the ending "Army Wives," it is unlikely that her role in "Zoo" will ever receive a proper send off, since CBS cancelled the show in 2017 (via Variety).
Alyssa Diaz wrestles with depression in Ray Donovan
Showtime's 2013 crime drama, "Ray Donovan," follows professional "fixer" Ray Donovan (Liev Schreiber) as he takes care of business for his celebrity clients, business that usually involves less than savory actions and less than savory people. Donovan deals with another layer of struggles because his father, Mickey Donovan (Jon Voight) is released from prison and reenters his life. The series, which ended after seven seasons and a movie that was released in January 2022, was primarily in Los Angeles, California for the first five seasons, but made a switch to New York City, New York for the final sprint.
Alyssa Diaz portrays Teresa, a confident, powerful luchador and the wife of Bunchy Donovan (Dash Mihok). Her character's arc involves a bout of postpartum depression, as well as mental health concerns that run deeper than anticipated. Diaz's Teresa prominently appears in seasons three, four, and five, for a single episode in six, and for the movie (which wrapped up the story in full).
Alyssa Diaz is a widow in Narcos: Mexico
Netflix's 2018 crime drama, "Narcos: Mexico," was originally developed as the fourth season of their 2015 series "Narcos," but was ultimately slated to air as a companion project instead. Where the progenitor focuses on the creation of the Columbian drug trade, the newer production exclusively focuses on the expansion of the Mexican drug trade. The story follows Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo (Diego Luna) as he unifies the drug empires to form the Guadalajara Cartel. In the first season, DEA agent Kiki Camarena (Michael Peña) brings his family from California to Guadalajara while he attempts to take down the cartel. It doesn't work out for him, and he leaves a widow and two children behind.
Alyssa Diaz portrays Mika Camarena, Kiki's wife. Diaz's role balances paternal and spousal love with the knowledge that danger looms over every corner, so long as they live in the shadow of the cartel. Although her character's future is not depicted in the show, the real human that she was based on funneled her grief into activism, and she became well known as an anti-drug speaker in the 1980s America.