Diana-maria Riva
Biography
Biography
To call Diana-Maria Riva a successful working actor would be quite an understatement, considering the width and breadth of her TV and film work. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1969, Riva described her youth as being impacted by the strong Latina women in her family who encouraged her to follow her dream. Studying acting at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, she eventually earned her MFA in Theater Performance in 1995. The following year, Riva moved to California in order to reprise a role she'd been performing in Michael Weller's "Help!" with the Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati when the production opened in Los Angeles. She simultaneously began pursuing a career on screen, and was off and running with a recurring role on the short-lived series "Common Law" (ABC, 1996) a few months later. Next came a recurring role on "Murder One" (ABC, 1995-97), the first of several collaborations with show creator Steven Bochco. She would co-star on shows like "Philly" (ABC, 2001-02), "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" (NBC, 2006-07), and "The Good Guys" (Fox, 2010), in addition to supporting character roles in movies like "What Women Want" (2000) and "17 Again" (2009). In 2015, Riva starred alongside Eva Longoria as a sardonic wardrobe supervisor on the behind-the-scenes sitcom "Telenovela" (NBC, 2015-16). The following year, she joined "Friends" (NBC, 1994-2004) alum Matt LeBlanc on the sitcom "Man with a Plan" (CBS, 2016-), playing a no-nonsense kindergarten teacher who battles with LeBlanc in his new role as a stay-at-home dad.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Life Events
1996
Was cast on the series "Common Law."
1997
Played the recurring character of Ms. Aguilera on the series "Murder One."
2000
Played Stella in the Mel Gibson comedy "What Women Want."
2005
Played the recurring role of Edie Ortega on "The West Wing."
2006
Co-starred on the series "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip."
2010
Co-starred on the comedy series "The Good Guys."
2013
Played the recurring role of Kitty Conchas on FX drama series "The Bridge."
2015
Began co-starring on NBC comedy series "Telenovela."
2016
Starred alongside Matt LeBlanc on CBS comedy series "Man with a Plan."
