Lauren Vélez, born Luna Lauren Vélez on November 2, 1964, in Brooklyn, New York, is an American actress known for her versatile roles in television and film. She is the identical twin sister of actress Lorraine Vélez and has a large family with five other sisters and one brother.

Her father, José Vélez, was a New York City Police Department officer, and her mother, Socorro Vélez, moved the family to Far Rockaway, Queens, where Lauren spent her childhood.

Lauren Vélez and her twin sister were passionate about acting from a young age, often staging improvised plays for their family and participating in high school drama productions.

Her career began with a scholarship to the Alvin Ailey Dance School after graduating from Beach Channel High School in 1982. She later studied acting at The Acting Studio in New York and the Michael Howard Studio, where she learned Shakespeare.

Her first major role came in the national touring company of the musical "Dreamgirls," and she later understudied Phylicia Rashad in "Into the Woods" on Broadway. She made her film debut in 1994 as Lisette Linares in the movie "I Like It Like That," which earned her critical acclaim and several award nominations.

In television, Lauren Vélez is best known for her roles as Detective Nina Moreno in "New York Undercover," Dr. Gloria Nathan in "Oz," and police lieutenant María LaGuerta in "Dexter."

She also appeared in the comedy-drama "Ugly Betty" as Elena and lent her voice to the character Rio Morales in "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" and its sequel. Her filmography includes roles in "City Hall" with Al Pacino, "I Think I Do," and "Serial," for which she won the Best Supporting Actress award at the Long Island International Film Expo in 2006.

Her personal life includes a marriage to personal trainer Mark Gordon, which lasted from 1993 until their divorce in 2015.