New York State of Mind: 20 Latino Celebs with Big Apple Roots!

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Judy Reyes, Born & Raised in The Bronx

Judy Reyes, best known for her role on Scrubs, had daily flashbacks when working on the indie drama Gun Hill Road. Set in The Bronx, the film’s title refers to the real street that intersects Bainbridge Avenue, the street the Dominican-American actress grew up on. “I’m so familiar with the hood it’s not even funny,” said Reyes in an interview with Smashing Interviews. “Driving into that neighborhood every day, I would pass the local church where I grew up on my way to location, so it brought back very fond memories.” Reyes, who’ll next star in Lifetime’s Devious Maids, added, “Going back there and shooting actually really did a lot of the character work for us. It created that certain swagger, you know? It’s the body language … kind of gets you going in that direction.”