

A Dominican-American actress and singer who turned her role as Flaca on 'Orange Is the New Black' into a platform for authentic Latina representation.
Jackie Cruz's road to acting was unconventional. A severe car accident in her teens, which required a lengthy recovery, shifted her focus from modeling to performing. She landed small roles in film and television before her breakthrough as Marisol 'Flaca' Gonzales on Netflix's groundbreaking series 'Orange Is the New Black'. Over seven seasons, she developed Flaca from a background inmate into a fan-favorite character with depth, humor, and a musical soul. Off-screen, Cruz is a vocal advocate for Latino representation in Hollywood and a musician, releasing music that blends pop with Latin influences. Her career embodies a drive to create opportunities and tell stories that reflect her own heritage and experiences.
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Jackie was born in 1986, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
The biggest hits of 1986
#1 Movie
Top Gun
Best Picture
Platoon
#1 TV Show
The Cosby Show
The world at every milestone
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Euro currency enters circulation
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
She was discovered by a modeling agent while shopping at a flea market in Los Angeles at age 15.
She taught herself to play guitar during her recovery from a near-fatal car accident.
She is a dual citizen of the United States and the Dominican Republic.
She has a tattoo of the word 'Flaca' on her wrist, in tribute to her character.
“I fought my way back to walk, then to act.”