Actress Elizabeth Peña has died of natural causes after a brief illness , her manager told CNN . She was 55 . Peña passed away Tuesday , Gina Rugolo said in a statement . Among her many roles , Peña is known for appearing as the mother of a character played by Sofia Vergara in the ABC sitcom `` Modern Family . '' She 's played on both the big and small screens during her more than three-decade career . She also tried her hand at directing , becoming only the fourth Latina member of the Director 's Guild of America when she joined , the statement said . Other career highlights include roles in `` Down and Out in Beverly Hills , '' `` La Bamba , '' `` Rush Hour , '' and `` The Incredibles . '' Most recently , Peña appeared in the TV drama `` Matador . '' `` I am stunned and heartbroken , just found out about the passing of my friend Elizabeth Peña . She was such a Life Force it 's hard to believe , '' tweeted actor Lou Diamond Phillips , who starred in `` La Bamba . '' `` Elizabeth was not only an amazing actress , she was one of the most vibrant , wonderful people I have ever known . My prayers to her family , '' he said . Peña was born in Elizabeth , New Jersey , and she graduated from New York 's High School of Performing Arts in 1977 . She is survived by her mother , a sister , her husband , and two children . People we 've lost in 2014 .
` ` I am stunned and heartbroken , '' tweets singer Lou Diamond Phillips . Elizabeth Taylor died Tuesday of natural causes after a brief illness , her manager says . She is known for appearing as Sofia Vergara 's mother in the ABC television ` ` Modern Family '' Peña is survived by her mother , a sister , her husband and two children .