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 actor Lou Diamond Phillips . The actress is one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood after starring as a young woman who becomes pregnant with her first child on the hit TV series 'Sex And The City' from 1999 to She is known for appearing as Sofia Vergara 's mother in the ABC sitcom `` Modern Family '' Peña is survived by her mother , a sister , her husband and two children .