Liza Colón-Zayas was taught that leading ladies have to be ‘tall and bony and blond and perfect.’ Her Emmy for ‘The Bear’ says otherwise.

Liza Colón-Zayas spent decades carving out her place in an industry that doesn’t often make space for women who look like her. At 53, the Bronx native is stealing scenes in The Bear and earning awards — all while reshaping the definition of a leading lady.

The Afro-Latina actress brings equal parts heart and grit to the role of Tina Marrero, a line cook in Carmy’s kitchen at the restaurant at the center of the FX series, now four seasons strong. Colón-Zayas recently earned her second Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series after becoming the first Latina to win the award in 2024 — and besting legends Meryl Streep and Carol Burnett to boot.

The fact that this career breakthrough is happening in her 50s isn’t lost on her, nor is the reality that she doesn’t fit the typical mold of what Hollywood has long deemed marketable. And yet, here she is blazing her own path, embracing the moment and staying true to the “Bronx girl” she’s always been.

“Showing up on set of The Bear is living the dream,” she tells me during our conversation for Yahoo’s Unapologetically series.

Looking back, Colón-Zayas wishes she had been kinder to herself during times when she didn’t reach the professional milestones she’d hoped for, even as she steadily worked as an actress for over 30 years.

“You do this thing where you’re like, Oh, if you’re not this by 30 [then you aren’t enough]. In hindsight, I think: Wow, I was still a kid,” she says. “Then you get past 50, and you don’t give a damn.”

That’s not entirely true — Colón-Zayas views herself as a “work in progress” and is committed to “not [being] afraid of not being good at things.” It’s with that spirit that she’s forging ahead in Hollywood, embracing her journey as a latecomer who’s armed with knowledge and experience and resisting pressure to change herself.

You received over 1,000 rejections for TV and film roles before The Bear. What helped you to keep believing in yourself?

[Acting is] my passion. I knew I had something. And I have guardian angels who would remind me [along the way, which] kept me going.

You didn’t have a moment where you thought: I’m done.

No, no. I had to alter the fantasy of what it was going to look like. But I knew I had something. I knew I could channel something. [Besides,] I didn’t have any other skills. … I wasn’t good at business or math, so I had to make this work. [In between jobs] I did a lot of temping. [Then] I became a teaching artist, and with that, I was able to fulfill reaching people and using my acting skills. That kept me going.

You’ve said you don’t look like a leading lady. What does one look like to you, and do you think the idea of the leading lady has shifted at all?

Yes, it has shifted — but not enough. For me growing up, there really wasn’t anybody [onscreen] who looked like me — probably well into the 2000s. And I don’t know that I am a leading lady. To me, a leading lady was like: You’re tall and bony and blond and perfect — and I just didn’t see that. So I love not being a leading lady, actually. I like the character roles. They’re juicier [and] far more interesting. I like messy. And now I’m getting these accolades and these trophies. It’s not only about that — that’s outside of my control — but people are paying attention [which is] necessary. People feel seen when they see me.

Have you felt pressure to change yourself to fit Hollywood’s long-standing ideals?

I always feel pressured to fit into a Hollywood mold, to be thinner. … Thankfully, I’m at an age that I can recognize the value of being a Bronx girl and embracing myself. That real art — the great writers and directors are looking for that. But I still struggle with it, I’m not gonna lie.

As a Bronx girl, what are you unapologetic about?

So many things. I am unapologetic about being tough and sometimes wilding out if I have to. It’s survival. I’m not always demure.

I was reading a profile on you in the New York Times, and it started with you opening the window of your Bronx home and yelling “Shut up” down to the noisy people on the street below.

I am trying to work on not being so reactionary, but if I get to that point, then I can’t apologize for it. Clearly, you brought it upon yourself [laughs].

In talking about Tina’s career path to Carmy’s kitchen, you said that “ageism is real.” What would you say to people who feel like the world wants them to disappear at a certain age?

I was going to drop an F-bomb, but I won’t because I’m working on these things [laughs]. But: No. Too bad. Deal with it. It’s insane how we as a society want to discard all of this experience and wisdom and value. I had somebody walk up to me the other day and say, “You should do fillers.” It was somebody I know, [but] not well. I thought, How sad for you that you have to say that to me. … Why would you need to try to put that in my head? Who hurt you? It’s not like it isn’t already in my head, but, you know, I don’t want Mar-a-Lago face. I want to look like me. It doesn’t mean we can’t take care of ourselves. But it’s because I want to, not because I feel unlovable.

I feel it’s getting harder to resist the filler-obsessed world we’re in.

It’s not to put down anyone who does. Listen, I dabble in things. But I would never tell anybody that, especially women [after] all of the pain that that has caused me [experiencing] looksism and ageism. And as I see how it backfires and it’s like, Oh no, honey. I don’t think that it’s doing what you wanted it to do. I feel like [ageism] is real, but the only way to combat it is to dig deeper into loving and embracing ourselves.

Tina often wears a basic, no-nonsense uniform. How does stepping onto a red carpet in full glam feel in contrast to that?

The truth is, it can take its toll. I appreciate being celebrated and dressing up, and being appreciated by designers. But it’s tough because I still have to rewire my brain because I don’t fit a certain formula that I grew up with. So it’s difficult for me to feel really comfortable in that lens. Plus, heels suck.

You’ve appeared with your husband, David Zayas, in The Bear and on his show Dexter. What’s it like to go to set with your real-life partner, and has the way you’ve worked together changed over the years?

We’ve acted together for decades. We started out in the same theater company — that’s how we met — so acting opposite him is the most natural thing. He’s just so grounded. He’s always supportive and encouraging me and trying to alleviate my doubts. And he’s just so good at what he does. It’s a joy. I love working with him. He absolutely, 1,000% is the best.

You mentioned your grandchildren in your Emmy speech. What’s that part of your life like?

Oh, [my granddaughter and grandson] are amazing. My granddaughter is officially taller than me. She’s 11 going on 40. Every time she visits, she would want to stand next to me and see how much [taller she had gotten]. And then … boom. I was like, “You happy now?” [Laughs] They’re both so smart, and they’re good kids, and they enjoy hanging out with the grandpapi and the grandma. We have fun.

There’s wisdom that gets passed down between generations. What’s a lesson that you learned from your mother, who recently turned 87?

To always look on the bright side. To just try to be joyful. Man, she’s had a rough life and she doesn’t sink into it. She always just wants to laugh and be encouraging and not let negativity affect her. I need to lean into that a whole lot more.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.