April Lee Hernandez
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| April Lee Hernandez | |
| Born | January 31, 1980 The Bronx |
| Notable roles | Freedom Writers (2007) |
April Lee Hernandez (born January 31, 1980)[1] is an American actress. She is known for her role in the 2007 drama Freedom Writers, in which she played Eva, based on real-life high school student Maria Reyes.[2] She has also been credited as "April L. Hernandez" and "April Hernandez".
Hernandez grew up near the Grand Concourse in The Bronx. She is Puerto Rican and has described herself as a "strong Latina".[1] Hernandez studied nutrition in Hunter College, but dropped out to pursue a comedy career after being inspired by John Leguizamo's off-Broadway production "Mambo Mouth".[1] Aside from performing stand-up comedy, she has also appeared in several commercials, as well as on the television series ER, Law & Order & 30 Rock.
Hernandez has said that she was "determined" to be cast in Freedom Writers.[1] She admires Jennifer Lopez, and has stated that Lopez "opened the door for me so that I don't have to take certain roles" as a Hispanic-American actress.[1] Hernandez has also started a production company, Teapuesto Entertainment, with actor Caspar Martinez.
