Lina Esco | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1985-05-14)May 14, 1985 (age 39) |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, activist, producer, director, model |
| Years active | 2003–present |
Lina Esco (born May 14, 1985)[1] is an American actress, producer, director and activist. She gained recognition in 2007 for portrayingJimmy Smits' character's daughter in theCBS television dramaCane. Esco has also performed in films, includingLondon (2005),Kingshighway (2010),LOL (2012),[2] andFree the Nipple (2014). She is also known for portraying SWAT officer Christina "Chris" Alonso inS.W.A.T.
Esco was cast in her first television guest star role in 2006, as Angie Watson in seriesCSI: NY. In March, 2007 Esco joined the cast of the CBS dramaCane. In 2009, she guest starred in an episode of theDrop Dead Diva series withPaula Abdul. Esco played a lingerie model who had been fired for going public about her breast cancer survival story.
In February 2011, Esco was slated to join the cast of Fox'spilotExit Strategy. Described as a high octane procedural set in the world of CIA agents who are sent in to "fix" operations gone bad. The cast includedEthan Hawke,Megan Dodds and withAntoine Fuqua directing.[3] Esco was to play Mia, an MIT graduate and computer expert from South Boston.[4] In 2014, Esco was cast inRyan Murphy's pilot forHBO alongsideMichelle Monaghan,Wes Bentley,Scott Speedman, andJennifer Jason Leigh.
Esco's film debut was in 2005 withLondon. She played a supporting character in the 2012 comedyLOL.
Esco acted on "S.W.A.T." since its first season in 2017. She played Officer Christina "Chris" Alonso.[5] Following the show's season five finale, Esco confirmed she was leaving the series to pursue other projects.[6]
In April 2010, Esco produced "My Friend is...", apublic service announcement for theAcademy Award-winning documentaryThe Cove alongside Oscar-winning producerFisher Stevens joined forces with a number celebrities to bring awareness on the annual killing of dolphins inTaiji,Japan.[7]
She directed "Kids Speak Out Against Dolphin Captivity", a 2012 public service announcement forThe Cove'.[8]She directedFree the Nipple in a bid to circumvent female nipple censorship.[9][10]
She directed and starred inFree the Nipple, which was released in select theaters,video on demand and oniTunes on December 12, 2014.[9][10]
Esco has been showcased in various commercial, music videos, magazines and publications. In 2001, she was featured in theSinéad O'Connor music video "Jealous". She appears briefly inMoby's music video for "Southside" featuringGwen Stefani. She was also an extra for a series ofAxe commercials one including withNick Lachey for the "Clix" campaign in 2007. Esco also features in Halos's music video for "Amalgam" in 2010.
On January 12, 2011, it was reported that Lina would be showcased on theLouis Vuitton's jewelry collection for the Spring/Summer 2011. The campaign featured sixteen "It" girls from around the globe that includedAlexandra Richards, Annabelle Dexter Jones, Mary Charteris, Alka Balbir, Mohini Geisweiller, DJette Clara 3000, Charlotte Lebon,Hailey Gates, Nathalie Love and Rinko Kikuchi.[11]
On May 16, 2011, Esco was featured inKetel One ad campaign "Gentlemen, This is Vodka." directed by Academy Award Nominee,David O. Russell.[12]
Esco is in a 2013 NFL Women's Apparel Collection TV advertisement.[13]
In 2017, Esco was featured on theAudience network'sMidnight Snack on Fullscreen (What's Underneath),[14] where the guests remove their clothing on camera while talking about their life.
Esco has supported many foundations and organizations throughout her career.
Esco has been very involved in two organizations. Dolphin Project, which has gained much support from many celebrities, is an organization led byRichard O'Barry and aims to prevent dolphin slaughter and exploitation from occurring.[15] On September 9, 2009, Esco held a private screening ofThe Cove in New York, alongside Russell Simmons and Fisher Stevens hosting the event to bring awareness on the film.[16]
Esco may be best known for how involved she is inwomen's rights and theFree the Nipple campaign. The organization, as Esco states, is to promote sexual equality.Free the Nipple has attracted attention from numerous celebrities including Courtney Love and Miley Cyrus,[17] who also has a song on the soundtrack of the Free the Nipple movie[18] and continues to strongly support the organization.
In December 2018, Esco began campaigning for overturningCyntoia Brown's murder conviction.[19]
Esco has been outspoken in advocating againstsexual harassment (including recounting her own byHarvey Weinstein) and publicly calls on US states to pass theEqual Rights Amendment, which supporters claim would enshrinegender equality in the US's Constitution.[20]
Esco is ofColombian descent.[21] In 2017 she statedHarvey Weinstein had sexually harassed her, and that this had not been her only experience of sexual harassment.[22] She has also spoken of being raped twice, while discussing theMe Too movement.[23]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | London | Kelly | |
| 2008 | The Evening Journey | Marla | Short |
| 2010 | Kingshighway | Lena Capriolini | |
| 2010 | Where the Road Meets the Sun | Natasha | |
| 2012 | LOL | Janice | |
| 2011 | Low Fidelity | TBA | |
| 2014 | Free the Nipple | With | formerlyGirlrillaz, also as director & writer |
| 2016 | Fairy Dust | Lorna | |
| 2021 | Doors | Becky | Knockers segment |
| 2025 | RIP† | Captain Jackie Velez | Post-production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | CSI: NY | Angie Watson | "Live or Let Die" (Season 2, Episode 18) |
| 2007 | Cane | Katie Vega | 13 episodes |
| 2008 | Heroes: Destiny | Elisa | 4 episodes |
| 2009 | Drop Dead Diva | Lina Martinez | "Grayson Anatomy" (Season 1, Episode 13) |
| 2009 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Angela Paulson | "Death and Maiden" (Season 10, Episode 6) |
| 2011 | Exit Strategy | Mia | Pilot |
| 2016 | Flaked | Kara | 7 episodes |
| 2016 | Kingdom | Ava Flores | 8 episodes |
| 2017–2022 | S.W.A.T. | Christina "Chris" Alonso | Main role |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Free the Nipple | formerlyGirlrillaz, also as actor, director and producer |
Todays Birthdays: [...] Actor Amber Tamblyn, 40. Facebook co-founder, Mark Zuckerberg, 39. Actor Lina Esco, 38.See also:
Today's Birthdays: [...] Actress Amber Tamblyn is 40. Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg is 38. Actress Lina Esco is 33.
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
