The romantic comedy-drama Jane the Virgin, which debuted on the CW on October 14, 2014, immediately stood apart from the rest of the network’s offerings. The critically praised romance, which was created by Jennie Snyder Urman, deftly employs the telenovela genre as a framing mechanism for a story that would otherwise be completely insane.
Gina Rodriguez plays Jane Villanueva in Jane the Virgin, a story about a 23-year-old virgin who gets pregnant after accidentally being artificially inseminated. The wealthy and charismatic Rafael Solano (Justin Baldoni), a cancer survivor and former playboy, is the owner of the sample. Naturally, Jane’s engagement to Miami police officer Michael Cordero is jeopardised by this bizarre turn of events (Brett Dier). The satirical drama is full of unexpected turns, from crazy murder mysteries to secret twins to unexpectedly well-executed love triangles (Narrator voice: I know! It sounds like something out of a telenovela.
But at its core, Jane the Virgin is a lovely, touching tale that never once actually makes fun of her soap opera origins but rather embraces them. The most significant relationship in the film is between Jane, her mother “Xo” (Andrea Navedo), and her abuela Alba (Ivonne Coll). These three Latina women from different generations support one another wholeheartedly as they each go out on their own individual paths to love and happiness.
Here is a comprehensive guide to the cast and characters of Jane the Virgin in case you’re wondering who played whom in the CW telenovela (and what they’re up to these days).
Andrea Navedo (Xiomara “Xo” Villanueva)
Jane’s outgoing mother Xiomara, also known as “Xo,” who gave birth to Jane when she was just 16 years old, is played by Andrea Navedo. Xo, a dance instructor who aspires to be a singer, frequently disagrees with her mother Alba (Ivonne Coll), a devout and vocal supporter of deferring sex until marriage.
Since Jane the Virgin, Navedo has appeared as a guest star on a number of programmes, including The Good Fight, an original Paramount Plus production, and Mrs. America, a drama miniseries. She will co-star in the comedy Smile or Hug, which is being made by fellow Jane the Virgin alum Justin Baldoni, for her forthcoming project.
Brett Dier (Michael Cordero)
As Jane’s beloved Michael Cordero, played by fan favourite Brett Dier, he is trying his hardest to understand how his virgin girlfriend is expecting a child with an unsettlingly attractive, wealthy hotelier. The love tale of Michael and Jane is one that will endure forever (I’ll admit that my family is firmly on Team Michael).
Following his appearance in Jane the Virgin, Dier played C.B. in the ABC television series Schooled, a 1990s-set spinoff of The Goldbergs. Alongside actors like Sebastian Stan and Daisy Edgar-Jones, he will appear in the upcoming social thriller Fresh. He also appeared in the sci-fi drama After Yang from 2021.
Gina Rodriguez (Jane Villanueva)
When Gina Rodriquez won the 2015 Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy for her portrayal of Jane Villanueva, she created history. Therefore, it should not be surprising that Rodriguez has been quite busy since wrapping up her highly praised performance as Jane. In addition to acting, producing, and directing, Rodriguez has worked on a variety of projects. Most recently, she appeared in and produced the Disney + comedy-drama series Diary of a Future President. With notable roles like her recurrent position as Gina Alvarez on Netflix’s Big Mouth and her lead role as Carmen Sandiego in the Netflix animated series of the same name, she has also delved into voice acting.
She is working on various films in addition to her regular television assignments. 2019 saw her in three films: Miss Bala, Someone Great, and Andy’s Song, a short. She next portrayed Velma in the 2020 animated film Scoob! and acted in the science fiction picture Awake, both of which were Netflix originals.
I Want You Back, a new cartoon series, Lost Ollie, and a film version of Carmen Sandiego are some of her planned projects.
Ivonne Coll (Alba Villanueva)
Jane’s grandma and Xo’s mother, Alba Villanueva, is portrayed by Ivonne Coll. Even though Alba is a very loving and protective matriarch, not everything is always simple. As a result of Xo giving birth to Jane while she was only a teenager, Alba teaches Jane from a young age that having sex before marriage is a serious sin.
Since her tenure as the matriarch of the Villanueva family, Coll has appeared as Sister Angelica in a guest appearance on the hit drama Lucifer and as the main character in the Disney Junior TV show Fancy Nancy. Coll will be switching from her role in front of the camera to one that is more behind the scenes in an upcoming project called Calle de la Resistencia, a historical musical drama that examines the struggle of Puerto Rican people. Like some of her other Jane the Virgin co-stars, Coll will also be doing this.
Jaime Camil (Rogelio de la Vega)
Rogelio de la Vega, a charming but narcissistic soap actor who recently learned that his daughter, Jane, existed, is portrayed by Jaime Camil. Jane has been content with her maternal family structure up until this point, but Rogelio is desperate to get to know her. The colour lavender is a favourite of Rogelio’s among the audience.
Camil went on to perform voice acting and live action roles after playing the scene-stealing Rogelio. BoJack Horseman on Netflix as well as other Disney animated series like The Lion Guard, Elena of Avalor, and Ducktales have featured him in recurring roles. He co-starred with Javier in the CBS comedy series Broke in 2020. He currently co-stars with Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily Strong in the Apple TV+ original sitcom Schmigadoon! as Doc Lopez. His next projects include appearances in the comedy series Guerrillas and the criminal drama feature Kimi.
Jenna Ortega (Young Jane)
The show frequently cuts back to a young Jane, who is portrayed by Jenna Ortega. The youngest Jane the Virgin alum on this list, Ortega began acting as a young child in the spooky horror movie Insidious: Chapter 2. However, it was her part as a young Jane Villanueva that first made her famous. She most recently had a significant role in the second season of the well-known Netflix thriller You. She is now Brooklyn on the Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous Netflix animated series, and she is also working on a number of other projects. She will play Tara Carpenter in the upcoming Scream movie, which is scheduled to be released in 2022. Additionally, it was revealed in May 2021 that Ortega would star as the eponymous Wednesday Addams in Tim Burton’s live-action family Netflix comedy Wednesday.
Ortega is renowned for her social media activism, where she uses her platform to advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community, immigration, and other causes. She wrote It’s All Love: Reflections for Your Heart and Soul, a self-help book, as a result of her social involvement, and it was published in January 2021.
Justin Baldoni (Rafael Solano)
Rafael Solano, the father of Jane’s kid, is portrayed by Justin Baldoni. He is already wed to the cunning Petra Solano (Yael Grobglas) at the start of the series, who intended to use Rafael’s last sperm sample to trick him into staying with her (She will surprisingly grow on you, we promise). Rafael and Jane fall in love as the series goes on because, well, this is a telenovela. Although their love story is swoon-worthy, it is not without many, and we do mean many, challenges.
Baldoni has now largely made the switch from being in front of the camera to working behind it as a producer and director. The love film Five Feet Apart, which Baldoni directed in 2019, is reminiscent of The Fault in Our Stars. Baldoni is a co-founder of Wayfarer Studios and the Wayfarer Foundation. He then directed the poignant Disney+ original musical drama Clouds in 2020, which was inspired by the true story of seventeen-year-old musical prodigy Zach Sobiech, who was given the prognosis of terminal cancer. Baldoni is currently producing additional projects in addition to co-hosting The Man Enough Podcast.
Yael Grobglas (Petra Solano)
Petra Solano, played by Yael Grobglas, is the epitome of a schemer and plotter wife of a wealthy husband at the beginning of Season 1. She is married to Rafael, who she supported through a harrowing rehabilitation process after he was given a cancer diagnosis. Rafael has, happily, entered remission, but it is obvious that he and Petra are no longer close. Rafael is being coerced and cheat on by Petra, who is determined to keep him. When… well, you can probably guess what happens next, her plan is to become pregnant with Rafael’s final sperm sample.
In addition to her work on Jane the Virgin, Grobglas also had recurring roles on the CW’s Supergirl and the historical fantasy series Reign. She appeared in the TV drama movie An Interview With God as well. She will have a part in The Selection, a historical fantasy TV movie that will air the following year.
Yara Martinez (Dr. Luisa Alver)
Rafael’s neurotic elder sister, Dr. Luisa Alver, is portrayed by Yara Martinez as she battles an alcohol addiction as well as an obsession to her stepmother Rose, whom she loves (Bridget Regan). The medical professional who artificially inseminated Jane and caused the tumultuous family drama is Luisa.
Martinez most recently appeared in both a major part on the NBC drama This Is Us and a cameo role on the Amazon original series The Tick. She has had recurring roles on the HBO crime drama series True Detective, the courtroom drama series Bull, the contemporary western series Deputy, and the series Deputy. She will appear in the new comedy flick Good Egg on October 10, 2021.
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