Which American actor played Magdalena in the 2006 film Quinceañera?

Emily Rios played Magdalena in the 2006 film Quinceañera.

Magdalena is the film’s central teenager, preparing for her fifteenth-birthday celebration while dealing with family tensions and a rapidly changing personal situation. Rios’s performance anchors the story as it moves between the expectations surrounding the celebration and the realities confronting the character.

Quinceañera was directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award. The film is set in Los Angeles and explores a particular Mexican American community rather than presenting a universal rulebook for quinceañeras.

Emily Rios later became known for television work, including roles in The Bridge and Breaking Bad. Identifying her as Magdalena distinguishes the 2006 film from the separate 1987 Mexican telenovela also titled Quinceañera.