Vida Cast and Character Guide

A cast and character guide for the STARZ series Vida featuring who plays who, information about each character, and other noteworthy information about the show.

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Please Note: This content contains pertinent spoilers, descriptions are updated as new information is presented, images changed as better ones are captured, and this is not an exhaustive list of every cast member, guest star, or reoccurring role.

Vidalia “Vida” (Rose Portillo & Aalyiah Samara Lopez)

First Noted In – Season 1, Episode 1

Brief Description

Lyn and Emma’s mother, Eddy’s wife, who is talked about in different ways depending on who talks about her. Eddy talks about her almost like she is a saint, and Lyn lovingly speaks about her, for the most part, as well. Emma? Oh, because of her sending Emma away and all that happened after, she trashed Vida consistently. Yet, later on in the series, it seems she learns to love her despite her hypocrisy.

Additional Information About Vida

• 1.1: She dies of a brain hemorrhage.
• 1.6: The little girl can be considered the spirit of Vida.
• 2.3: Was born 11/7/1960 and died 11/4/2018

Associates

Monica (Karen Sours-Albisua) | Season 3/ Episode 5

Quotes

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Lyn (Melissa Barrera)

First Noted In – Season 1, Episode 1

Brief Description

Carefree, bohemian, and a bit flaky, depending on who you speak to, Lyn is always up for a good time and perhaps struggles with hardship. Which makes the relationships she gets in, like with Juniper (Jackson Davis) or even her past one with Johnny complicated. Either due to a sense of dependency or because of how difficult they are to maintain long term. But, after her mother’s death, and a few tongue lashings from Emma, she tries to step up in ways she wasn’t coerced to previously.

Additional Information About Lyn

• 1.1: Loves tacos
  • Was living in San Francisco
• 1.3: Had breast augmentation.
• 2.4: Did dance as a child
  • Says her mother told her to find a man as if that was her only way to survive.

Quotes

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Emma (Mishel Prada)

First Noted In – Season 1, Episode 1

Brief Description

Lyn’s older sister, who formerly worked in Chicago and had little to no contact with either Vida or Lyn who finds herself back in Los Angeles when her mother dies. Thus stirring up old feelings since she learns her mother was in a homosexual relationship. Something that is a bit of a shock to Emma since one of the reasons her mother and her didn’t get along is because she sent her away after one of Emma’s first intimate encounters with another girl.

Thus making Emma’s journey about not just reconciling with her dead mother and her legacy, but also her orientation. A topic she isn’t big on talking about, yet she still is very much into whatever and whoever can get her off.

Additional Information About Emma

• 1.3: Noted to usually avoid real relationships and prefers one night stands.
• 1.4: Vida sent her to live with her abuelita in South Texas after seeing her with a girl named Lucy at 11.
  • 1.5: Emma’s grandmother was not nice and was hard on Emma. She wouldn’t even let her cry.
• 2.3: Is nearly 30
  • Is not into public displays of affection
• 2.4: Was born around 1991
• 2.6: Don Fully might be her dad and, if he is, he was 20 years older than Vida when she conceived.
• 3.1: Isn’t into fairy tales.

Quotes

• 1.5: Scars are maps of who you are.
• 2.4: Running away builds character.

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Johnny (Carlos Miranda)

First Noted In – Season 1, Episode 1

Brief Description

A mechanic by trade who has had an up and down relationship with Lyn. One that has been on and off since they were teenagers and when she comes back around, he is trying to move on. He is with someone new, but since neither has really gotten closure, chapters of their relationship end on ellipses vs. periods.

Additional Information About Johnny

Quotes

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Marisol “Mari” (Chelsea Rendon)

First Noted In – Season 1, Episode 1

Brief Description

Johnny’s little sister, who is a local advocate for Chicanos and becomes a serious thorn in the side of Lyn and Emma. Though, in time, she and Emma grow close as Emma sees bits of herself in Mari. Particularly her hustle.

Additional Information About Mari

• 2.3: Often has multiple jobs, and at the point of season 2, episode 3, she works at the nursing home, a donut shop, and another place.
• 3.6: Gets a job freelancing at Charged.

Quotes

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Eddy (Ser Anzoategui)

First Noted In –  Season 1, Episode 1

Brief Description

Vida’s wife of two years who helped her run the bar into the ground.

Additional Information About Eddy

Quotes

[…] are you your country or are you your culture?
— Eddy (S3E6)

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Lupe (Elena Campbell-Martinez)

First Noted In – Season 1/ Episode 2

Brief Description

An aunty figure to Lyn who lives in Vida’s apartments and is a card reader.

Additional Information About Lupe

Quotes

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Tlaloc (Ramses Jimenez)

First Noted In – Season 1/ Episode 2

Brief Description

One of the “revolutionaries” who harass local businesses that are deemed as not doing enough for the community. Also, he becomes a love interest for Mari.

Additional Information About Tlaloc

Quotes

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Nelson (Luis Bordonada)

 

First Noted In – Season 1/ Episode 2

Brief Description

A local predatory loan shark who is perhaps the reason why Emma and Lyn have so many issues in the neighborhood. For with him being king of the coconuts, and handsy, he is all that locals hate.

Additional Information About Nelson

• 2.7: Is 34

Quotes

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Cruz (Maria-Elena Laas)

First Noted In – Season 1/ Episode 2

Brief Description

One of Emma’s first girlfriends who, similar to Johnny with Lyn, she has a complicated relationship with.

Additional Information About Cruz

• 2.2: Is a romantic

Quotes

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Karla (Erika Soto)

First Noted In – Season 1/ Episode 3

Brief Description

Johnny’s girlfriend who is pregnant with his child and makes the possibility of Lyn and Johnny reconnecting complicated.

Additional Information About Karla

Quotes

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Doña Tita (Renée Victor)

First Noted In – Season 1/ Episode 3

Brief Description

One of Eddy’s friends, who also becomes close to Emma and brings her some form of peace.

Additional Information About Dona Tita

Quotes

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Jackson (Anthony De La Torre) & Harper (Tru Collins)

First Noted In – Season 1/ Episode 4

Brief Description

Two rich people who invite Lyn to their mansion for a party which she has fun at, until it becomes clear that the life they give her access to won’t last forever.

Additional Information About Jackson and Harper

Quotes

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Aurora (Laura Patalano)

First Noted In – Season 1/ Episode 4

Brief Description

Harper and Jackson’s maid who cleans up all the shenanigans they get into and, when the party is over, is on the bus with Lyn. Which, in many ways, you can see as a turning point for her.

Additional Information About Aurora

Quotes

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George (Alex Klein)

First Noted In – Season 2, Episode 1 [Season Premiere]

Brief Description

Emma’s mentor in Chicago who advises against giving up her life in Chicago.

Additional Information About George

Quotes

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Baco Nava (Raúl Castillo)

First Noted In – Season 2, Episode 2

Brief Description

Baco is Emma’s repairman who is a friend of Rocky’s.

Additional Information About Baco

Quotes

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Yoli (Elizabeth De Razzo)

First Noted In – Season 2, Episode 2

Brief Description

Mari’s best friend who we learn, in the third season, is a DACA recipient.

Additional Information About Yoli

Quotes

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Rudy (Adrian Gonzalez)

First Noted In – Season 2, Episode 3

Brief Description

A councilman whose parents are natives of Mexico and becomes Lyn’s love interest.

Additional Information About Rudy

• 2.6: Liked to be pegged

Quotes

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Nicole “Nico” (Roberta Colindrez)

First Noted In – Season 2, Episode 3

Brief Description

A bartender, a veteran, and also one of the first women Emma comes to trust to the point of having a relationship.

Additional Information About Nico

• 2.5: Is Honduran and Argentinian
• 3.2: Has been to 17 countries and did one tour in Iraq.
• 3.5: Moved from Brooklyn, and the drama there, to focus on her writing.

Quotes

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Zoe (Cara Santana)

First Noted In – Season 2, Episode 9

Brief Description

Zoe is Nico’s ex whose home she lived in before getting with and committing to Emma.

Additional Information About Zoe

Quotes

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Victor (Jesse Borrego)

First Noted In – Season 3, Episode 4

Brief Description

Lyn and Emma’s father who was a piece of work when they were younger, and even was violent towards Vida. However, after being deported, and then returning to the area, he has remade himself into a man of God – with a church and everything.

Additional Information About Victor

• 3.4: Was born 11/7/1958
  • Vida reported him for domestic abuse on 10/9/1999 when Victor was 41

Quotes

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Marcos (Tona Tiuh)

First Noted In – Season 1

Brief Description

One of Lyn’s best friends who is queer, highly educated, and love being amongst the validating members of their community.

Additional Information About Marcos

• 3.3: Has a PhD and is going to be 30 soon.

Quotes

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Silvia (Lidia Porto)

First Noted In – Season 3, Episode 4

Brief Description

Rudy’s mother who is a influential woman in Mexico.

Additional Information About Silvia

• 3.5: Had two miscarriages before having Rudy

Quotes

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General Information

Network		STARZ
Creator(s)	Tanya Saracho
First Aired	5/6/2018

Groups & Organizations

Vigilantes de Los Angeles

The punk ass protest group Mari is part of.

Notable Locations

Vida’s

The bar Lyn and Emma run together throughout the series.

Boyle Heights, Los Angeles

Where this show takes place.

Lincoln Heights

Where Victor’s church is.

Terms To Know

• Coconut: A slur saying that someone is skin folk, meaning Brown on the outside, but isn’t kinfolk since they operate like a white person with no love for the Brown community.

Other Noteworthy Information

• 2.6: Only two weeks passed since the season premiere.

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