Get the 411 on Isabel Arraiza from the first episode of Accused Season 2.
Accused, which airs on Fox, takes a pretty unique approach to the courtroom drama genre. It’s an anthology series that centers around a new case and new characters every week, as the details of the wrongdoing that the defendant committed are doled out through flashbacks.
The cast of Accused Season 2 features some big names like Willaim H. Macy and Debra Winger.
Isabel Arraiza - Biography Details
Isabel Arraiza Grew up in Puerto Rico
34-year-old Izabel (born August 2, 1990) was raised in a very small town in Puerto Rico called Vega Baja. According to the actress, “nothing happens” in Vega Baja, but it is also the hometown of musician and one-time El Muerto star Bad Bunny. Arraiza was quick to point this out during an interview with Latin Times:
"I grew up in a very small town in Puerto Rico. Vega Baja is a tiny town in the north of the island, where nothing happens. Well, except Bad Bunny. I don't think I ever met him, but I lived 15 minutes away from his home."
She also mentioned that “it would be a dream” to collaborate with Bad Bunny, and would serve as a powerful message for the children in her hometown:
"It would be a dream to do something together, or at least share a moment. It would be powerful for the children of Vega Baja. Sí se puede, mi gente. That's the message."
Isabel Graduated From Juilliard
Arraiza is a graduate of the very prestigious and highly-regarded Julliard in New York City, which serves as the crème de la crème of American performing arts schools.
Arraiza admitted to People that she hasn’t been hurting for work since completing her training:
“It's a good problem to have, to go from project to project. I have a really cool trajectory that I'm super thankful for. I'm still learning as I go.”
She originally left Puerto Rico to pursue acting, but she keeps her homeland near and dear to her heart, noting that she goes “back every year” to Vega Baja:
“I go back every year. I'm extremely proud of being puertorriqueña and representing our people by doing good work, and hopefully inspiring other people to be able to know that we can partake in the conversation now in the industry in a more diverse and real way, not playing the stereotypical roles.”
Isabel Arraiza is in extremely good company as a Julliard graduate. Notable alumni include Robin Williams, Glenn Howerton, Bebe Neuwirth, and Captain America himself, Anthony Mackie.
Isabel Went to School With the Creator of Outer Range
During her time at Julliard, one of Arraiza’s classmates was Brian Watkins, creator of the series that she would eventually star in Outer Range. She discussed her attraction to the Western program with Athleisure Magazine in June:
“I went to school with Brian Watkins so I know the creator from back in acting school. I had always been a fan of his writing. He is an amazing playwright. So when I found out that he was involved in the creation of this show and the story, I was immediately drawn in.”
After auditioning, Isabel Arraiza implored a higher power to win her the part of Maria Olivares in the Josh Brolin-led drama:
“So I went in for this audition and I kept getting call backs and tested. The more that I read about it and just knowing who was involved in the project, I was like ‘Oh My God, please God, just give me this opportunity!’ I would say that that was what drew me in initially and of course, the story was so compelling that I just wanted to be able to keep doing it.”
Isabel Previously Starred in Pearson & The Little Things
Arraiza has been working in American TV productions since 2018. In that time, she’s racked up credits in some popular shows.
As mentioned, she portrayed Maria on Outer Range, appearing in a total of 13 episodes across two seasons. She also recurred on The Oath, a short-lived series that starred Sean Bean and Katrina Law.
In 2021, Isabel Arraiza also had a part in The Little Things, a detective film that boasted a cast led by Denzel Washington and Mr. Robot’s Rami Malek.
In addition to all that, the actress was a series regular on the Suits spin-off Pearson, which followed the career of Gina Torres’ character Jessica Pearson.
Isabel Has Also Performed on Stage
Although she‘s best known for her on-screen roles, Isabel Arraiza is also no stranger to treading the boards. In 2022, she starred in a theater production of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice.
She described (via Culture Vulture) acting on stage again as being like reconnecting with her “first love:”
“As I imagined my career as an actor, I always envisioned my life moving from acting in front of the camera to stage and vice versa. The process of storytelling for both mediums is so different, and I truly missed the thrill of theater, the immediate connection with a live audience and living through the journey of a character from beginning to end. Stage work, specially Shakespeare, is a way of keeping my acting muscles in shape, and going back to basics when it comes to craft and training. It had been years since I was last on stage, and I was truly yearning to return and connect with my first love!”
In The Merchant of Venice, Arraiza portrayed Portia. She described her take on the character as going through an “upsetting and realistic coming of age” over the course of the play:
“Through constant conversations with my director, it was clear that we were interested in creating a unique journey for Portia, that goes from an ‘unlessoned girl, unschooled’ to someone that comes to understand that this could be a very cruel, and scary world. An upsetting and realistic coming of age.”
How To Follow Isabel Online
Isabel Arriza can be found on Instagram at the handle @isa.arraiza.
Accused airs on Fox every Tuesday. It is also streaming on Hulu.
