Jessica Pimentel

Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2015-2017)

Pimentel's breakout role came in 2013, when she was cast as Maria Ruiz on the Netflix comedy-drama Orange Is the New Black. Pimentel was credited as a guest star for the first four seasons, before finally being made a part of the regular cast for Season 5.

Pimentel has been dating Meshuggah drummer Tomas Haake since 2013 and lives with him in Sweden.

Pimentel began playing music at the age of two and trained as classical violinist and concert master who has played at Carnegie hall. In her teens she began learning the guitar, electric bass, percussion and keyboards and joined several New York Hardcore bands. She was the bassist for New York heavy metal and hardcore band Desolate from 2010–2014.

Since 2010, Pimentel has been the lead vocalist and a recording guitarist for the New York-based death metal band Alekhine's Gun. Pimentel has also recorded several songs with the band Black Heart Sutra, and sings in the Los Angeles/Tijuana based metal band Brujeria performing under the name La Bruja Encabronada.

After a series of bit parts, Pimentel played the role of Angelique Domenguez in the 2008 film Pride and Glory. In 2014, she was cast as Floyd in four episodes of Person of Interest.

Pimentel graduated from New York's High School of Performing Arts in 1995, where she played violin. She focused on acting more after high school, playing Juliet in a touring production of Romeo and Juliet, and landing small roles in movies and TV shows.

Jessica Pimentel (born September 20, 1982) is an American actress and musician. She is best known for her role as Maria Ruiz on the Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black. She is also the lead singer of the death metal band Alekhine's Gun and backing vocalist in the band Brujeria.