Navedo began her professional acting career on the daytime soap operas. From 1995 to 1997, she played the role of Linda Soto in the
ABC soap opera,
One Life to Live. In 1999, she joined the cast of
CBS soap opera
Guiding Light as Theresa Sandoval. She made her film debut with small part in
Girl 6 (1996), and later guest starred in episodes of
New York Undercover and
The District. In 2001, Navedo co-starred in the action comedy film,
Double Take and the following year in the drama film
Washington Heights. From 2001 to 2004, Navedo had a recurring role on the
NBC legal crime series,
Law & Order, as Detective Ana Cordova. later guest-starred on
Law & Order: Criminal Intent,
Damages and
Blue Bloods. Navedo also has appeared in the number of films such as
El Cantante and
Remember Me. From 2011 to 2013, Navedo also had the recurring roles on
How to Make It in America,
Golden Boy and
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She starred in the comedy film
Superfast!, the parody of
The Fast and the Furious film series, which was released in 2015. In 2014, Navedo was cast in the series regular role of Xiomara "Xo" Villanueva, title character's mother (played by
Gina Rodriguez) in
The CW critically acclaimed comedy-drama series,
Jane the Virgin. She received the 2015
Imagen Award for Best Supporting Actress – Television for her performance. The series ended in 2019 after five seasons. In 2017, she appeared in the fantasy crime film
Bright starring
Will Smith. In 2020, she was cast as civil rights activist
Carmen Delgado Votaw in the Hulu miniseries
Mrs. America. ==Personal life==