This New York-edged actor made a strong impression as the lead in the 1994 independent feature film "I Like It Like That", then became a regular on the Fox cop drama "New York Undercover" as tough-talking Det. Nina Moreno in 1995. Lauren Velez began in show business studying as a dancer with Alvin Ailey, but a knee injury scooted her towards drama. She made little impact in a contract role on the ABC soap opera "Ryan's Hope" in the 1970s, and in the 80s was featured in the Broadway productions of "Into the Woods" and the revival of "Dreamgirls". Cast by director Darnell Martin in "I Like It Like That", Velez made the most of her first lead. Playing a woman who takes a job at a record company to break out of the stereotype of the Latina wife and mother and discovers herself, Velez helped to make the film a critic's darling. Her other significant feature film role came in 1996 with "City Hall", in which she was the widow of the slain detective whose death triggers the film's plot. Velez had appeared in episodes of "True Blue" and "The Cosby Murders", but "New York Undercover", which she joined in its second season on Fox, was her first regular series role. The daughter of a cop herself, Velez played Nina Moreno in a no-nonsense style, although her character did manage to find a brief romance with Michael DeLorenzo's Eddie Torres. The actress returned to series work as the beleaguered prison doctor on the HBO drama "Oz" (1997- ).