Luisa Alver

Luisa Alver (portrayed by Yara Martinez) is the doctor who artificially inseminated Jane, as well as Rafael's sister. She is an alcoholic and in love with her stepmother, Rose. The two have an on and off relationship, then spend three years together until Rose is found and arrested. Luisa eventually begins working with the police to end Rose's reign of terror, and eventually pushes the latter to her death in the penultimate episode. She then reconciles with Rafael and Jane.

Rose Solano

Rose Solano (portrayed by Bridget Regan) is a crime lord who falls in love with Luisa, and is the main antagonist of the series. She kills Emilio, kidnaps Mateo, and shoots Michael. After three years on the run with Luisa, she is arrested. In the 5th season, she escapes and takes Jane hostage, however, ultimately falls to her death after being double-crossed by Luisa.

• Susanna Barnett (Megan Ketch, season 2): Rose's fake identity, acting as Michael's new partner after Nadine is killed.
• Eileen (Elisabeth Röhm, season 3 & 5): Rose's second fake identity that she uses for a total of three years in order to be with Luisa.

Regan's casting was announced in August 2014.^[1] Rohm's casting was announced in November 2016.^[2]

Emilio Solano

Emilio Solano (portrayed by Carlo Rota, season 1) is Rafael's adoptive father and Luisa's biological father. Always disappointed in Rafael, he owns the Marbella and was married to Rose before she drowned him in cement.

Magda Anděl

Magda Anděl (portrayed by Priscilla Barnes) is Petra's scheming mother who fakes paralysis. She pushes Alba down a flight of stairs and kills Ivan, winding up arrested on both occasions. She later uses her other daughter Anežka to get revenge against Petra, though this doesn't go as planned. She is released from prison in the fourth season for unknown reasons. In Season 5, she loses her leg in a car crash, and moves to Siberia, but not before telling Petra she has a triplet sibling. Petra does not believe Magda, but it is revealed Magda was telling the truth, and Petra has a triplet brother named Pyotr.

Lina Santillan

Lina Santillan (portrayed by Diane Guerrero) is Jane's best friend and co-worker at the Marbella. Despite Lina having moved to New York and having married someone, the two remain close, and Lina serves as the maid of honor at both of Jane's weddings. She reveals that she is pregnant in the series finale.

Nadine Hanson

Nadine Hanson (portrayed by Azie Tesfai, seasons 1–2) is Michael's partner who turns out to be working for Sin Rostro. She is shot dead in the second season.

Tesfai's casting was announced in August 2014.^[1]

Frankie and Luca

Frankie (portrayed by Camille Collard, season 1) and Luca (portrayed by Brian Dare, seasons 1, 2, 4) are Jane's friends who worked at the Marbella. Jane and Frankie have a falling out when Frankie gets fired and Jane does nothing to stop it. They've yet to make up. Luca is homosexual.

Lachlan Moore

Lachlan Moore (portrayed by Michael Rady, seasons 1–2) is Rafael's rival and Petra's former fiancé. She leaves Lachlan for Rafael.

Rady's casting was announced in August 2014.^[3]

Roman and Aaron Zazo

Roman and Aaron Zazo (portrayed by Alano Miller, seasons 1 and 4)

Roman was Rafael's friend who was having an affair with Petra. He later faked his death by killing his twin brother, Aaron, who he pretended was him. When later pursuing Petra, she kills him in self-defense.

Ivan Rogachevsky

Ivan Rogachevsky (portrayed by Chris Corbin, seasons 1–2) is Miloš' goon hired to track down Petra and Magda. He comes after them on more than one instance, and Magda ends up slitting his throat with her hook.

Miloš Dvořáček

Miloš Dvořáček (portrayed by Max Bird-Ridnell, seasons 1, 2 and 5) is Petra's abusive boyfriend from the Czech Republic. Petra and her mother flee the country with new identities to get away from him. He later tracks Petra down, and Petra even marries him for a short time before he is sent away. He comes back in the 5th season attempting to harm Petra, but is stopped by JR, who he has been blackmailing to get Petra sent to jail. He reveals that Luisa had unknowingly given him two-thirds of the Marbella, but is double-crossed by Krishna, who gives the shares back to Petra, and he is sent to prison for good.

Scott Archuletta

Scott Archuletta (portrayed by Wes Armstrong, seasons 1-3) is the Marbella's sleazy lounge manager. He keeps a burn book on the Marbella, and eventually marries Anežka. During the three-year time jump he winds up dead, killed by Eileen. He also was known for the vests he wore.

Esteban Santiago

Esteban Santiago (portrayed by Keller Wortham, seasons 1–2, 4-5) is Rogelio's acting rival. He has a fling with Xiomara, who gets pregnant and secretly decides to get an abortion. He is in a relationship with Rogelio's other baby mama, Darci. He proposes to Darci, and they get engaged in the series finale.

Dina Milagro

Dina Milagro (portrayed by Judy Reyes, seasons 1–3, 5) is the head writer of The Passions of Santos. She briefly dates Rogelio and later returns as the head writer of This Is Mars.

Elena Di Nola

Elena Di Nola (Fabiana Udenio, seasons 1–3): Emilio's second wife and Rafael's adoptive mother, she is a crime lord that rivals Rose. After serving as a threat to Rafael, she winds up imprisoned and later killed by Rose.

Regina

Regina (Layla Alizada, seasons 1 and 4) is Jane's friend and co-worker at the Marbella. She has two kids, with Jane teaching one of them how to make a grilled cheese sandwich. In season 1, Jane was at a crossroads after finding out Rafael was going to fire either Frankie or Regina, and she could save only one of them, and she ultimately chose Regina. She eventually takes over Jane's job as lounge manager when Jane leaves after ghostwriting Petra's lifestyle book.

Krishna Dhawan

Krishna Dhawan (portrayed by Shelly Bhalla, seasons 2–5) is Petra's (formerly Rafael's) assistant. In the third season it is revealed that she is gay. She is incarcerated in season 4, believed to be JR's blackmailer, however, is released after it is revealed this is not true. In season 5 she becomes Petra's assistant again, and assists her in retrieving two-thirds of the Marbella from Miloš, the real blackmailer.

Mateo Villanueva

Mateo Villanueva (portrayed by Dennis Mencia, seasons 2 and 4) is Alba's late husband, Xiomara's father, and Jane's grandfather.

Jonathan Chavez

Jonathan Chavez (portrayed by Adam Rodriguez, seasons 2 and 4): Jane's mentor who she has a brief relationship with. When choosing to not have sex with him, they break things off and agree that it is best that they cut ties all together.

Anna and Ellie Solano

Anna & Ellie Solano (portrayed by uncredited baby actors, seasons 2–3; Mia and Ella Allan, seasons 3–5) are Petra and Rafael's twin daughters. Unlike their half-brother, they grow up to be well behaved with good manners.

Anežka Archuletta

Anežka Archuletta (portrayed by Yael Grobglas, seasons 2–4) is Petra's long lost twin sister who paralyzes Petra and steals her identity. She also marries Scott and continues to scheme against Petra following his death. She ends up being flung from Petra's balcony and to her death in the mid-season finale of the fourth season.

Derek Ruvelle

Derek Ruvelle (portrayed by Mat Vairo, season 2): Elena's son who was at one point believed to be Rafael's half-brother. He was supposedly killed by Rose.

Rudy

Rudy (portrayed by Rudy Martinez) is Rogelio's personal assistant. In season 5 he is revealed to have a gluten allergy.

Patricia Cordero

Patricia Cordero (portrayed by Molly Hagan, seasons 2–5): Michael's mother who has a poor relationship with Jane.

Marlene Donaldson

Marlene Donaldson (portrayed by Melanie Mayron, seasons 2–5) is Jane's mentor when looking to become a writer.

Dennis Chambers

Dennis Chambers (portrayed by Christopher Allen) is Michael's best friend and the detective in charge of investigating Scott's death. He and Jane begin spending time together after Michael dies, but they fall out when Jane realizes that he is using her to get to Michael's case files. The two eventually make amends, Dennis teaching Jane boxing as a mean of letting out her anger. The two also go on a date, but realize there are no sparks, and so nothing becomes of it.

Jorge Garcia

Jorge (portrayed by Alfonso DiLuca) is Alba's co-worker at the Marbella giftshop. The two enter into a relationship after Alba spends three years having a crush on him. During the span of their relationship, Alba learns that Jorge is an undocumented citizen and agrees to keep it a secret. The relationship ends once Alba rejects Jorge's marriage proposal, and so he reconciles with his ex. He and Alba get married in the season 4 finale so that Jorge can visit his ill mother in Mexico. They eventually fall in love again and get married for real in Season 5.

Bruce

Bruce (portrayed by Ricardo Chavira) is a married man Xiomara used to have an affair with. When he finally gets a divorce, he and Xiomara enter into a relationship, but the couple is met with disapproval by both Xo's daughter Jane and Bruce's daughter Tess. Both eventually give their blessing, however, and Xo and Bruce date for the next three years, even moving in with one another. They briefly get engaged, but Bruce ends things with Xo when realizing she still has feelings for Rogelio.

Chavira's casting was announced in September 2016.^[4]

Catalina Maria Mora

Catalina Maria Mora (portrayed by Sofia Pernas): Jane's opportunist cousin who has a brief fling with Rafael.

Darci Factor

Darci Factor (portrayed by Justina Machado) is a matchmaker who Rogelio meets with in order to have a child. The two end up falling for one another, entering into a relationship and starring in a reality show together, but three years pass, and it is revealed they have broken up. As it turns out, Rogelio backed out of having a child with Darci after she had already unfrozen her eggs. The two now despise one another as their show comes to an end, and they part ways on bad terms. However, Darci returns months later, eight months pregnant with Rogelio's child, as they were secretly having hate sex during the final months of filming their show. Darci goes on to have a daughter, and she and Rogelio agree to raise the baby together, naming her Baby Michaelina De La Vega Factor. Darci is dating Rogelio's arch-rival, Esteban Santiago. In the series finale, she and Esteban get engaged while taking pictures for Jane and Rafael's wedding.

Machado's casting was announced in October 2016.^[5]

Chuck Chesser

Chuck Chesser (portrayed by Johnny Messner) is the Fairwick Hotel's newest owner who has a longterm feud with Petra. The two have a no-strings-attached sexual relationship for six months before eventually deciding to be a couple, but drama follows when it becomes known that Petra pushed the late Scott's bones onto the Fairwick Hotel's property and when it turns out Scott and Chuck secretly knew one another. Despite this, Petra and Chuck prevail, but the relationship fully falls through when Petra rediscovers her feelings for Rafael and chooses to be with him over Chuck. This also falls through though, and Petra decides she needs a fresh start when it comes to love altogether.

Messner's casting was announced January 2017.^[6] Showrunner Jennie Urman later confirmed "Petra has a terrific love interest in the back half of the [third] season that we're all very excited about." This alluded to Messner's role in the series.^[7]

Fabian Regalo del Cielo

Fabian Regalo del Cielo (Francisco San Martin) is Rogelio's telenovela costar who Jane has her first fling with. The relationship becomes complicated when Fabian finds himself wanting more from Jane, but Jane does not reciprocate. When the two finally end things, this results in Fabian having a falling out with Rogelio, resulting in on-set drama and Rogelio getting Fabian's character on their telenovela killed off.

Adam Alvaro

Adam Alvaro (portrayed by Tyler Posey) is Jane's first love who she almost married after high school. The two get back together after Adam delivers Jane a letter, he found that was addressed to her from her late husband, Michael. During the course of their relationship, Adam designs the cover of Jane's book, gets to know her son Mateo, and gives Jane a lesson on what it means to be bisexual. Their relationship comes to a sudden end when Adam leaves Jane for a job out in California, much to her dismay.

Posey's casting was announced in April 2017.^[8] Series lead Gina Rodriguez and the costume designer pitched the idea to showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman, who immediately offered Posey the role. There was a brief moment where they thought they lost Posey to another project.^[9]

Baby Michaelina De La Vega Factor

Baby Michaelina De La Vega Factor (portrayed by uncredited baby actors) is Rogelio and Darci's daughter, conceived during the production of The De La Vega Factor Factor. Darci reveals the pregnancy to Rogelio shortly before his wedding to Xiomara, and the two spend the remainder of the pregnancy fighting with one another for rights to their unborn child.^[10][11] Darci gives birth in Rogelio and Xiomara's house, and they settle on the name "Baby Michaelina" after Rogelio's best friend Michael.^[12][13]

Jane Ramos

Jane "JR" Ramos (portrayed by Rosario Dawson) is Petra's attorney following Anežka's death. Though seemingly a friend to Petra, it turns out she was being blackmailed to help frame Petra for murder, the life of her mother being at stake. Petra and JR eventually develop romantic feelings for one another and enter into a relationship once Petra's blackmailer, Krishna, is exposed. It is revealed that Petra did kill her sister, causing JR to be fired from her job, and they break up, but JR comes to Petra's rescue after Miloš, the real blackmailer, breaks into Petra's house. They eventually reconcile, but break up again when JR takes a job in Houston. However, during Jane and Rafael's wedding, JR shows up, and they get back together once again.^[14]

Dawson's casting was announced January 2018.^[15]

River Fields

River Fields (portrayed by Brooke Shields) is a beloved American actress and advocate for awareness of postpartum depression, who takes issue after Rogelio speaks on men suffering PPD. They schedule an interview on The Talk in order to debate the subject, but this goes awry when River is attacked by a wolf from the endangered species segment.^[16] Despite this incident, American producers fall in love with River and Rogelio's chemistry and offer to let Rogelio recreate his telenovela if he convinces River to be his love interest. River signs on to the project, titled The Passions of Steve and Brenda, but only after she is satisfied with the development and expansion of her character.^[17][18] Rogelio unintentionally causing River severe harm becomes a running gag, as he causes her to lose one of her toes, burns off her eyebrows, and temporarily paralyzes half of her face all within the time they spend together.^[16][17][19]

River and Rogelio shoot the pilot, but the network decides to not pick it up because they want something edgier with a science fiction undertone and a younger cast. The script is re-written and renamed This Is Mars with the storyline spreading across two generations, River and Rogelio playing the older version of their characters.^[20][21] When Xiomara learns that she is cancer-free, River takes this to mean that she and Rogelio, who she has been in love with the entire time, can finally be together. Despite being turned down, River continues to make advances which results in conflict with Xiomara. Finally accepting Rogelio's rejection, River decides that the best form of revenge is to do nothing, allowing for Rogelio's paranoia to get to him until she decides that they are even. In the process, River becomes romantically involved with Rogelio's new bodyguard.^[22][23] River starts to reevaluate her life when the pilot receives a series order and considers rejecting the offer in favor of her estranged daughter, Pond. Rogelio assists in making amends with Pond, but River moves production of the series to New York, as permitted within her contract.^[24][25]

Shields' casting was announced in January 2018. The character of River Fields is a spoof of the actress and while they are "equally smart, witty, and gorgeous," the network insists that the character is "vastly different" from Shields.^[26]

Bobby

Bobby (portrayed by Tommy Dorfman) is an associate of Sin Rostro, initially sent to Miami to keep an eye on Luisa.^[27] Luisa comes to rely on Bobby as a confidant, and he convinces her to ask Rafael to finally introduce her to Mateo. All the while, Bobby has been spying on Rafael and later breaks into his apartment.^[20][21] Rose confesses to Luisa that she sent Bobby to look after her, and after being turned away by Rafael, Luisa approaches Bobby expressing desire to follow Rose's orders.^[28] Bobby works with Luisa to obtain the code to Rafael's safe, later allowing for them to break in and steal a watch with a hidden compartment containing Emilio Solano's fingerprint. This grants them access to a vault with stacks of cash.^[24] Rose finally initiates her escape plan from prison, and Bobby retrieves Luisa to meet her. When it turns out Luisa has been working with the police, Bobby is fatally shot when Rose uses him as a shield to avoid being detained once more.^[25]

Dorfman's casting was announced in September 2018.^[29]