Of Salvadoran and Spanish descent, Elena Diaz was raised in El Salvador by her father and grandmother, a strict disciplinarian. When she was nine years old her family moved to Southern California. In high school Elena was an honor-roll student, with a passion for the performing arts. She took singing and dancing lessons, and sang in her high-school choir. After graduation she obtained a certificate as a physical therapist, but decided instead to pursue a career in the performing arts. She has since worked in a variety of films and television shows, including The Green Hornet (2011), How I Met Your Mother (2005), It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005) and The Closer (2005).