She is best known for her portrayal of Nurse Carla Espinosa on the NBC sitcom Scrubs (2001-present) and had a short stint on The Sopranos as the girlfriend of Paulie Walnuts. "I really admire Carla - she's smart and sassy and a very good nurse," says Reyes. "I like that she remains confident and unapologetic in a world where nurses don't receive the same respect as doctors." She also made a brief appearance on the television series Oz, where she played the wife of the blinded Correctional Officer Eugene Rivera. She has also starred in The Fuzz Show as Girl #1.

Reyes grew up in the Bronx and became interested in acting while attending Hunter College in Manhattan. In 1992 she landed her first major acting role in the independent feature film Jack and His Friends, opposite Sam Rockwell, and went on to perform extensively in the New York theater. She worked with the Labyrinth Theatre Company, a multi-cultural acting space in Manhattan where she is a founding member, along with Rockwell, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Ortiz and Lauren Velez, among others. She has served as both actor and producer on numerous productions over the past 10 years.

Reyes' other film credits include Martin Scorcese's Bringing Out the Dead, and the independent film Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God, Be Back by Five. She can also be seen in the film Washington Heights. Additionally Reyes acted in and co-produced (with her husband, writer/director Edwin M. Figueroa) Taino, a short film which was screened at the 1999 New York International Latino Film Festival and at the 2001 Los Angeles Latino Film Festival.

Reyes' television credits include a recurring role as Tina on Oz. She has also appeared in The Sopranos and 100 Centre Street. Her made-for-television movies include John Sanford's Mind Prey, with Eriq La Salle, and The Prosecutors.