Rosie Perez
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Rosie Perez | |
 Perez on The Tonight Show in 2006 |
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| Birth name | Rosa Maria Perez |
| Born | September 6, 1964 |
Rosa Maria Perez (born September 6, 1964 in Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York) is an Academy Award-nominated American actress, dancer, director and choreographer.
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[edit] Biography
Perez was born in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bushwick to Puerto Rican parents. She started her career as a dancer on Soul Train and has choreographed music videos by Bobby Brown, Diana Ross, LL Cool J and The Boys. She was the choreographer for the dancing group, the Fly Girls, who were featured on every performance of In Living Color, a '90s show.
She was spotted by Spike Lee in a dance club and he hired her for her first acting role in Lee's Do the Right Thing. Perez was nominated for an Academy Award in 1994, in the Best Supporting Actress category for the film Fearless.
She is also recognizable for her nasal voice and thick Brooklyn accent, which is often played up in her films. Her normal speaking voice is much more audible, although her Brooklyn accent remains strong.
In 1999, she married filmmaker Seth Zvi Rosenfeld, but they separated in 2001. Perez was recently on Broadway in Craig Lucas's Reckless alongside Mary-Louise Parker. She currently lives in Brooklyn.
Rosa Perez is also a Puerto Rican Activist. She fights for Puerto Rican rights from America. Her 2006 film Yo Soy Boricua! Pa' Que Tu Lo Sepas! (I'm Boricua, Just So You Know!) is about this fight.
In Fall of 2006 Rosie starred and directed the Spanish AIDS PSA campaign "Join the Fight" for Cable Positive and "Kismet Films". The campaign featured actor Wilmer Valderrama, BET's Julissa Bermudez, Telenovela actor Erick Elias, Singer and actress Lorena Rojas, 2006-2007 Miss Universe, and actress Judy Marte. An English campaign was directed by Liev Schreiber.
[edit] Selected Filmography
[edit] Actress
- Lackawanna Blues (2004)
- Exactly (2004)
- From the 104th Floor (2003) (voice) .... Narrator
- Widows (2002).... Linda
- King of the Jungle (2001) .... Joanne
- Riding in Cars with Boys (2001) .... Shirley Perr
- Human Nature (2001) .... Louise
- The Road to El Dorado (2000) (voice) .... Chel
- 24 Hour Woman, The (1999) .... Grace Santos
- Perdita Durango (1997) .... Perdita Durango
- Subway Stories: Tales from the Underground (1997) .... Mystery Girl
- A Brother's Kiss (1997) .... Debbie
- Somebody to Love (1994) .... Mercedes
- It Could Happen to You (1994) .... Muriel Lang
- Fearless (1993) .... Carla Rodrigo
- Untamed Heart (1993) .... Cindy
- White Men Can't Jump (1992) .... Gloria Clemente
- Night on Earth (1991) .... Angela
- Criminal Justice (1990) .... Denise Moore
- Do the Right Thing (1989) .... Tina
[edit] Producer
- The 24 Hour Woman (1999)
- Subway Stories: Tales from the Underground (1997)
[edit] Choreographer
- In Living Color (1990-1992)
- Do the Right Thing (1989)
[edit] Director
- Yo Soy Boricua! Pa' Que Tu Lo Sepas! (I'm Boricua, Just So You Know!) (2005)
[edit] Trivia
- She helped nurture the career of another Latina "Fly Girl" who went on to become a superstar in her own right: Jennifer Lopez.
- She was impersonated by Amy Poehler on a pretaped sketch Saturday Night Live called "New York Stories".
- On the Family Guy episode, Da Boom, Peter mentions that he gave elecution lessons to Rosie Perez as mayor of New Quahog, then speaks like her when someone states that it wasn't helpful.
