Rosie Perez
Rosa María Perez (born September 6, 1964) is an American actress, community activist, talk show host, author, dancer, and choreographer. Her film breakthrough performance was her portrayal of Tina in Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing (1989), which she followed with White Men Can't Jump (1992). Among many honors, she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Fearless (1993) as well as three Emmy Awards for her work as a choreographer on In Living Color (1990–1994). Perez has also performed in stage plays on Broadway, such as The Ritz, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, and Fish in the Dark. In addition, she was a co-host on the ABC talk show The View during the series' 18th season.
Rosie Perez | |
|---|---|
 Perez at the New York premiere of Won't Back Down, 2012. | |
| Born | September 6, 1964 |
| Other names | Rosa Maria Serrano |
| Education | Los Angeles City College West Lost Angeles College[2] |
| Occupation | Actress, dancer, choreographer, director, activist, author |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Spouse(s) | |
Early life
Perez was born on September 6, 1964 in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, to Lydia Perez and Ismael Serrano, a merchant marine seaman.[3][4][5] Her parents, who were both from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico,[6][7] were married to other people when they met.[1][8] She was born at the now-closed Greenpoint Hospital in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn.[9] Perez was raised by an aunt until she became a ward of the state when her mother took her from an aunt when she was three years old.[10] She was then transferred to a group foster home and lived in foster care in New York and Peekskill until age eight, and was still legally considered a ward of the State of New York until age twelve. Her mother and aunt frequently visited, and her father made an unsuccessful custody bid at one point.[1][11]
Perez has five brothers and sisters from her mother's first marriage to Ventura Perez but also has additional half-brothers and half-sisters (a total of 10 children).[11] When she was in third grade, Perez learned that she had a speech impediment.[12] She had a strict Catholic upbringing, which she has credited to the influence of the nuns during her childhood.[9][13] She eventually moved in with paternal aunt, Ana Dominga Otero Serrano-Roque,[14] and attended Grover Cleveland High School, in the Ridgewood neighborhood of Queens.[15] Her mother died of AIDS-related complications in 1999.[11]
Career
At 19 years old,[16] Perez started her career in the early 1980s as a dancer on Soul Train. As a student at Los Angeles City College,[17] with plans to major in biochemistry,[18] she said she relieved stress by going to nightclubs for ladies' night. A talent scout from Soul Train asked Perez to appear on the show. She was not a professional dancer, but loved it so much she dropped out of school.[9] In 1988, when she was 24 years old, Perez was noticed at the dance club Funky Reggae[19] by Spike Lee, who hired her for her first major acting role in Do the Right Thing.[20]
Perez later choreographed music videos by Janet Jackson, Bobby Brown, Diana Ross, LL Cool J and The Boys.[13] She was the choreographer for the dancing group the Fly Girls who were featured on the Fox television comedy program In Living Color and also worked as a segment producer.[21] She made her Broadway debut in Terrence McNally's Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune.[22] Perez had her third major role in the hit comedy White Men Can't Jump co-starring Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson.
Perez was nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Peter Weir's 1993 film Fearless.[23] She attended the ceremony with her father.[24] In 1997, she co-starred with Javier Bardem in Perdita Durango, a film in which many scenes of excessive violence, sex and nudity were edited out of the version released in the United States but remained intact in the version released throughout Latin America.[25] In 1999, Perez starred in Nancy Savoca's The 24 Hour Woman.[2] She provides the voices of Click, the camera, on Nick Jr.'s Go, Diego, Go! and Chel, a beautiful native woman in the DreamWorks Animation film The Road to El Dorado. She played corrupt police officer Carol Brazier in the Judd Apatow-produced film Pineapple Express, co-starring Seth Rogen and James Franco.
Perez appeared on an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in October 2009 about pedophiles' rights. Executive producer Neal Baer said the writers had Perez in mind when they wrote the role of a young sexual abuse victim's mother.[26] She injured her neck while filming the episode and underwent surgery to heal a herniated disc.[27] One year after the accident, she appeared at the White House in a wheelchair, wearing a neck brace for a meeting with President Obama.[28] In May 2011, Perez filed a lawsuit against the producers of the show,[29] claiming that the injury she incurred was the result of being "recklessly pulled, grabbed, yanked, wrenched and manhandled" during filming.[30]
In June 2013, she served as the grand marshal for the international Boxing Hall of Fame parade in Canastota, New York.[31] In February 2014, Perez published an autobiography titled Handbook for an Unpredictable Life: How I Survived Sister Renata and My Crazy Mother, and Still Came Out Smiling... She is also the reader of the audio CD of this book. Perez said that she didn't initially set out to write an autobiography, but rather a book that analyzes the causes and effects of child abuse.[9] She said it wasn't until about 6 months after the book was published and she heard responses from others that she found the experience cathartic.[9]
On September 3 of the same year, ABC announced Perez would join The View as a new co-host alongside moderator Whoopi Goldberg, newcomer Nicolle Wallace, and returning co-host Rosie O'Donnell.[32] The new season began on September 15, 2014.[33][34] Perez said she was initially hesitant about the job because "I didn't want to be on a show where people were just screaming at each other disrespectfully."[9] She decided to join the cast when she learned that Bill Wolff, whom she knew from The Rachel Maddow Show, was going to be the new executive producer.[9][35][36] In 2015, she returned to Broadway to star in Fish in the Dark, a play written by Larry David.[1][37] On July 8, 2015, Perez announced she would be leaving The View.[38]
In 2018, in a series regular role, Perez portrayed Tracey Wolfe in the NBC musical drama television series Rise, which ran for one season.[39] She starred in the 2020 superhero film Birds of Prey, as comic book character Renee Montoya.[40][41]
Perez is next set to star in the film adaptation of the children's book series Clifford the Big Red Dog.[42]
Activism
Perez is an activist for Puerto Rican rights:
- Her film Yo soy Boricua, pa'que tu lo sepas! (I'm Puerto Rican, Just So You Know!) documents her activism.[6][43]
- She starred in 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 Elías, singer/actress Lorena Rojas, 2006–2007 Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera and actress Judy Marte. An English-language campaign was also directed by Liev Schreiber.
- President Barack Obama appointed her to The Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA). She was sworn in on February 2, 2010.
- On January 6, 2000, she was arrested for disorderly conduct in Manhattan following a rally to protest U.S. Navy air weapons training, as well as other forms of payload on the government training range owned at Vieques, an island off the coast of Puerto Rico.
- Perez serves as the chair of the artistic board for Urban Arts Partnership,[44] a New York City arts education nonprofit that uses arts integrated education programs to close the achievement gap.
Personal life
Perez suffered abuse during her childhood from both her schizophrenic mother and from the nuns at the group home. As a result, she has suffered from high anxiety, PTSD, and a form of depression called dysthymia, but with therapy it has been greatly reduced.[1][9][45]
Perez married artist Eric Haze on September 15, 2013, in Las Vegas. They had decided to get married the night before while attending the Floyd Mayweather vs. Saúl Álvarez boxing match.[46] The couple slept over at the MGM Grand hotel-casino and were married in the morning. They live in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn.[11] Perez was previously married to filmmaker and playwright Seth Zvi Rosenfeld but the couple divorced in 2001 after ten years of marriage.[47]
Perez stated on the Pineapple Express DVD commentary that she is allergic to dairy products. She was a friend of the late rapper and actor Tupac Shakur.[45]
Filmography
Film
TV films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Criminal Justice | Denise Moore | |
| 1995 | In a New Light: Sex Unplugged | Herself | Host |
| 1997 | Subway Stories: Tales from the Underground | Mystery Girl | Also producer Segment "Love on the A Train" |
| 2004 | Copshop | Heaven | |
| Lackawanna Blues | Bertha | Nominated—Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actress – Television Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special | |
| 2006 | Lolo's Cafe | Maria | Voice |
| 2009 | Exit 19 | Lorna | |
| 2010 | Lies in Plain Sight | Marisol Reyes | Gracie Allen Award for Outstanding Female Lead in a Drama Special Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Nominated—Imagen Foundation Award for Best Actress – Television |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 21 Jump Street | Rosie Martinez | Episode: "2245" |
| 1990 | In Living Color | Herself | Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Choreography (1990, 1992, 1993) Choreographer: Seasons 1–4 |
| 1990–1991 | WIOU | Lucy Hernandez | Episodes: "Without Prejudice" "Labored Relations" "Mother Nature's Son" "They Shoot Sources, Don't They" |
| 1995–1997 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | Thumbelina / Witch/ Robinita Hood | Episodes: "Thumbelina" "Hansel and Gretel" "Robinita Hood" |
| 2002 | Widows | Linda Perelli | Episodes: "Hour One" "Hour Two" "Hour Three" "Hour Four" |
| 1995–2004 | Frasier | Francesca / Lizbeth | Episodes: "Roz in the Doghouse (1995)" "Crock Tales (2004)" |
| 2004 | Whoopi's Littleburg | The Flashlight Lady | Episode: "But I Still Like You" |
| 2005–2008 | Go, Diego, Go! | Click, the camera | Episodes: All |
| 2008–2009 | Lipstick Jungle | Dahlia Morales | Nominated—ALMA Award for Best Actress in Television – Comedy Episodes: "Pandora's Box" "Let It Be" "The F-Word" "The Lyin', the Bitch and the Wardrobe Dahlia Morales" "Thanksgiving" "La Vie En Pose" |
| 2009 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Eva Banks | Episode: "Hardwired" |
| 2011–2012 | The Cleveland Show | Choni / Aunt Chonie | Episodes: "There Goes El Neighborhood" "Y Tu Junior Tambien" Episode #3.11 |
| 2012 | Nurse Jackie | Jules | Episode: "Slow Growing Monsters" |
| 2014 | An American Education | Rita Gomez | Pilot |
| 2014–2015 | The View | Co-Host | Nominated—Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host |
| 2014–2017 | Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero | Aunt Rose | Voice, recurring role |
| 2016 | Search Party | Lorraine De Cross | Recurring role |
| 2017 | Pure | Phoebe O'Reilly | |
| 2017 | Nightcap | Herself | Episode: "Guest in a Snake" |
| 2017– | Bounty Hunters | Nina Morales | Recurring role |
| 2017–2019 | Elena of Avalor | Dulce | Voice; recurring role |
| 2017 | The Untitled Action Bronson Show | Herself | 1 episode |
| 2018 | Rise | Tracey Wolfe | Main role |
| 2019 | She's Gotta Have It | Tina | 1 episode Reprised her role from Do The Right Thing |
Published works
- Bourke, Alison P.; Shapiro, Evan; Perez, Rosie; Sherman, Roger M.; Garbus, Liz; Kennedy, Rory; Smits, Jimmy; Taverna, Kathryn; Hurwitz, Tom; Valdez, Carlos (2007). ¡Yo Soy Boricua, Pa'que Tu Lo Sepas!: I'm Boricua, Just So You Know!. Santa Monica, Calif.: Genius Entertainment. ISBN 978-1-59444-303-9. OCLC 123120491.
- Perez, Rosie (2014). Handbook for an Unpredictable Life: How I Survived Sister Renata and My Crazy Mother, and Still Came Out Smiling (with Great Hair). New York: Crown Archetype. ISBN 978-0-307-95239-4. OCLC 858159344.
See also
References
- Rodriguez, Cindy Y. (April 1, 2014). "9 things you didn't know about Rosie Perez". CNN. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- Applebome, Peter (February 14, 1999). "FILM; Trying to Shake a Stereotype But Keep On Being Rosie Perez". The New York Times. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- Rose, Mike (September 6, 2018). "Today's top celebrity birthdays list for September 6, 2018". Cleveland.com.
- Carvajal, Doreen (April 8, 2001). "John Ortiz and Rosie Perez: Accidental Actors". The New York Times. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- Freeman, Sierra (May 12, 2006). "Why Puerto Ricans are So Damn Proud". The Indypendent. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- Berman Santana, Déborah (Fall 2007). "Yo Soy Boricua, Pa' Que Tu Lo Sepas" (PDF). Centro Journal. XIX (2): 262–265. ISSN 2163-2960. OCLC 51876413. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 22, 2014. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- Gordon, Ed (April 27, 2006). "Rosie Perez' U.S.-Puerto Rico Documentary" (Audio interview). NPR. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- Weigle, Lauren (September 15, 2014). "Rosie Perez, 'The View': 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- King, Larry (October 13, 2014). "Rosie Perez" (Video interview). Larry King Now. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- Connelly, Sherryl (February 16, 2014). "Actress Rosie Perez reveals troubled past in new memoir 'Handbook for an Unpredictable Life'". New York Daily News.
- Connelly, Sherryl (February 16, 2014). "Actress Rosie Perez reveals troubled past in new memoir 'Handbook for an Unpredictable Life'". New York Daily News. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- McGavin, Patrick Z. (November 6, 1994). "DISTINCTIVE VOICE". The Chicago Tribune.
- Udovitch, Mim. "I, Latina". Vibe (December 1993 – January 1994). Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- Rodriguez, Cindy Y (April 1, 2014). "9 things you didn't know about Rosie Perez". CNN.com.
- Paybarah, Azi (April 27, 2012). "Grover Cleveland and Bushwick Community high schools escape Bloomberg's ax; 24 schools don't". Capital New York. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- "How Rosie Perez Got Her Start on Soul Train". Esquire. March 24, 2014. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
- "Rosie Perez". IMDb. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
- Meyers, Dvora (March 25, 2014). "Diary of a Fly Girl: Rosie Perez Tells Her Story". ELLE. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
- "Overview for Rosie Perez – Milestones". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- Hill, Logan (April 7, 2008). "How I Made It: Spike Lee on 'Do the Right Thing'". New York. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- Ebert, Roger (February 17, 1999). "Rosie Perez On A Roll". Roger Ebert. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- Hernandez, Ernio (January 30, 2003). "Rosie Perez and Joe Pantoliano Officially Bow as Bway's Frankie and Johnny Jan. 30". Playbill. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- "Best Actress in a Supporting Role – The 66th Academy Awards (1994)". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on November 2, 1017. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
- Weinraub, Bernard (March 22, 1994). "Quake or No Quake, the Show Must Go On". The New York Times. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
- Stevens, Brad (April 2000). "Perdita Durango: A Case Study". Senses of Cinema. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- O'Connor, Mickey (August 20, 2009). "SVU Exclusive: Rosie Perez, Garret Dillahunt to Anchor Explosive Episode". TV Guide. Retrieved August 20, 2009.
- Parvizi, Lauren (July 19, 2010). "Rosie Perez goes public with neck scar". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
- Oldenburg, Ann (July 15, 2010). "Rosie Perez injured doing her own 'SVU' stunt". USA Today. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- Gorta, William J. (May 18, 2011). "Actress Rosie Perez sues over injuries suffered filming 'Law and Order: SVU'". New York Post. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- Marzulli, John (February 1, 2012). "Rosie Perez OKs settlement after injury on 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'". New York Daily News. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- Ortega, Mark E. (June 12, 2013). "Famous Fight Fan: Rosie Perez | RingTV". RingTV. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
- "Rosie Perez and Nicolle Wallace Join The View as co-hosts". ABC. September 3, 2014.
- Gliatto, Tom (September 15, 2014). "Rosie Perez Is the Best Thing About the New View, Says People's Critic". People. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- Terrero, Nina (September 5, 2014). "7 reasons why Rosie Perez is perfect for the 'The View'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- Moreno, Carolina (October 17, 2014). "Rosie Perez Says Latin Hollywood Told Her Not To 'Rock The Boat'". The Huffington Post. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- Rivas, Jorge (October 16, 2012). "Rosie Pérez Talks Romney and Love on Maddow [Video]". ColorLines. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- Frank, Alex (September 15, 2014). "To Celebrate Her Debut as a Cohost of The View, a Look at the Career Highlights of Rosie Perez". Vogue. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- de Moraes, Lisa (July 7, 2015). "Rosie Perez Leaving 'The View'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
- Brunner, Jeryl (April 30, 2018). "The Life-Altering Experience That Forever Changed Rosie Perez". Forbes.
- Couch, Aaron (October 3, 2018). "Rosie Perez Joins Margot Robbie in 'Birds of Prey'". The Hollywood Reporter.
- Holub, Christian (February 5, 2020). "Early reviews praise Birds of Prey: 'A thoughtful meditation on liberation, egg sandwiches, and glitter bombs'". Entertainment Weekly.
- Galuppo, Mia (June 12, 2019). "Kenan Thompson, Rosie Perez Join 'Clifford the Big Red Dog' Movie (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
- Aurthur, Kate (June 11, 2006). "IFC Steps Up Its Commitment to Original Programming". The New York Times. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- "Artistic Board Chair Rosie Perez was featured in the Reader's Digest "Best of America" issue". Urban Arts Partnership. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
- Santiago, Solmarie (April 3, 2014). "Madonna and 2-Pac Hookup Revealed by Rosie Perez on The Wendy Williams Show". Latin Post. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- Williams, Ashley (September 26, 2013). "Rosie Perez Ties The Knot In Vegas!". HipHollywood. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
- Diaz, Evelyn (August 22, 2013). "Rosie Perez Is Married | News". BET. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rosie Perez. |
- Rosie Perez on Twitter
- Rosie Perez on IMDb
- Rosie Perez at the Internet Broadway Database
- Rosie Perez at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
| Media offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jenny McCarthy Sherri Shepherd Barbara Walters |
The View co-host 2015–2015 |
Succeeded by Joy Behar Candace Cameron Bure Michelle Collins Paula Faris |
| Authority control |
|
|---|