Rosie Perez

Rosie Perez

Rosie Perez at the New York Premiere of the film, Won't Back Down, in 2012

Perez at the New York premiere of
Won't Back Down, 2012.
Born Rosa Maria Perez
(1964-09-06) September 6, 1964
Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.[1]
Other names Rosa Maria Serrano
Ethnicity Puerto Rican[2]
Education Los Angeles City College
West Lost Angeles College[3]
Occupation Actress, dancer, choreographer, director, activist, author
Years active 1986–present
Religion Catholic[2]
Spouse(s) Seth Zvi Rosenfeld (m. 1991; div. 2001)
Eric Haze (m. 2013)

Rosa Maria "Rosie" Perez (born September 6, 1964)[4] is an American actress, community activist, talk show host, author, dancer, and choreographer. Her film breakthrough was 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). She was also nominated for three Emmy Awards for her work as a choreographer on In Living Color. In 2007, Perez starred on Broadway as Googie Gomez in a revival of The Ritz, and she was nominated for an Indie Spirit Award for her performance in The Take. Perez was a regular host on The View and in 2015 she returned to Broadway to star in Fish in the Dark, a new play written by Larry David.[2][5]

Early life

Perez was born in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, to mother Lydia Perez and Ismael Serrano, a merchant marine seaman.[6][7] Her parents, who were both from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico,[8] were married to other people when they met—she is the product of their affair.[2][9] She was born at the now-closed Greenpoint Hospital in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn.[10] Perez became a ward of the state when her mother took her from an aunt, who had been raising her. She was transferred to a group foster home at age 3 and lived in foster care in New York and Peekskill until age 8, and was still legally considered a ward of the State of New York until age 12 years. Her mother and aunt frequently visited, and her father made an unsuccessful custody bid at one point.[2][11] She has five brothers and sisters from her mother's marriage to her mother's first husband, Ventura Perez, but also has additional half-brothers and half-sisters (a total of 10 children).[11] These life problems left Perez with a speech impediment.[4] She eventually moved in with paternal aunt, Ana Dominga Otero Serrano-Roque,[4] and attended Grover Cleveland High School, which is located in the Ridgewood neighborhood of Queens.[12] Her mother died of AIDS-related complications in 1999.[11] Perez considers herself Puerto Rican[13] and had a strict Catholic upbringing, which she has credited to the influence of the nuns during her childhood.[4][10][14]

Career

Acting

Perez started her career in the late 1980s as a dancer on Soul Train. As a college student in Los Angeles, majoring in bio-chemistry, to relieve stress she said she would go to nightclubs for ladies night. A talent scout from Soul Train asked her to be on the show. She was not a professional dancer but loved it so much she dropped out of school.[10] In 1988, when she was 24 years old, Perez was noticed at the dance club Funky Reggae[15] by Spike Lee, who hired her for her first major acting role in Do the Right Thing.[16]

Perez later choreographed music videos by Janet Jackson, Bobby Brown, Diana Ross, LL Cool J and The Boys.[14] 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.[17] She made her Broadway debut in Terrence McNally's Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune.[18] 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. She attended the ceremony with her father.[19] In 1997, she starred in Perdita Durango, a controversial 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.[20] In 1999, Perez starred in Nancy Savoca's The 24 Hour Woman.[3] 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.[21] She suffered a serious injury during the filming of the episode.[22] Most recently, Perez is the subject of an album by Felt entitled Felt 3: A Tribute To Rosie Perez. Perez was in a Mike Nichols production of The Play What I Wrote.

Injury

Rosie Perez injured her neck in 2009 while filming an episode of Law & Order: SVU and underwent surgery to heal a herniated disc. One year after the accident, she appeared at the White House in a wheelchair, wearing a neck brace for a meeting with President Obama.[23] In May 2011, Perez filed a lawsuit against the producers of the show,[24] claiming that the injury she incurred was the result of being "recklessly pulled, grabbed, yanked, wrenched and manhandled" during filming.[25]

Boxing

Rosie Perez is a huge fan of the sport of boxing. In June 2013, she served as the grand marshal for the International Boxing Hall of Fame parade in Canastota, New York.[26]

Author

In February 2014, Rosie 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 analyses the causes and effects of child abuse.[10] 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.[10]

The View

On September 3, 2014, 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.[27] The new season began on September 15, 2014.[28][29] 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."[10] 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.[10][30][31] On July 8, 2015, Perez announced she would be leaving The View.

Activism

Perez is an activist for Puerto Rican rights:

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 hard work in therapy it has been greatly reduced.[2][10][34] Perez married artist Eric Haze on September 15, 2013 in Las Vegas.[35] They had decided to get married the night before while attending the Floyd Mayweather vs. Saúl Álvarez boxing match.[36] 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.[35] 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.[34]

Filmography

Film
Year Film Role Notes
1989 Do the Right Thing Tina
1991 Night on Earth Angela Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Actress
1992 White Men Can't Jump Gloria Clemente Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Actress
1993 Untamed Heart Cindy Nominated—New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress (2nd place)
Fearless Carla Rodrigo Berlin International Film Festival Award for Outstanding Performance (Special Mention)
Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress
Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress (tied with Anna Paquin)
Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
Nominated—New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress (2nd place)
1994 It Could Happen to You Muriel Lang
Somebody to Love Mercedes
1997 A Brother's Kiss Debbie
Perdita Durango Perdita Durango Fantafestival Award for Best Actress
1999 The 24 Hour Woman Grace Santos Also Producer
Nominated—ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film
Nominated—Black Reel Award for Best Actress
2000 The Road to El Dorado Chel Voice
2001 Human Nature Louise
Riding in Cars with Boys Shirley Perro
2003 From the 104th Floor Narrator Voice
2004 Exactly Angela Short
2005 All the Invisible Children Ruthie Segment "Jesus Children of America"
Yo soy Boricua, pa'que tu lo sepas! Herself Director
Documentary
2006 Home
Just Like the Son Mrs. Ponders
2008 The Take Marina De La Pena Nominated—Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female
Pineapple Express Officer Carol Brazier
2010 The Other Guys Herself
Pete Smalls Is Dead Julia
2012 Small Apartments Ms. Baker
Won't Back Down Brenna Harper
2013 The Counselor Ruth
The Being Experience Herself
Gods Behaving Badly Persephone
2014 The Hero of Color City Red Voice
Fugly! Zowie
2015 Pitch Perfect 2 The View Host
Five Nights in Maine Ann
Puerto Ricans in Paris Gloria
TV Films
Year Title Role Notes
1990 Criminal Justice Barbara Von Busch
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 Television Movie
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 Episodes "Thumbelina"
"Hanselito y Gretelita"
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)"
2005–2008 Go, Diego, Go! Click, the camera Episodes "Diego Saves the Humpback Whale"
"Linda the Llama Saves Carnaval"
"Diego's Wolf-Pup Rescue"
"The Bobos' Mother's Day"
"Tuga Helps the Moon"
"Freddie the Fruit Bat Saves Halloween!"
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 Episodes "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 Episodes "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–present Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero Aunt Rose Voice, recurring role

Works or publications

See also

References

  1. CNN - Rosie Perez Memoir
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rodriguez, Cindy Y. (1 April 2014). "9 things you didn't know about Rosie Perez". CNN. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  3. 1 2 Applebome, Peter (14 February 1999). "FILM; Trying to Shake a Stereotype But Keep On Being Rosie Perez". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Rosie Perez biography". Biography.com. A+E Networks. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  5. Frank, Alex (15 September 2014). "To Celebrate Her Debut as a Cohost of The View, a Look at the Career Highlights of Rosie Perez". Vogue. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  6. Carvajal, Doreen (8 April 2001). "John Ortiz and Rosie Perez: Accidental Actors". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  7. Freeman, Sierra (12 May 2006). "Why Puerto Ricans are So Damn Proud". Indypendent. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  8. 1 2 Berman Santana, Déborah (Fall 2007). "Yo Soy Boricua, Pa’ Que Tu Lo Sepas" (PDF). Centro journal (Hunter College, Centro de Estudios Puertorriqueños) XIX (2): 262–265. ISSN 2163-2960. OCLC 51876413. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  9. Weigle, Lauren (15 September 2014). "Rosie Perez, ‘The View': 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 King, Larry (13 October 2014). "Rosie Perez" (Video interview). Larry King Now. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Connelly, Sherryl (16 February 2014). "Actress Rosie Perez reveals troubled past in new memoir 'Handbook for an Unpredictable Life'". Daily News (New York). Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  12. Paybarah, Azi (27 April 2012). "Grover Cleveland and Bushwick Community high schools escape Bloomberg’s ax; 24 schools don’t". Capital New York. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  13. Gordon, Ed (27 April 2006). "Rosie Perez' U.S.-Puerto Rico Documentary" (Audio interview). NPR. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  14. 1 2 Udovitch, Mim. "I, Latina". Vibe (Dec 1993 – Jan 1994). Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  15. "Overview for Rosie Perez – Milestones". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  16. Hill, Logan (7 April 2008). "How I Made It: Spike Lee on 'Do the Right Thing'". New York. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  17. Ebert, Roger (17 February 1999). "Rosie Perez On A Roll". Roger Ebert. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  18. Hernandez, Ernio (30 January 2003). "Rosie Perez and Joe Pantoliano Officially Bow as Bway's Frankie and Johnny Jan. 30". Playbill. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  19. Weinraub, Bernard (22 March 1994). "Quake or No Quake, the Show Must Go On". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  20. Stevens, Brad (April 2000). "Perdita Durango: A Case Study". Senses of Cinema. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  21. O'Connor, Mickey (20 August 2009). "SVU Exclusive: Rosie Perez, Garret Dillahunt to Anchor Explosive Episode". TV Guide. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
  22. Parvizi, Lauren (19 July 2010). "Rosie Perez goes public with neck scar". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  23. Oldenburg, Ann (15 July 2010). "Rosie Perez injured doing her own 'SVU' stunt". USA Today. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  24. Gorta, William J. (18 May 2011). "Actress Rosie Perez sues over injuries suffered filming ‘Law and Order: SVU’". New York Post. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  25. Marzulli, John (1 February 2012). "Rosie Perez OKs settlement after injury on 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'". Daily News (New York). Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  26. Ortega, Mark E. (12 June 2013). "Famous Fight Fan: Rosie Perez | RingTV". RingTV. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  27. "Rosie Perez and Nicolle Wallace Join The View as co-hosts". ABC. 3 September 2014.
  28. Gliatto, Tom (15 September 2014). "Rosie Perez Is the Best Thing About the New View, Says People's Critic". People. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  29. Terrero, Nina (5 September 2014). "7 reasons why Rosie Perez is perfect for the 'The View'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  30. Moreno, Carolina (17 October 2014). "Rosie Perez Says Latin Hollywood Told Her Not To ‘Rock The Boat'". Huffington Post. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  31. Rivas, Jorge (16 October 2012). "Rosie Pérez Talks Romney and Love on Maddow [Video]". Colorlines. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  32. Aurthur, Kate (11 June 2006). "IFC Steps Up Its Commitment to Original Programming". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  33. "Artistic Board Chair Rosie Perez was featured in the Reader’s Digest "Best of America" issue | Urban Arts Partnership". Urban Arts Partnership. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  34. 1 2 Santiago, Solmarie (3 April 2014). "Madonna and 2-Pac Hookup Revealed by Rosie Perez on The Wendy Williams Show". Latin Post. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  35. 1 2 Diaz, Evelyn (22 August 2013). "Rosie Perez Is Married | News". BET. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  36. Williams, Ashley (16 September 2013). "Rosie Perez Ties The Knot In Vegas!". HipHollywood. Retrieved 26 October 2013.

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