Rosie Perez

Rosie Perez was the daughter of Lydia Perez, a merchant marine, and Ismael Serano. She was born in Bushwick Brooklyn, New York City. Rosie is Puerto Rican. Rosie graduated from Grover Cleveland High School in Ridgewood in Queens, New York. Later, she enrolled at Los Angeles City College. Rosie Perez, who was in her second college year and was planning to move back to New York. Her friends had given her celebrations. She accepted the invitation from Spike Lee to be part of his film Do the Right Thing (1989). It would be her debut major acting role. In Peter Weir's Fearless (1993) she played the supporting role Carla Rodrigo, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Artistress. (She lost to Anna Paquin for The Piano (1993).) The majority of the criticism I received early in my career was coming from the Latin community. I can remember being taken out for lunch and saying to me "Can you go to lessons to lessen the accent?" Or, "When you're on a talk show, will you not not be outrageous and loud?". People were so critical about my voice, they gave me a lot of snark. Although I tried to change my voice, it wasn't the way that I spoke. Thanks to God, my octaves fell as I grew older. Boxing is about taking on your biggest fears. It's more about fighting yourself. Floyd Mayweather could get punched - like clean shot down the middle to his face and he wouldn't flinch. It's a good thing I understand what he's doing. Who talked about Don Cornelius watching her danceand commenting on her dance]: Don Cornelius did not want to see how I really danced - I was doing hip-hop, and it was unfamiliar to the people of California. They only knew about popping and locking, so they didn't like hip-hop dancing. Don was like, "No. You're an attractive girl. I thought, What? This is a bit bizarre. Then I had to perform in high-heeled shoes, and I never danced in high heels before, and I was wearing this tiny little short dress, and it's going up my stomach and I'm thinking, Oh my God!