Rosie Perez

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (June 2011) Rosie Pérez , Pérez at the New York premiere of Won't Back Down in 2012. Born Rosa María Pérez, (1964-09-06) September 6, 1964 (age 48), Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York City, United States Occupation Actress, dancer, choreographer, director, activist Years active 1989-present Spouse(s) Seth Zvi Rosenfeld (divorced) Rosa María "Rosie" Pérez (born September 6, 1964) is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, director and community activist. Early life edit: Pérez was born in Brooklyn, New York, in the neighborhood of Bushwick, to Puerto Rican parents. Her mother, Lydia Pérez (née Fontañez), a singer, was married to Arturo Pérez at the time of Rosie's birth. However, Rosie's biological father is Ismael Serrano, a merchant seaman with whom her mother had an affair. Much of her young life was spent in foster care. She attended Grover Cleveland High School, which is located in Ridgewood, in the New York City borough of Queens, and Los Angeles City College in Los Angeles, California. Career edit: Pérez was first noticed in a dance club by Spike Lee in 1988, who hired her for her first major acting role in Do the Right Thing. Pérez started her career in the late 1980s as a dancer on Soul Train and later choreographed music videos by Janet Jackson, 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 the Fox television comedy program In Living Color. She made her Broadway debut in Terrence McNally's Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune. Perez had her third major role in the hit comedy White Men Can't Jump co-starring Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson. Pérez was nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Peter Weir's 1993 film Fearless. 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. 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. She suffered a serious injury during the filming of the episode. Most recently, Perez is the subject of a released album by Felt entitled Felt 3: A Tribute To Rosie Perez. Injury edit: Rosie Perez was injured in 2009 while filming an episode of Law & Order SVU. Her neck was injured when she was forcibly shaken as part of a scene. She had spinal disc herniation in her neck and underwent surgery for the condition. A year after the accident, she appeared at the White House in a wheelchair and wearing a neck brace for a meeting with President Obama. In May 2011, Perez filed a lawsuit against the producers of the show, claiming that the injury she incurred was the result of being "recklessly pulled, grabbed, yanked, wrenched and manhandled" during filming. Activism edit: Pérez is an activist for Puerto Rican rights. Her film Yo Soy Boricua! Pa' Que Tú Lo Sepas! (I'm Puerto Rican, Just So You Know!) documents her activism. 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, a New York City arts education nonprofit that uses arts integrated education programs to close the achievement gap. Filmography edit: Film Year Film Role Notes 1989 Do the Right Thing Tina 1991 Night on Earth Angela 1992 White Men Can't Jump Gloria Clemente Nominated -- Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress 1993 Untamed Heart Cindy Nominated -- New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress 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, 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 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 2012 Won't Back Down 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"

Source: Wikipedia

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