Rosie Perez

Rosie Perez (born Rosa Maria Perez on September 6, 1964) is an acclaimed American actress. With a career spanning over three decades, she started as a dancer in the early 80s on Soul Train. Her real breakthrough came at age 24 with her stunning portrayal of Tina in the film Do the Right Thing (1989) and she continued to impress in other hits like White Men Can't Jump (1992). Her performance in Fearless (1993) earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Since then, she has starred in films such as It Could Happen to You (1994), The Road to El Dorado (2000), Pineapple Express (2008), and Birds of Prey (2020). She also garnered three Primetime Emmy Award nominations for In Living Color (1990–1994) and an Emmy nomination for The Flight Attendant (2020–22). She was also a co-host on the ABC talk show The View, seasons 18th.

Born in Brooklyn, New York City to Lydia Pérez and Ismael Serrano, Perez had a difficult early life with her family experiencing intermittent jail times and their children going through group homes and foster care. She managed to overcome these challenges and started her career as a 19-year-old dancer on Soul Train. She also made a mark in the Broadway scene, performing in stage plays like The Ritz, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, and Fish in the Dark. In 2018, she played in the NBC musical drama television series Rise, and in 2020 she starred in the superhero film Birds of Prey, and the comedy-drama series The Flight Attendant.