Rosie Perez

Rosie Perez was born in Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York City she was the daughter of Lydia Perez and Ismael Serrano, a merchant marine. Rosie is of Puerto Rican descent. Rosie was educated at Grover Cleveland High School, Ridgewood, Queens, New York. Then she was enrolled at Los Angeles City College, Los Angeles, California. Rosie Perez was in her second year of college and was about to relocate back to New York from Los Angeles. Her friends had brought her an elopement party. Spike Lee offered her a part in his film Do the Right Thing (1989). She agreed. It was her first major role in acting. Then she was nominated to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Carla Rodrigo (Peter Weir’s Fearless, 1993). She was beaten by Anna Paquin, for The Piano (1993). At the beginning of my career, the Latin community was the source of the majority of the criticism I was subjected to. I remember people taking me out to lunch and saying to me "Can you take classes to tone down the accent?" Or, "When it's a talk show, how could you not be funny? Many people gave me crap about my voice, and I tried. I did my best to make a change however it was my voice that I used to speak. My octaves decreased as I grew up, thanks to God. Boxing is about fighting your fears. Boxing is about fighting for your rights. Floyd Mayweather could get punched in a straight shot down the middle to his face - and he wouldn't flinch. I understand what he is doing. (Who spoke about Don Cornelius watching her danceand commenting on her dance]: Don Cornelius did not want to know how I danced . I was performing hip-hop and it was foreign to people out in California. They knew only about locking and popping, so they were not keen on hip-hop dancing. Don was thinking, "No. You're an attractive girl." I was like "What?" It's really bizarre. Then I was required to dance in high heels. I've hadn't danced in heels before. I had this tiny, small dress, and it's getting up my thigh and I'm like Oh my God!