Rosie Perez

Rosie Perez was born in Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York City, to Lydia Perez and Ismael Serrano Merchant marine. She is Puerto Rican. Rosie went to Grover Cleveland High School in Ridgewood, Queens, New York as well as later, she enrolled in Los Angeles City College in Los Angeles, California. Rosie Perez was in her second year at college and about to move back to New York from Los Angeles. Her friends had given her the opportunity to have a party to celebrate. Spike Lee offered her a role in his 1989 film Do the Right Thing (1989). She said yes. This was her first big acting role. She was later cast in the supporting character of Carla Rodrigo in Peter Weir's Fearless (1993) in which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She was beaten by Anna Paquin, for The Piano (1993). The majority of the critique I received early on in my career was coming from the Latin community. I remember being taken out for lunch and saying to me "Can you take classes to lessen your accent?" Or "Can you be funny and loud during a talk-show?" My voice was always a source of criticism. I tried to improve the way I spoke. It was my voice that I was not willing to alter. My octaves dropped as I grew older which is a good thing. Boxing is about fighting your fears. It's about being confident. Floyd Mayweather could be punched. Straight punch across his middle. Floyd Mayweather wouldn't blink. And I know what he's doing. Who talked about Don Cornelius watching her dance]: Don Cornelius did not want to see how I really performed - I was dancing hip-hop and it was foreign to people out in California. They were only acquainted with popping and locking, so hip-hop dance was not something they wanted to learn. Don was as "No you don't. You're one of us. I was like, "What? This is very strange. It was truly bizarre.