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 has graduated from Grover Cleveland High School in Ridgewood in Queens, New York. Then, she attended Los Angeles City College. Rosie Perez, who was in her sophomore year of college and was planning to move back to New York. Her friends had given her an event to celebrate. The moment Spike Lee proposed that she participate in his film Do the Right Thing (1989), she said yes. It would be her debut big acting job. She went on play the 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). Most of the criticism I received in the beginning of my career came from the Latin community. I remember them taking me out for lunch and saying to me "Can you take classes to reduce the accent?" Also, "When you're on a talk show, how can you not be less outrageous and loud?". My voice was a constant critic. I tried to improve my voice. It was my speech that I was not willing to alter. My octaves dropped when I got older, thank goodness. Boxing is all about taking on your biggest fears. It's more about fighting yourself. Floyd Mayweather could be punched. Straight shot across his middle. He's not blinking. I can understand what he's doing. The person who mentioned Don Cornelius's awe with her dancing] Don Cornelius was not interested in seeing me actually dance. I was performing hip-hop and it was an entirely different style from Californians. They only knew about locking and popping, therefore they weren't interested in hip-hop dancing. Don was thinking, "No, no, no. You're a girl." I thought, What? It's really bizarre. Then I had to perform in high-heeled shoes, and I have never danced in high heels before, and I was wearing this tiny, short dress and it's in my back and I'm like, Oh my God