PERSON: Rosie Perez

Self-employed

Actress

Born Rosa Maria Perez on September 6, 1964, in Brooklyn, New York, Rosie Perez has enjoyed success as both an actress and a choreographer. Both of her parents were Puerto Rican. Her mother Lydia had been a singer and her father Ismael Serrano was a merchant marine. According to some reports, her mother was married to another man when Perez was born.

Perez may be known for her quick-talking characters, but she struggled with her speech early on. “I had such a bad speech impediment as a result of the emotional trauma I was going through in my life,” she told T magazine. Perez spent time in foster care and had a troubled relationship with her mother. She found some escape from her woes in dance, enrolling in a special program for inner city kids.

Still school was a tough place for Perez. As she explained to Hispanic magazine, “In Brooklyn, I was the nerd. I was the one who used to have to run home from school getting beat up. And the only reason I know how to fight is that I got tired of getting beat up.” Perez eventually moved in with an aunt who proved the love and support she needed.

After high school, Perez went out to Los Angeles for college. She wanted to study to become a marine biologist. Purely by accident, she got into acting. Director Spike Lee saw her in a nightclub and hired her for the 1989 film Do the Right Thing. This movie explores what could happen when racial tensions explode on a hot summer day.

— biography.com