Michelle Rodriguez

Mayte Michelle Rodriguez (born July 12, 1978) is an American actress. Her breakout role as a troubled boxer in the independent film Girlfight (2000) was met with critical acclaim, and earned her several awards, including the Independent Spirit Award[1] and Gotham Award for Best Debut Performance.[2] The following year, she starred as Letty Ortiz in the blockbuster film The Fast and the Furious (2001), a role she has reprised in six additional films throughout the Fast & Furious franchise. She has also appeared in a number of successful action films, including Resident Evil, S.W.A.T., Battle Los Angeles, and Avatar.

Michelle Rodriguez
Rodriguez in May 2018
Born
Mayte Michelle Rodriguez

(1978-07-12) July 12, 1978
OccupationActress
Years active2000–present

On television, Rodriguez played Ana Lucia Cortez in the second season of the television series Lost. She has also had numerous voice appearances in video games, such as Call of Duty and Halo, and lent her voice to the 3D animated film Turbo, and the television series IGPX.[3] With her films grossing over $5 billion collectively, a 2013 Entertainment Weekly article described Rodriguez as “arguably the most iconic actress in the action genre, as well as one of the most visible Latinas in Hollywood.”[4]

Early life

Mayte Michelle Rodriguez[5] was born on July 12, 1978,[6][7] in San Antonio, Texas.[7][8] Her mother, Carmen Milady Rodriguez (née Pared Espinal),[lower-alpha 1] is Dominican, while her father, Rafael Rodriguez, was Puerto Rican and served in the U.S. Army.[7][9][10] Rodriguez moved to the Dominican Republic with her mother when she was eight years old, and lived there until age 11. Later, she moved to Puerto Rico until the age of 17, and finally settled in Jersey City, New Jersey. She dropped out of William L. Dickinson High School, but later earned her GED.[11][12] In total, she was expelled from five schools.[13] She briefly attended business school before quitting to pursue a career in acting, with the ultimate goal of becoming a screenwriter and director.[14] Rodriguez has 10 siblings and half-siblings. She was partly raised by her devoutly religious maternal grandmother, and was brought up as a Jehovah's Witness (her mother's religion), although she has since abandoned the faith.[15][16] A DNA test of Rodriguez, performed by the television program Finding Your Roots, found that her ancestry is 72.4% European, 21.3% African, and 6.3% Native American.[17] She also stated on the show that there was some racial conflict between her families, since her Puerto Rican father had a light complexion, and her Dominican mother had a dark complexion.

Career

Film and television

Rodriguez at the New York Fashion Week in 2006

Having run across an ad for an open casting call and attending her first audition, Rodriguez beat 350 other applicants to win her first role in the low-budget 2000 independent film Girlfight. With her performance as Diana Guzman, a troubled teen who decides to channel her aggression by training to become a boxer,[18] Rodriguez accumulated several awards and nominations for the role in independent circles, including major acting accolades from the National Board of Review, Deauville Film Festival,[19] Independent Spirit Awards,[1] Gotham Awards,[2] Las Vegas Film Critics Sierra Awards, and many others. The film itself took home a top prize at the Sundance[20] and won Award of the Youth at the Cannes Film Festival.

Rodriguez has had notable roles in other successful movies, including Letty in The Fast and the Furious (2001) and Rain Ocampo in Resident Evil (2002). She also appeared in Blue Crush and S.W.A.T.[21] In 2004, Rodriguez lent her voice to the video game Halo 2, playing a Marine.[22] She also provided the voice of Liz Ricarro in the Cartoon Network series IGPX.[3] From 2005 to 2006, she played tough cop Ana Lucia Cortez[23] on the television series Lost during the show's second season (the character's first appearance was a flashback during the first season's finale, "Exodus: Part 1"), and returned for a cameo in the second episode of the show's fifth season, "The Lie", in 2009. She returned again in the penultimate episode of the series, "What They Died For", in 2010. In 2006, Rodriguez was featured in her own episode of G4's show Icons.[24]

Rodriguez in December 2009

In 2008, Rodriguez appeared in the political drama Battle in Seattle opposite Charlize Theron and Woody Harrelson.[25] In 2009, she appeared in Fast & Furious, the fourth installment of The Fast and the Furious film series.[26][27] Later that year, Rodriguez starred in James Cameron's high-budget sci-fi adventure epic Avatar, which became one of the highest-grossing films in history and Rodriguez's most successful film to date. In 2009, Rodriguez also starred in Trópico de Sangre, an independent film based on the Dominican Republic's historic Mirabal sisters.[28][29]

From left to right, Rodriguez, Jonathan Liebesman and Aaron Eckhart at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International

In 2010, Rodriguez appeared in Robert Rodriguez's Machete.[30] In 2011, she appeared with Aaron Eckhart in the science fiction film Battle: Los Angeles which grossed over US$200 million in the worldwide box office. In 2012, she returned to play the good clone and bad clone of Rain Ocampo in Resident Evil: Retribution. In 2013, she reprised her roles as Letty in Fast & Furious 6 and Luz / Shé in the Robert Rodriguez sequel Machete Kills. She also voiced a character in DreamWorks Animation's Turbo.[31]

In 2015, she appeared in Furious 7 which grossed over $1.5 billion worldwide.[32] In 2016 she starred in The Assignment alongside Sigourney Weaver. In 2017, she lent her voice to Smurfs: The Lost Village. She also starred in The Fate of the Furious, which broke records for the largest global box office opening of all-time.[33] In 2018, she starred opposite Viola Davis in Widows from award-winning director Steve McQueen, and in 2019 reunited with director James Cameron on the film Alita: Battle Angel.[34][35]

Screenwriting

As of 2013, Rodriguez stated she was working on several projects, including a family adventure film, a drug drama, and a female-oriented period piece.[36]

Personal life

Rodriguez at the 2013 San Diego Comic Con

Rodriguez's hobbies include tactical gun training,[37] skydiving,[38] and DJing.[39]

In early 2000, Rodriguez broke off an engagement to a Muslim boyfriend, citing opposition to religious requests he made of her.[40][41] In 2001, she reportedly dated her Fast & Furious co-star Vin Diesel.[42]

In 2013, Entertainment Weekly quoted her as saying, "I've gone both ways. I do as I please. I am too curious to sit here and not try when I can. Men are intriguing. So are chicks."[4] As she explained to Latina magazine, "I'm getting older. Eventually it's going to wrinkle up and I'm not going to be able to use it. I wanted to be honest about who I am and see what happens."[43] The following year, she said in an interview that she hoped her actions would help others in a similar situation: "Maybe by me opening my big fat mouth like I usually do and stepping up and owning who I am, maybe it might inspire somebody else to do the same."[44] She described herself as bisexual in another interview later that month: "Bi, yeah, I fall under the B category of LGBT." Regarding the lack of unconventional female roles available in films, she said, "What's wrong with being bi? I mean, we're getting flak everywhere we go."[45]

In March 2002, Rodriguez was arrested for assault after getting into a fight with her roommate. The charges were later dropped, after the roommate declined to press the allegations in court.[46]

In November 2003, Rodriguez went to court to face eight misdemeanor charges based on two driving incidents, including a hit and run and driving under the influence (DUI).[47] In June 2004, Rodriguez pleaded no contest in Los Angeles to three of the charges: hit and run, drunken driving, and driving with a suspended license.[48] She went to jail for 48 hours, performed community service at the morgues of two New York hospitals, completed a three-month alcohol program, and was placed on probation for three years.[49]

In 2005, while filming Lost in Hawaii, Rodriguez was pulled over by Honolulu police multiple times for speeding violations, and on December 1 was arrested for DUI.[50][51] In April 2006, she pleaded guilty to one charge of driving under the influence, and chose to pay a US$500 fine and spend five days in jail.[48]

She cited her high doses of allergy-relieving steroids as part of the reason for her erratic behavior.[52] Because the incident was a violation of her Los Angeles probation, she was sentenced to 60 days in jail, a 30-day alcohol rehabilitation program, and another 30 days of community service, including work for Mothers Against Drunk Driving.[53] Because of overcrowding, she was released from jail on the same day she entered.

In September 2007, Rodriguez allegedly violated her probation by neither completing her community service nor following an alcohol education program. Her lawyer claimed it was a clerical error.[54] On October 10, 2007, following a hearing, she was sentenced to 180 days' jail time after agreeing to admit to violating her probation. She was expected to spend the full 180-day term in jail but was released 18 days later due to overcrowding.[55] In January 2009, Rodriguez completed her community service.[56]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2000 Girlfight Diana Guzman
2001 The Fast and the Furious Letty Ortiz
3 A.M. Salgado
2002 Resident Evil Rain Ocampo
Blue Crush Eden
2003 S.W.A.T. Officer Chris Sanchez
2004 Control Teresa
2005 BloodRayne Katarin
2006 The Breed Nicki
2007 Battle in Seattle Lou
2008 Gardens of the Night Lucy
Adventures in Voice Acting Herself Documentary
2009 Fast & Furious Letty Ortiz
Los Bandoleros Letty Ortiz Short film
Avatar Captain Trudy Chacon
2010 Machete Luz / Shé
Trópico de Sangre Minerva Mirabal
2011 Battle: Los Angeles Technical Sergeant Elana Santos
Fast Five Letty Ortiz Uncredited cameo
2012 Resident Evil: Retribution Rain Ocampo
2013 InAPPropriate Comedy Harriet
Fast & Furious 6 Letty Ortiz
Turbo Paz (voice)
Machete Kills Luz / Shé
2015 Furious 7 Letty Ortiz
2016 The Assignment Frank Kitchen / Tomboy
Milton's Secret Ms. Ferguson
2017 Smurfs: The Lost Village Smurf Storm (voice)
The Fate of the Furious Letty Ortiz
2018 Widows Linda
2019 Alita: Battle Angel Gelda Uncredited cameo
2020 She Dies Tomorrow Sky
2021 Crisis Supervisor Garrett Post-production
2021 F9 Letty Ortiz Post-production

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2003 Slavi's Show Herself TV show (1 episode)
2005 Punk'd Herself 1 episode
2005–06 Immortal Grand Prix Liz Ricarro[57] 26 episodes
Voice: English version
2005–06,
2009–10
Lost Ana Lucia Cortez Guest (season 1)
Main cast (season 2)
Special guest star (season 5 & 6): 22 episodes
2011 CollegeHumor Original Jessica Episode: "Sorority Pillow Fight"
2012 Germany's Next Top Model Herself Episode: "A Dream Comes True: Hollywood is Waiting"
2015 Running Wild with Bear Grylls Herself Episode: "Michelle Rodriguez"
2015 Super Into Herself Episode: "Michelle Rodriguez is Super Into Superbikes"

Video games

Year Title Role Notes
2003 True Crime: Streets of LA Rosie Velasco Voice
2004 Driver 3 Calita Martinez
2004 Halo 2 Marine
2009 James Cameron's Avatar: The Game Captain Trudy Chacon
2012 Call of Duty: Black Ops II Strike Force Soldier
2020 Fast & Furious Crossroads Letty Ortiz Voice and motion capture

Music videos

Year Title Artist
2000 "I Can Do Too"[58] Cole featuring Queen Latifah
2001 "Always on Time" Ja Rule and Ashanti
2002 "If I Could Fall in Love"[59] Lenny Kravitz
2015 "Confident" Demi Lovato
2018 "Nice for What" Drake

Theme park ride

Year Title Role Notes
2015 Fast & Furious: Supercharged Letty

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominated work Result
2001 Chicago Film Critics Association Award Most Promising Newcomer
Girlfight
Nominated
Deauville Film Festival Best Female Performance Won
ALMA Award Outstanding Latino Cast in a Feature Film Nominated
Black Reel Award Best Actress Nominated
Independent Spirit Award Best Debut Performance Won
National Board of Review Award Best Breakthrough Performance by an Actress Won
Gotham Award Breakthrough Actor Won
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award Best Actress Nominated
Best Female Newcomer Won
Online Film Critics Society Award Best Breakthrough Performance Nominated
2002 ALMA Award Best Actress in Film
The Fast and the Furious
Nominated
Outstanding Actor/Actress in a Made for Television Movie or Miniseries
3 A.M.
Nominated
2002 MTV Movie Award Best On-Screen Team (with Kate Bosworth and Sanoe Lake)
Blue Crush
Nominated
Imagen Foundation Award Best Supporting Actress in a Film
S.W.A.T.
Won
2005 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Lost
Won
Saturn Award Best Supporting Actress on Television Nominated
2006 Golden Raspberry Award Worst Supporting Actress
BloodRayne
Nominated
2009 ALMA Award Actress in a Film
Fast & Furious
Nominated
2011 ALMA Award Favorite Movie Actress-Drama/Adventure
Battle: Los Angeles
Nominated
2013 Teen Choice Awards Choice Summer Movie Star: Female
Fast & Furious 6
Nominated
2015 Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie Actress: Action
Furious 7
Nominated
People's Choice Award Favorite Action Movie Actress Nominated
Chinese American Film Festival Golden Angel for Best Leading Actress of the Year Won
2017 Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie Actress: Action The Fate of the Furious Nominated

Notes

References

  1. ""Girlfight" a Winner". FilmFestivals.com. Archived from the original on December 18, 2012. Retrieved December 23, 2010.
  2. IFP Gotham Independent Film Awards. "Gothan Awards Recipients" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 23, 2010.
  3. "The Ghost Cast & Crew List". The Big Cartoon Database. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2010.
  4. Vilkomerson, Sara (October 1, 2013). "Michelle Rodriguez talks movies, female empowerment, and sex: 'I don't talk about what I do with my vagina'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved February 26, 2014.
  5. "Woman". Michelle-Rodriguez.com (official site). Archived from the original on June 15, 2012. Retrieved February 7, 2007.
  6. Marx, Rebecca Flint (2008). "Michelle Rodriguez: Biography". Rovi via MSN. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved August 27, 2008.
  7. "Michelle Rodriguez Biography (1978–)". Film Reference. Archived from the original on February 17, 2011. Retrieved December 25, 2007. Gives birthplace as Bexar County, Texas, in which San Antonio partially is located.
  8. "Race Matters: Michelle Rodriguez Recently Discovered Her Father's Ancestors Practiced Inbreeding To Keep The Fam 'Light And Bright'". Bossip.com. June 2, 2012. Archived from the original on February 13, 2018. Retrieved June 29, 2017. citing Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., May 20, 2012, PBS.
  9. Romero, Angie (April 15, 2009). "Michelle Rodriguez: "I Feel Like I'm Being Born Again"". Latina. Archived from the original on April 1, 2012. Retrieved November 13, 2010.
  10. Stated on Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., May 20, 2012, PBS
  11. Foreman, Jonathan. "Slugging It Out Over Girlfight: Studios Hot For B'klyn Teen Tale", New York Post, January 26, 2000. Accessed January 21, 2020. "Born in Texas and raised mostly in New Jersey, but also in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, she dropped out of Dickinson High ('a terrible school!') in Jersey City in the ninth grade, though she was good at English and science and later earned a GED"
  12. "Michelle Rodriguez- Biography". Yahoo! Movies. Archived from the original on September 8, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2012.
  13. Raphael, Amy (April 11, 2009). "Amy Raphael interviews Michelle Rodriguez". The Guardian. UK. Archived from the original on September 8, 2014. Retrieved November 13, 2010.
  14. "Michelle Rodriguez Official Biography". Archived from the original on May 16, 2008. Retrieved June 6, 2008.
  15. "Michelle Rodriguez: in role after role, she has kicked the stereotype of the token female in the teeth, leaving an imprint all her own". September 2003. Archived from the original on January 12, 2008. Retrieved December 25, 2007.
  16. "The Religious Affiliation of Actress Michelle Rodriguez". World Religions. August 11, 2005. Archived from the original on December 23, 2011. Retrieved December 25, 2007.
  17. "Adrian Grenier, Michelle Rodriguez, and Linda Chavez (@ the 47:30 mark)". PBS. March 22, 2012. Archived from the original on July 13, 2014.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  18. "A Conversation About "Girlfight"; October 27, 2000". Charlierose.com. October 27, 2000. Archived from the original on September 8, 2014. Retrieved March 8, 2010.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  19. ""Girlfight" a Winner". FilmFestivals.com. Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved December 23, 2010.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  20. "'Girlfight,' 'Count on Me' Tie at Sundance". Los Angeles Times. January 30, 2000. Archived from the original on August 10, 2011. Retrieved December 23, 2010.
  21. "S.W.A.T." TV Guide. Archived from the original on June 13, 2010. Retrieved December 23, 2010.
  22. "Interview: Michelle Rodriguez in Halo 2". Gamestar. Archived from the original on October 9, 2010. Retrieved December 23, 2010.
  23. Itzkoff, Dave (November 15, 2005). "She loves acting tough on 'Lost'". The New York Times. Retrieved December 23, 2010.
  24. "ICONS: Michelle Rodriguez Episode #6004". G4 Media. June 24, 2006. Archived from the original on August 8, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2010.
  25. "Battle in Seattle". The Miami Herald. Archived from the original on September 25, 2012. Retrieved December 23, 2010.
  26. Itzkoff, Dave (March 26, 2009). "What a Stunt! Can They Do It Again?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 16, 2009. Retrieved December 23, 2010.
  27. ""Universal Shuffles 2009 Schedule"; December 10, 2008". Sfluxe.com. December 10, 2008. Archived from the original on March 21, 2012. Retrieved March 8, 2010.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  28. "Tropico de Sangre". Internet Movie Database. Archived from the original on January 14, 2011. Retrieved December 23, 2010.
  29. "La historia de las hermanas Mirabal". El Tiempo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on September 29, 2012. Retrieved December 23, 2010.
  30. "Get Your Grindhouse Fix With a New Poster from Robert Rodriguez's Machete". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  31. "Michelle Rodriguez Voices 'Turbo' Character For First Animation Gig". HuffingtonPost.com. July 11, 2013. Archived from the original on July 15, 2013.
  32. "'Furious 7' Crosses $1 Billion at Worldwide Box Office". Variety.com. April 17, 2015. Archived from the original on April 2, 2018.
  33. "'Fate of the Furious' races to biggest global box office opening ever". CNN.com. April 17, 2017. Archived from the original on April 25, 2017.
  34. "Michelle Rodriguez Joins Robert Rodriguez's 'Alita: Battle Angel'". SlashFilm.com. February 22, 2017.
  35. "Michelle Rodriguez Joins Steve McQueen's Heist Pic 'Widows'". Deadline.com. February 16, 2017. Archived from the original on May 21, 2017.
  36. "Hollywood actress Michelle Rodriguez reveals upcoming writing projects". gmanetwork.com. May 18, 2013. Archived from the original on October 14, 2017.
  37. "Actress Michelle Rodriguez Lights Up Tactical Course". Tactical-Life.com. October 12, 2016. Archived from the original on April 28, 2017.
  38. "Fast and Furious Star Michelle Rodriguez Goes Skydiving in Dubai". PaperBlog.com. April 2014. Archived from the original on April 28, 2017.
  39. "Michelle Rodriguez on DJing: 'It just comes'". PageSix.com. December 19, 2014. Archived from the original on April 28, 2017.
  40. Archbold, Phil (July 27, 2017). "The untold truth of Michelle Rodriguez". Looper.com. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  41. "Rodriguez Turned Down Muslim Marriage". Cinema.com. June 6, 2008. Archived from the original on November 15, 2010.
  42. Wloszczyna, Susan (August 6, 2002). "Vin Diesel, in high gear". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 5, 2007. Retrieved February 4, 2007.
  43. Rodriguez, Priscilla (November 19, 2013). "Exclusive: Michelle Rodriguez talks 'Turbo' & coming out: I wanted to be honest". Latina. Archived from the original on June 7, 2014. Retrieved June 4, 2014.
  44. Hernandez, Greg (May 12, 2014). "Michelle Rodriguez chats with GSN at her first LGBTI event since coming out as bisexual". Gay Star News. Archived from the original on January 11, 2015. Retrieved June 2, 2014.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  45. Ocamb, Karen (May 20, 2014). "Michelle Rodriguez Asks 'What's Wrong with Being Bi?'". frontiersla.com. Archived from the original on June 5, 2014. Retrieved June 2, 2014.
  46. Grossberg, Josh (April 8, 2002). ""Girlfight" Star Off the Hook". E!. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved February 4, 2007.
  47. Haberman, Lia (November 20, 2003). "Rodriguez: Way 2 Fast 2 Furious". E!. Archived from the original on October 13, 2007. Retrieved February 4, 2007.
  48. ""Lost" actress chooses jail over service". CBS News. Associated Press. April 26, 2006. Archived from the original on October 13, 2007. Retrieved July 21, 2006.
  49. Hall, Sarah (December 14, 2005). "Rodriguez: Fast and Furious Driver". E!. Archived from the original on October 1, 2007. Retrieved February 4, 2007.
  50. "Michelle Rodriguez settles two traffic cases". Today.com. Associated Press. December 14, 2005. Retrieved July 21, 2006.
  51. "Two 'Lost' stars charged with drunken driving". Today.com. Associated Press. December 2, 2005. Retrieved July 21, 2006.
  52. Finn, Natalie (May 22, 2006). "More Jail Time for Michelle Rodriguez". E!. Archived from the original on January 24, 2009. Retrieved July 29, 2006.
  53. Lee, Ken; Silverman, Stephen M. (May 22, 2006). "Michelle Rodriguez Gets 60 Days in Jail". People. Archived from the original on February 12, 2007. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  54. Lee, Ken (October 27, 2007). "Michelle Rodriguez Sentenced to Six Months in Jail". People. Archived from the original on March 19, 2008. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  55. "Michelle Rodriguez out of jail after 18 days". Today.com. January 10, 2008. Retrieved February 1, 2008.
  56. "Michelle Rodriguez Finishes Her Community Service in Stride". Latina. January 6, 2009. Archived from the original on December 8, 2013.
  57. "IGPX STAFF & CAST". Production I.G. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  58. "Cole - I Can Do Too". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on November 12, 2012.
  59. "Lenny Kravitz - If I could Fall in Love". Youtube.com. Archived from the original on August 2, 2016.
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