Rosie Perez
An Academy Award-nominated actress and Emmy-nominated choreographer, Rosie Perez continues to shine in her varied roles in front of the camera, as well as behind it. On the big screen, Perez has starred in comedic and dramatic roles with both ease and acclaim, including Fearless (which garnered her a Golden Globe and Academy Award nomination), Human Nature, Riding in Cars with Boys, Do the Right Thing, Night on Earth, White Men Can't Jump, Untamed Heart, It Could Happen to You, A Brother's Kiss, King of the Jungle, Somebody to Love, The 24-Hour Woman, Pineapple Express, and The Take. Her performance in Lackawanna Blues earned her a 2006 NAACP Image Award Nomination for "Outstanding Actress in a TV Movie, Miniseries or Dramatic Special."
Perez made her Broadway debut in the hit revival of Terence McNally's "Frankie and Johnnie" in the Clair de Lune, and went on to star in Craig Lucas' "Reckless" in the fall of 2004. She recently received rave reviews for her performance in "The Ritz" on Broadway.
Perez also received critical acclaim for her directorial debut, Yo Soy Boricua Pa'Que Tu Lo Sepas!, a documentary which celebrates Puerto Rican pride. The documentary premiered at the Miami International Film Festival and was featured at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. It was the highest attended film at Tribeca.
As a producer, Perez's credits include The 24-Hour Woman, HBO's Rosie Perez Presents Society's Ride, and Subway Stories.
Throughout her career, Perez has been a vocal activist for a number of causes, especially those related to AIDS and inner-city youth. She is the head of the Artistic Board for the Urban Arts Partnership (formerly known as Working Playground), an arts education organization that brings dance, theater, film, poetry, and fine arts to students in Harlem, the Bronx, and the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Perez also served as the National Spokesperson for Comite Noviembre Puerto Rican Heritage and was honored in New York during Puerto Rican and Hispanic Heritage Month. She joins the Women for Peace & Justice in Vieques, Puerto Rico in demanding the removal of the US Navy from Vieques and the end of the Navy's use of that island as a test-bombing site.
Topics
Yo Soy Boricua
After trying to respond every time somebody made an ignorant remark about Puerto Rico and her people, Rosie Perez decided it was time to educate the world about the rich and important history of her homeland. This led to the creation of the documentary Yo Soy Boricua, Pa' Que Tu Lo Sepas! (I'm Boricua, Just So You Know!)
Featuring Perez (who is director and executive producer), her family and friends, Yo Soy Boricua, is both broad history lesson and personal tale. In fact, a lot of it feels like a home movie about a little girl who grew up beyond poor in Bushwick but learned self-respect from the aunt who never let her forget where she came from. Featuring historical footage and interviews with leading Puerto Rican leaders, educators and artists, Perez has captured the intricate, often conflicted, but enduring relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico.
AIDS Activism: Get the Message Out!
Pa'que tu lo sepas! : Activism for Women's Health
Pa'que tu lo sepas!: Puerto Rican Women's Struggle Against Sterilization
I Am Puerto Rican, Just So You Know
Empowering All Women of All Cultures
Education and the Arts
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