Rosa Maria Perez (born September 6, 1964) is an American actress. Her breakthrough came at age 24 with her portrayal of Tina in the film Do the Right Thing (1989). Her starring film roles since include It Could Happen to You (1994), The Road to El Dorado (2000), The Take (2007), Pineapple Express (2008), and Birds of Prey (2020).
Among other accolades, Perez was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Fearless in 1994. Perez earned three Primetime Emmy Award nominations for In Living Color (1990–94) and another Emmy nomination for her work in The Flight Attendant (2020–22).
She has performed in stage plays on Broadway such as The Ritz, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, and Fish in the Dark. She was also a co-host on the ABC talk show The View during the series' 18th season.
One of 10 children born to her mother, Perez grew up in Bushwick with her siblings while their mother was intermittently jailed. Her mother gave birth to her youngest child while incarcerated. Perez was for a time raised by an aunt and then, like her siblings, went through group homes and foster care. She and her siblings were often split up. She was transferred to a group foster home and lived in foster care in New York and Peekskill until the age of eight. She was legally considered a ward of the State of New York until age 12. Her mother and aunt frequently visited, and her father made an unsuccessful custody bid at one point.
When she was in third grade, Perez learned that she had a speech impediment. She had a strict Catholic upbringing, which she has credited to the influence of the nuns during her childhood. She eventually moved in with her paternal aunt, Ana Dominga Otero Serrano-Roque.
She attended Grover Cleveland High School, in the Ridgewood neighborhood of Queens. By 1999, her mother was living in poverty in the Woodside Houses, when she died of AIDS-related complications.
Perez later choreographed by Janet Jackson, Bobby Brown, Diana Ross, LL Cool J and The Boys. She was the choreographer for the dancing group the Fly Girls, who were featured on the Fox television comedy program In Living Color, and also worked as a segment producer. She made her Broadway theatre debut in Terrence McNally's Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune. Perez had her third major role in the hit comedy White Men Can't Jump (1992) co-starring Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson.
Perez was nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Peter Weir's 1993 film Fearless. She attended the ceremony with her father. In 1994, she co-starred with Nicolas Cage in It Could Happen to You. In 1997, she co-starred with Javier Bardem in Perdita Durango where she played the titular character, a film in which many scenes of violence, sex and nudity were edited out of the version released in the United States but remained intact in the version released throughout Latin America. In 1999, Perez starred in Nancy Savoca's The 24 Hour Woman. She provides the voices of Click, the camera, on Nick Jr.'s Go, Diego, Go! (2005-11) and Chel, a beautiful native woman in the DreamWorks Animation film The Road to El Dorado (2000). She played corrupt police officer Carol Brazier in the Judd Apatow-produced film Pineapple Express (2008), co-starring Seth Rogen and James Franco.
Perez appeared on an episode of in October 2009 about pedophiles' rights. Executive producer Neal Baer said the writers had Perez in mind when they wrote the role of a young sexual abuse victim's mother. She injured her neck while filming the episode and underwent surgery to heal a herniated disc. One year after the accident, she appeared at the White House in a wheelchair, wearing a neck brace for a meeting with President Obama. In May 2011, Perez filed a lawsuit against the producers of the show, saying the injury she incurred was the result of being "recklessly pulled, grabbed, yanked, wrenched and manhandled" during filming.
In June 2013, she served as the grand marshal for the international Boxing Hall of Fame parade in Canastota, New York. In February 2014, Perez published an autobiography titled Handbook for an Unpredictable Life: How I Survived Sister Renata and My Crazy Mother, and Still Came Out Smiling... She is also the reader of the audio CD of this book. Perez said that she did not initially set out to write an autobiography, but rather a book that analyzes the causes and effects of child abuse. She said it was not until about six months after the book was published and she heard responses from others that she found the experience cathartic.
On September 3 of the same year, ABC announced Perez would join The View as a new co-host alongside moderator Whoopi Goldberg, newcomer Nicolle Wallace, and returning co-host Rosie O'Donnell. The new season began on September 15, 2014. Perez said she was initially hesitant about the job because "I didn't want to be on a show where people were just screaming at each other disrespectfully." She decided to join the cast when she learned that Bill Wolff, whom she knew from The Rachel Maddow Show, was going to be the new executive producer. In 2015, she returned to Broadway to star in Fish in the Dark, a play written by Larry David. On July 8, 2015, Perez announced she would be leaving The View.
In 2018, in a series regular role, Perez portrayed Tracey Wolfe in the NBC musical drama television series Rise, which ran for one season. She starred in the 2020 superhero film Birds of Prey, as the DC Entertainment superhero Renee Montoya / Question. Later that year, Perez starred in the comedy-drama series The Flight Attendant. She earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for the role.
In 2021 Perez starred in the film adaptation of the children's book series Clifford the Big Red Dog. In 2023, she had a role in season 2 of the Showtime series Your Honor.
She was an official commentator for the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match.
Perez married filmmaker and playwright Seth Zvi Rosenfeld in 1998. The couple divorced in 2001 after three years together. She married artist Eric Haze on September 15, 2013, in Las Vegas. They live in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn as of 2014.
Activism
Personal life
Awards and nominations
Filmography
Film
1989 Do the Right Thing Tina 1990 Criminal Justice Denise Moore TV movie 1991 Night on Earth Angela 1992 White Men Can't Jump Gloria Clemente 1993 Untamed Heart Cindy Fearless Carla Rodrigo 1994 It Could Happen to You Muriel Lang Somebody to Love Mercedes 1997 A Brother's Kiss Debbie Perdita Durango Perdita Durango 1998 Louis & Frank - 1999 The 24 Hour Woman Grace Santos 2000 The Road to El Dorado Chel (voice) King of the Jungle Joanne 2001 Human Nature Louise Riding in Cars with Boys Shirley Perro 2003 From the 104th Floor Narrator (voice) Short 2004 Exactly Angela Short 2005 Lackawanna Blues Bertha TV movie 2006 Just Like the Son Mrs. Ponders Lolo's Cafe Maria (voice) Short 2007 The Take Marina De La Pena 2008 Pineapple Express Officer Carol Brazier 2010 The Other Guys Herself Pete Smalls Is Dead Julia Lies in Plain Sight Marisol Reyes TV movie 2012 Small Apartments Ms. Baker Won't Back Down Brenna Harper 2013 The Counselor Ruth The Being Experience Herself Gods Behaving Badly Persephone 2014 The Hero of Color City Red (voice) Fugly! Zowie 2015 Pitch Perfect 2 The View Host Puerto Ricans in Paris Gloria Five Nights in Maine Ann 2017 Active Adults Zoe 2019 The Dead Don't Die Posie Juarez Inside the Rain Dr. Holloway 2020 Birds of Prey Renee Montoya The Last Thing He Wanted Alma Guerrero For NYC Herself Short 2021 Coco Clifford the Big Red Dog Lucille 2025 Highest 2 Lowest Herself
Television
1990 21 Jump Street Rosie Martinez Episode: "2245" 1990–91 WIOU Lucy Hernandez Recurring Cast 1990–93 In Living Color Fly Girl/Choreographer Main Cast: Season 1–4 1991 Great Performances Herself Episode: "Everybody Dance Now" 1992 It's Showtime at the Apollo Herself/Guest Host Episode: "Episode #6.4" 1995 In a New Light: Sex Unplugged Herself/Host Main Host Frasier Francesca Episode: "Roz in the Doghouse" 1995–2000 Various (voice) Guest Cast: Season 1-3 1996 Saturday Night Special Herself Episode: "Episode #1.4" 1997 Subway Stories: Tales from the Underground Mystery Girl Episode: "Love on the A Train" 1999 Little Bill Valencia Episode: "Monty's Roar/Natural Root Pals" 2002 One World Jam: A Concert for Global Harmony Herself/Host Main Host Gotham Awards Herself/Co-Host Main Co-Host Widows Linda Perelli Main Cast 2003 XXI Century Herself Episode: "War, Peace, and Patriotism" 2004 Whoopi's Littleburg The Flashlight Lady Episode: "But I Still Like You" Frasier Lizbeth Episode: "Crock Tales" 2005 All the Invisible Children Ruthie Episode: "Jesus Children of America" 2005–11 Go, Diego, Go! Click (voice) Main Cast 2008–09 Lipstick Jungle Dahlia Morales Recurring Cast: Season 2 2009 Eva Banks Episode: "Hardwired" 2010 VH1 Rock Docs Herself Episode: "Soul Train: The Hippest Trip in America" Dora the Explorer La Bruja (voice) Episode: "Dora's Big Birthday Adventure" 2012 Fish Hooks Chichelsea Chihuahua (voice) Episode: "Bea Dates Milo" Nurse Jackie Jules Episode: "Slow Growing Monsters" Falcón Madeleine Flowers Episode: "The Silent and the Damned" RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Herself/Guest Judge Episode: "All Star Girl Groups" 2012–13 The Cleveland Show Choni (voice) Recurring Cast: Season 3-4 2013 Anderson Live Herself/Co-Host Episode: "Co-Host Rosie Perez/'Spartacus" In the Woods Herself Main Cast American Latino TV Herself Episode: "Episode #12.6" 2014 Park Bench with Steve Buscemi Herself Episode: "Hair Apparent" 2014–15 The View Herself/Co-Host Guest Co-Host: Season 17, Main Co-Host: Season 18 2014–17 Aunt Rose (voice) Recurring Cast 2015 The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore Herself/Panelist Episode: "Starbucks's "Race Together" Campaign" American Masters Herself Episode: "The Women's List" 2016 Search Party Lorraine De Coss Recurring Cast: Season 1 2017 Then and Now with Andy Cohen Herself Recurring Guest Nightcap Herself Episode: "Guest in a Snake" Pure Phoebe O'Reilly Main Cast: Season 1 2017–19 Bounty Hunters Nina Morales Main Cast Elena of Avalor Dulce (voice) Recurring Cast: Season 2, Guest: Season 3 2018 Unsung Herself Episode: "The Boys" Project Runway All Stars Herself/Guest Judge Episode: "Posen on the Red Carpet" Rise Tracey Wolfe Main Cast 2019 High Maintenance Adriana Episode: "Proxy" She's Gotta Have It Doña Lucy Christina Episode: "#OhJudoKnow?" 2020–22 The Flight Attendant Megan Briscoe Main Cast 2021 Herself Episode: "Part 1-2" NYC Epicenters 9/11→2021½ Herself Episode: "Part 1-4" Maya and the Three Cipactli (voice) Recurring Cast 2022 Black Market with Michael K. Williams Herself/Guest Host Episode: "Thirst Trap" The DAZN Boxing Show Herself/Analyst Episode: "Canelo Álvarez vs. Gennadiy Golovkin III: Weigh-In" Now & Then Flora Neruda Main Cast Big City Greens Mrs. Torres Episode: "The Delivernator" 2022–23 Human Resources Petra the Ambition Gremlin (voice) Recurring Cast 2023 Your Honor Olivia Delmont Recurring Cast: Season 2 2024 Dancing with the Stars Herself/Guest Judge Episode: "Soul Train Night" SpongeBob SquarePants Suzie Groove (voice) Episode: "Tango Tangle" Fantasmas Bianca Episode: "The Void" City Island Rosey Rivet (voice) Episode: "Maker Hill" Before Denise Main Cast 2023–25 Big Mouth Petra (voice) Guest Cast: Season 7-8 2024–25 Grimsburg Martina Martinez (voice) Recurring Cast
Music video
1989 Joyce Irby featuring Doug E. Fresh "Mr. DJ"
Theatre
2002 Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune Frankie (replacement) Terrence McNally Belasco Theatre, Broadway 2004 Reckless Pooty / Sue Craig Lucas Biltmore Theatre, Broadway 2007 The Ritz Googie Gomez Terrence McNally Studio 54, Broadway 2015 Fish in the Dark Fabiana Melendez Larry David Cort Theatre, Broadway
Documentary
2000 My Generation 2005 Yo soy Boricua, pa'que tu lo sepas! 2006 Home 2008 Big Pun: The Legacy 2011 Brooklyn Boheme 2015 2016 Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall Muhammad Ali: A Life 2017 My Name Is Pedro 2018 Pa'lante 2020
Published works
External links
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