Rosie Perez

Brooklyn-born actress/choreographer Rosie Perez attended Los Angeles City College before making the cattle-call rounds for dancing jobs. She worked a few seasons with the TV variety series Soul Train, then went on to perform at the LA club Funky Reggae. Here she was spotted by director Spike Lee, who cast her in a choice role in his 1989 film Do The Right Thing. She can also be seen dancing to the title tune under the opening credits. As a choreographer, Perez has staged shows for Diana Ross and Bobby Brown, and was Emmy-nominated for her work on the Fox comedy/variety series In Living Color (1990-94). She has been shown to best advantage on screen in explosive supporting roles, such as the Jeopardy-obsessed girlfriend of Woody Harrelson in White Men Can’t Jump (1992) and the hilariously covetous wife of lottery winner Nicholas Cage in It Could Happen to You (1994). On a more sombre note, Perez was excellent as the troubled plane-crash survivor in Fearless (1993) and received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. In 1997, Perez travelled to Spain to play the title role in Alex de Iglesia’s wild Perdita Durango. —allmovie guide