Rosie Perez, the OG Fly Girl - Hispanic Heritage Month

It’s Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15th - October 15th, and today I’m highlighting Rosie Perez!

You may recognize her as the original “Fly Girl” from “In Living Color”, or as Tina in “Do The Right Thing”, or as Gloria Clemente in “White Men Can’t Jump”, a couple of Spike Lee Joints. She’s also known as the “First Lady of Boxing”. Her contribution to the culture is undeniable.

Originally from Brooklyn, NYC, Rosie spent time in foster care, but eventually moved in with her paternal aunt. She made the move to the west coast after high school and got her start while attending Los Angeles City College in the early 80’s. To relieve stress, she would go out dancing at nightclubs. A talent scout for Soul Train recruited her to appear on the popular show. She loved dancing so much that she dropped out of school to pursue it.

In 1988, while at a dance club, she caught the eye of director Spike Lee. He ended up hiring her for her first major acting role, “Do The Right Thing”. That would spark a 36-year and counting acting career for Perez.

Rosie would later go on to choreograph music videos for many notable artists, including Bobby Brown, Janet Jackson, and LL Cool J. Her experience as a choreographer led her to become the choreographer for the Fly Girls, who would appear prominently on Fox’s sketch comedy show “In Living Color”, created and produced by Keenan Ivory Wayans.

She would go on to be nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in “Fearless”. She’s appeared in 42 films, including this year’s Spike Lee Joint, “Highest 2 Lowest”, in which she makes a cameo as herself.

Perez has also been nominated for five Emmy’s, a Golden Globe, a SAG award, and two NAACP Image Awards. She’s also appeared in four Broadway plays including Fish in the Dark by Larry David.

She has also used her platform to serve as an activist for issues she cares deeply about, such as issues affecting Puerto Ricans and AIDS awareness, receiving recognition from former US President Barrack Obama for her work on AIDS issues in underserved communities.

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