Michelle Rodriguez, born Mayte Michelle Rodríguez on July 12, 1978, is an American actress known for her roles in films like Girlfight, Fast & Furious, Avatar and Resident Evil franchises.
She has won awards for her performances and has a diverse career spanning movies, television and voice acting in video games.
Rodriguez’s background includes a mix of European, African and Native American ancestry, and she has a strong presence in the entertainment industry with her production company and various film projects.
Siblings
Rodriguez has two siblings, namely Raul and Omar Rodriguez.
While Michelle is well-known for her acting career, her brothers have maintained a lower profile in the public eye.
Parents
Rodriguez’s parents are her mother, Carmen Milady Pared Espinal, a housewife from the Dominican Republic and her father, Rafael Rodríguez Santiago, a Puerto Rican U.S. Army soldier.
When Rodriguez was 8 years old, her parents divorced and she moved with her mother to the Dominican Republic for two years before relocating to Puerto Rico.
At age 11, the family settled in Jersey City, New Jersey.
A DNA test revealed that Rodriguez’s ancestry is 72.4% European, 21.3% African and 6.3% Native American.
She was partly raised by her devoutly religious maternal grandmother and brought up as a Jehovah’s Witness, though she later abandoned the faith.
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Career
Rodriguez began her acting career in 2000 with her breakout role as a troubled boxer in the independent film Girlfight.
The film was met with critical acclaim, earning her several awards including the Independent Spirit Award and Gotham Award for Best Debut Performance.
Rodriguez’s early career included roles in films like 3 A.M. and the blockbuster hit The Fast and the Furious, where she played Letty Ortiz.
She went on to star in other successful action films such as S.W.A.T., Blue Crush, Battle: Los Angeles and the Resident Evil franchise.
In 2005, Rodriguez joined the cast of the popular TV series Lost, playing the role of Ana Lucia Cortez. She has since reprised her role as Letty in several Fast & Furious sequels.
Rodriguez has also lent her voice to various video games like True Crime: Streets of LA, Driver 3, Halo 2.and Call of Duty: Black Ops II.
Her voice work extends to animated films as well, such as Turbo and Smurfs: The Lost Village.
With over 20 years in the industry, Rodriguez has established herself as a versatile actress known for playing tough, independent women in action films.
Her films have collectively grossed over $5 billion at the box office.
Awards
Rodriguez won the Independent Spirit Award and Gotham Award for Best Debut Performance for her role in the 2000 film Girlfight.
She won the ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film for her role in the 2003 film Blue Crush.
Rodriguez was nominated for a Teen Choice Award for her role in the 2004 film S.W.A.T.
She was honored with a Rising Star award from the National Hispanic Media Coalition in 2003 and the Latino Spirit Award from the California State Assembly in 2014.
Rodriguez won the Breakthrough Performance Award from the National Board of Review for her role in the 2006 film The Fast and the Tokyo Drift.
She won a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the 2009 film Avatar.
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