Michelle Rodriguez is a popular American actress, known for her roles as a fierce and independent woman in action films. Michelle has been on the Hollywood scene since the early 2000s, and continues to prove that her on-screen success is not in vain.
The biography of Michelle Rodriguez attracts a wide audience, as Vin Diesel's partner in the Fast and Furious action series combines explosive temperament and spectacular appearance. She is recognized as one of the "100 Hottest Girls" by men's magazine Maxim.
Childhood
The future actress was born in Texas. Her mother, Carmen Milady Paired, is from the Dominican Republic, and her father, Rafael Rodriguez, is an immigrant from Puerto Rico. The parents met in the USA. Rafael was a military man, and Carmen was busy giving birth to children from different men.
When the couple had a daughter, she became their tenth child. From childhood, the future star was distinguished by rebellious tendencies. She contradicted adults and constantly took part in street fights. When the baby turned 8 years old, the family collapsed.
The mother takes her daughter to her homeland in the Dominican Republic. There, her grandmother, who was a member of a religious sect, was closely involved in her upbringing. She tries to impose her worldview on her granddaughter, hoping that this will calm the girl’s violent temper. But there was no result.
Michelle did not respond to education and did not study well. Due to hooligan behavior, she was transferred from one school to another.
The change of educational institutions was also associated with relocation. When the girl was 12 years old, she and her mother returned to the United States and settled in Jersey City. Rodriguez spent her free time at a friend's house. She watched films and came up with her own versions of the stories shown on the screen.
Early years
In her senior year, Michelle, with her characteristic sense of purpose, decides that it is time to make her fantasies come true. She drops out of school and begins taking courses for directors and screenwriters. But very soon she realizes that she will achieve her dream faster if she becomes an actress.
Michelle Rodriguez in childhood
In 1998, Rodriguez goes to conquer New York. In order for at least someone to notice her, Michelle participates in all castings and screen tests. But luck was not very favorable - the young actress was invited to act only in extras. This does not disappoint stubborn Michelle; on the contrary, it forces her to put even more effort into overcoming obstacles.
Youth: New Jersey - New York
In her senior year, Rodriguez, with her characteristic determination, dropped out of another school and told her family about her desire to become a screenwriter or director. To confirm the seriousness of her intentions, the seventeen-year-old girl enrolled in courses, but over time she realized that she would achieve her cherished dream faster if she became an actress. Michelle set out to conquer New York and, with her characteristic tenacity, methodically attended various castings.
Michelle Rodriguez has been stubborn and independent since childhood.
In her free time, the girl went to great lengths, meeting guys, attending noisy parties, unleashing all her inner demons. Small cameo roles in the films “Summer of Sam” and “The Ship Will Rock” inspired the aspiring actress to audition for Karyn Kusama’s new film “Female Fight.” “Female Fight” - trailer Self-confident, assertive and stubborn, Michelle beats all the contenders for the main role of Diana at the casting, and there were over three hundred of them. In addition, the producers were attracted by the girl’s unusual appearance and her internal similarity to the main character of the sports drama. Is boxing not for women? Diana-Michelle proved that this is a myth. To truly get used to the role, Rodriguez worked with a trainer for six months. The film caused an unprecedented wave of discussions, and a previously unknown actress received well-deserved awards for best debut and breakthrough in cinema.
Along the steps of the career ladder
Filming in small episodic roles gave the aspiring actress incredible confidence in her own talent. She decides to take part in the casting of the new film “Female Fight”.
Having assessed Michelle's appearance and character, the producers make an unprecedented decision. They rejected several hundred applicants, among whom were already quite popular actresses, and invited the unknown Rodriguez to play the main role.
"Women's Fight" is a sports drama where the main character decides to become a boxer in order to learn how to defend herself. The willful Michelle fits perfectly into this role. She trained her sports skills for 6 months and proved that boxing is not only for men.
After the release of the film comes overwhelming success. Viewers are vigorously discussing the new star, and critics are nominating her for prestigious film awards. The role in “Female Fight” opened up new opportunities. Action star Vin Diesel says he wants Rodriguez to be his partner in the Fast and the Furious action movie.
The actress signed a contract for long-term cooperation and plunged into the world of extreme sports and speed. In the story, the main character's chosen one, Letty Ortiz, works as a mechanic and participates in street racing. However, Michelle had never driven before.
Michelle and Vin Diesel were in a romantic relationship during the filming of The Fast and the Furious
The girl took driving lessons for several months and finally received a license. What's impressive is that the novice driver got the hang of it so well that she was able to take part in the chase instead of a stunt double.
Rodriguez's screen image inspired viewers. Young girls sought to imitate the strong-willed and independent heroine. And the directors saw great potential in this role and invited Michelle to star in action films and blockbusters.
She was born on July 12, 1978 in Texas, in the town of San Antonio, in the family of a Puerto Rican, an American army soldier, and a native of the Dominican Republic. When the girl was 8 years old, her parents divorced, and she had to leave with her mother for the Dominican Republic. She lived in Puerto Rico until she was 11 years old, and then the family returned to America, to New Jersey. The energetic and beautiful Michelle tried to get into show business from her youth: the girl dreamed not only of acting fame, she also dreamed of writing scripts and directing films. At the age of 17, Michelle began acting in crowd scenes in films and commercials, but without much success. One day, after four years of castings, the girl accidentally saw an advertisement for an audition for the low-budget film “Female Fight.” 21-year-old Rodriguez beat out more than three hundred candidates and won the leading role of Diana Guzmen, a girl who, out of desperation, became a boxer. Michelle grabbed this chance and selflessly prepared for the role. The coach was very impressed with her sporting achievements: he admitted that the actress could easily become a professional boxer. Brave, daring, with a rebellious character, the actress perfectly embodied her first heroine on the screen. The film was released in 2000. Successes followed one after another. Already her third film work made Michelle famous throughout the world. In 2000, she was cast in Rob Cohen's film The Fast and the Furious (2001), about an extreme racer, where she played the role of crazy badass Letty Ortiz. Vin Diesel became her partner on the set. The film was an incredible box office success: it grossed more than $207 million worldwide (with a budget of $38 million). 23-year-old Rodriguez instantly turned into a movie star. Then Michelle again played in a successful film, the thriller by Paul W. S. Anderson “Resident Evil” (2002), where she fought a mystical virus in a duet with Milla Jovovich.
The actress gained resounding popularity from her role as rebel police officer Anna Lucia Cortez in the TV series Lost (2004-2010): the television project was a hit for six years. In addition, the television series allowed the actress to show her dramatic abilities: she showed new facets of her acting talent. However, Rodriguez created the image of a tough and expressive girl in life, largely thanks to numerous scandals. So, in 2002, she stood trial on charges of beating her flatmate, and in 2004 she was sentenced to 48 hours in prison and community service for violating traffic rules. In 2005, bisexual actress Christianne Loken admitted that she had a relationship with Michelle, although she insists that she is not a lesbian. The year 2009 brought the 31-year-old actress a second wave of mass popularity. She starred in the big-budget sci-fi adventure film Avatar by James Cameron and in the fourth installment of the famous Fast and the Furious film. In 2010, Rodriguez appeared alongside Jessica Alba and Danny Trejo in Robert Rodriguez's film Machete, about a hitwoman framed by her clients. In 2012, the 34-year-old actress decided to bring her literary abilities to life and began working on the scripts of two films at once: a family film and an adventure film about four escaped female prisoners. At the same time, Michelle starred in the sequels of her star films: “Fast and Furious 6”, “Machete Kills” and “Resident Evil: Retribution”.
Personal life
The actress’s love relationship is one of the most discussed topics in gossip columns. The first serious romance was with a man of Eastern nationality. He invited Michelle to officially seal their union, but under certain conditions.
Rodriguez had to convert to Islam and change the role of a rising movie star to the role of an obedient wife and mother of his children. Despite the warm feelings, the girl understood that marriage to a Muslim would suppress her freedom-loving nature. The couple broke up shortly before filming of The Fast and the Furious began.
Vin Diesel
In an interview with reporters, the actress said that she often falls in love with her colleagues on the set. This happened with Vin Diesel. Their love story in the film grew into a whirlwind romance in reality. But the romantic relationship soon ended.
Olivier Martinez
Michelle did not miss the opportunity to start an affair with her partner in the film “SWAT” Olivier Martinez. Paparazzi often noticed them together, despite the fact that the actor was not free. At that time, his lover was singer Kylie Minogue.
In some photographs of the star you can see a wedding ring. But all attempts by journalists to find out details remained in vain. Rodriguez carefully hides his personal life from prying eyes.
Michelle Rodriguez and Cara Delevingne did not hide their romantic relationship
Lovers and Mistresses
After the film star began to zealously speak out in support of sexual minorities, the media space was actively filled with rumors about her non-traditional sexual orientation. Michelle categorically denied this, but in one of the interviews she did let slip that she was also attracted to the female sex.
Later, there was no point in hiding this fact, since unambiguous photographs of Rodriguez in the company of the famous model Cara Delevingne were leaked online. An intimate relationship with another model, Kristanna Loken, became known from a scandalous interview. Perhaps for Rodriguez, gender is not as important as attractive appearance.
Her next lover was also a catwalk celebrity. Jordan Barrett is a young model from Australia. The actress was already 40 years old when she was spotted on vacation with a 22-year-old “glossy” boy in a fashionable hotel on the Cote d'Azur.
In addition to relationships with models, Michelle is also credited with a short affair with one of Hollywood's sex symbols, actor Zac Efron
Movies
At age 20, Michelle Rodriguez moved to New York. At first, the film actress acted in crowd scenes and actively attended castings. In 1999, Michelle played two roles in the films The Cradle Will Rock and Summer of Sam. The audience didn't even notice the young actress. Such indifference spurred Michelle on, but fate soon rewarded Rodriguez for her perseverance. One day, the actress saw an advertisement about the casting of actors for the film “Female Fights”. Rodriguez was late for the audition and read the text haltingly, but the aspiring actress somehow miraculously managed to win over the director. She was selected for the role out of 350 applicants. The creative biography of Michelle Rodriguez has begun.
The debutante had to work with a boxing coach for almost 6 months to make the performance on camera believable. The girl did great. After the premiere of "Women's Fights" they started talking about Michelle.
In 2001, Michelle starred in the film “3 o’clock in the morning”, then there was the film “Fast and Furious”. A year later - work in the horror film “Resident Evil” and filming in the youth film “Blue Wave”. In her films, the actress embodied an image close to her – a sexy girl who was ready to stand up for herself.
In 2003, the actress starred in the action film “Special Forces of the City of Angels.” In 2004, Rodriguez finished filming the film “Control” and immediately began working on the series “Lost.”
Every year, Michelle Rodriguez delighted fans with new acting work. The action film Bloodrain, in which Michelle played one of the main roles, collected 6 Golden Raspberry nominations. At the same time, neither critics nor viewers questioned Rodriguez's acting talent.
In 2009, Michelle was invited to the high-profile and expensive project “Avatar”. The plot of the film was based on the struggle between humanity and aliens. Rodriguez hoped that after the premiere they would talk about her all over the world. Indeed, “Avatar” met the expectations of the creative team - the film’s box office gross was on par with the Oscar-winning “Titanic.”
While viewers were watching interplanetary ups and downs, the actress was filming Fast and Furious 4 and Machete.
Michelle Rodriguez
In 2013, the American’s fans seriously sounded the alarm. Michelle Rodriguez admitted in an interview that she intends to pause her acting career to take up writing.
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The film actress told the press that she came into show business to become a writer, but ended up in cinema. According to Rodriguez, to realize this goal, she plans to settle in the mountains and find a source of inspiration for her novel. Nevertheless, several years have passed since this statement, and Michelle continues to delight TV viewers with her performances on the set.
Best films
The top ten films starring Michelle Rodriguez include:
- "Pack." A horror film with an unpredictable ending, in which the heroine and her friends try to escape from an attack by monster dogs.
- "Control". A crime thriller in which Michelle played the role of drug addict Teresa. A criminal falls in love with her and, in order to escape a death sentence, agrees to become a test subject for a secret medical experiment.
- "Battle of Seattle" A feature-documentary film about the demonstration that led to the disruption of a meeting of the World Trade Organization. Lou, played by Rodriguez, takes to the streets with a desire to change the world for the better.
- "Machete". Action comedy with a stellar cast. The main character Luz disguises herself as a simple tortilla seller, but in reality she is the founder of a large-scale corporation that helps Mexican illegal immigrants.
- "Blue Wave". Hawaiian story about three friends. They work as maids, and in their free time they conquer the waves of the Pacific Ocean on a surfboard.
- "SWAT" A crime thriller in which Michelle starred as SWAT officer Chris Sanchez.
- "Resident Evil". In this fantastic thriller, Rodriguez played in a duet with Milla Jovovich. Together they fight a virus that turns people into zombies.
- "Women's fight." Diana is simply plagued by trouble because of her explosive temperament. She grew up in a gangster area, where it is simply impossible to survive without the use of physical force. This influenced the girl’s choice of profession - she becomes a boxer.
- "Avatar". The film brought immense popularity to Michelle, although her role was not one of the main ones. Her heroine, pilot Trudy Chacon, is outraged by the injustice and cruelty towards the inhabitants of the planet Pandora. She refuses to carry out her combat mission and helps the natives in a large-scale battle with the military.
- "Fast and Furious". Race car driver Letty Ortiz, played by Rodriguez, falls in love with a criminal and is forced to become a member of a criminal gang.
Career: from “The Fast and the Furious” to “The Widow”
Having seen “Girlfight,” Vin Diesel told director Rob Cohen, who was filming “The Fast and the Furious” (2001) at the time, about his desire to see Rodriguez as a partner in the film.
The action genre fascinated Michelle for many years, but filming the very first film was what she remembered most. If Paul Walker was remembered by the viewer as the main handsome man of the film, and Vin Diesel as a stern Superman, then Michelle Rodriguez, after the release of the action film, gained the fame of a strong-willed and independent girl, whom millions of fans began to imitate. "Fast and Furious" 2001 - trailer Directors mercilessly exploited this image of the actress, so in 2002 Michelle became the brutal mercenary Rain in Poul Anderson's "Resident Evil". Together with Milla Jovovich, they created a unique duet of confrontation between good and evil. The same year, Rodriguez starred in John Stockwell's sports melodrama Blue Wave, a film about female surfers. The picture partly echoed the project “Point Break,” where Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves played, so Michelle immediately stated how she sees Eden’s image. And the writers had to agree with the actress’s logical arguments. "Blue Wave" - trailer Strong, independent, attractive Rodriguez played Officer Chris with equal expressiveness in the crime thriller "SWAT: Special Forces of the City of Angels" (partners - Samuel L. Jackson and Colin Farrell), Teresa in the crime drama "Control" (partners - Ray Liotta and Willem Dafoe), Katharine in the horror film Bloodrain. The project “Lost” has a special place in the actress’s filmography, since Michelle again stipulated that her heroine Ana Lucia Cortez will die. In 2006-2008, Rodriguez played Nikki in the horror-comedy The Pack, and then she was offered only minor roles in the dramas Battle in Seattle and Night Gardens. 2009 brought the long-running Fast and the Furious franchise into the actress’s cinematic life; for many years she played Letty, the chosen one of the main character. As Michelle herself said, “Fast and Furious” is both her mark and a gift from fate. In the same year, the girl became a member of James Cameron's team working on the fantastic Avatar. Its pilot, Trudy Chacon, a rebel like Rodriguez, was killed in action. The project brought the actress not only money and renewed popularity, but also experience working with such Hollywood stars as Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang.
Michelle Rodriguez in the movie "Avatar"
In subsequent years, the actress was busy in the next series of “Fast and the Furious”, and also starred in such films as “Tropic of Blood” (Minerva Mirabal), “Machete” (Luz), “Alien Invasion” (Elena Santos). In 2012, Michelle met again with Milla Jovovich in Resident Evil. Retribution" by Paul W.S. Anderson, and then participated in Vince Offer’s unusual project “Indecent Comedy” along with Rob Schneider and Noelle Kenny. “Widows” - trailer 2021 ended with a serious multi-faceted role for Rodriguez. Linda, one of four widows (the other three are played by Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo), becomes the mastermind of the robbery. Women will find out who framed their husbands and why they died. As the actress admits, it was this role that helped her understand and accept many of her mother’s actions. The crime drama “Widows” was released at the end of the year and has already received many enthusiastic responses.
Michelle Rodriguez now
Rodriguez's career is currently completely successful. Films with her participation earned about $7 billion. Some critics may argue that she plays the same role - a strong and courageous woman.
Michelle is one of the most successful actresses in the history of action films
However, directors know that if they can convince Rodriguez to star in such a role in their film, then there is no doubt that it will be a box office hit. Some time ago, the screen star stunned her fans with the news that she had decided to leave cinema and seriously engage in literary work and directing.
She plans to implement three projects:
- drama about drug addicts;
- spy thriller based on conspiracy theories;
- film for children.
In addition to a successful film career, Rodriguez enjoys performing as a DJ in nightclubs. As Michelle herself says: “I like to play for a mature crowd. I can start with modern music, then go back to the 30s, and then through the 60s, 70s and 80s kick open the door of hip-hop and mix it with electronic music."
In social networks
The actress understands that she is an opinion leader for many people. Therefore, she actively uses her social networks to promote ideas that are close to her in spirit. Michelle grew up among different nationalities, learning about the cultures and social differences of peoples.
Now, on her Instagram page, she actively promotes the ideas of equality and calls for the fight against racial discrimination. The movie star shares footage from filming and social events with his fans.
- https://www.instagram.com/mrodofficial/?hl=ru;
- https://twitter.com/mrodofficial.
What Michelle loves most is the morning sea
