Rosie Perez was born Rosa Maria Perez on September 6, 1964 in Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York to parents of Puerto Rican descent.  She was raised by her beloved aunt, Ana Otero, who was already raising five children. 

Rosie moved to California, as the story goes, to study marine biology but found work as a featured dancer on TV's Soul Train.  She never intended to be an actress but Karma knocked on her door & the rest is history.

She was "discovered" by famous director Spike Lee while she was dancing at an LA nightclub.  From that chance meeting Spike helped launch Rosie's career in Do The Right Thing.

Playing Tina from the hood in Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing, Rosie was admired for her acting chops.  In that role Rosie appeared with her traditional dark Puerto Rican curly & frizzy hair.

Although Rosie was spectacular in the 1993 movie Fearless, she was passed over for any acting awards which was unfortunate, since she is a brilliant actress.

On October 14, 2007 Rosie Perez Told Michael Musto of Out Magazine that it was she who discovered Jennifer Lopez and brought the ‘In Living Color’ singer into the limelight.   Rosie reported hat all the claims made by Jlo that someone else brought her into stardom were false.  "I'm the one that hired Jennifer Lopez. Even though she tells everyone Keenan Ivory Wayans was,” New York Post quoted her, as telling. 

“He didn't want her (Jennifer Lopez) because she was overweight and didn't dance well, but I said, 'She has star quality,’” she said. (ANI)

As of October 2007 Rosie was starring in 'The Ritz' at Studio 54 in NYC as Googie Gomez in the Broadway play about a gay bathhouse at the height of the Studio 54 era.  The play runs until December 2, 2007.