Voice for Equality: Rosie Perez

January 13, 2010

Rosie Perez is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, director, and community activist. She started her career in the late 1980s as a dancer on Soul Train and has choreographed music videos by Janet Jackson, Bobby Brown, Diana Ross, LL Cool J and The Boys. She was noticed in a dance club by Spike Lee in 1989, who hired her for her first major acting role in Do the Right Thing. She made her Broadway debut in Terrence McNally's Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune. Perez had her third major role in the hit comedy White Men Can't Jump co-starring Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson. Pérez was nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Peter Weir's 1993 film Fearless. In 1997 she starred in Perdita Durango, a controversial film in which many scenes of excessive violence, sex and nudity were edited out of the version released in the United States. She provides the voices of Click, the camera, on Nick Jr.'s Go Diego Go! and Chel, a beautiful native woman in the DreamWorks Animation film The Road to El Dorado. She played corrupt police officer Carol Brazier in the Judd Apatow-produced film Pineapple Express co-starring Seth Rogen and James Franco. Learn more here.

Ms. Perez was photographed wearing a White Knot at the Spirit Awards in Santa Monica, CA on February 21, 2009. The White Knot for Equality organization is dedicated to the idea of marriage equality. One of their quotes is “Everyone should have the right to tie the knot,” and they illustrate this point by producing and distributing White Knots nationally and worldwide. They encourage marriage equality supporters to “wear the White Knot every day to show support and to create conversation. Share the White Knot and spread the word that all loving couples deserve the same legal rights, benefits, and respect that civil marriage bestows." [Link]

Freedom to Marry salutes Rosie Perez as a Voice for Equality! Learn about other Voices for Equality here.

If Ms. Perez's support inspires you, get involved.

**Make your NOMINATION for a Voice for Equality today!