Hollywood Michelle Rodriguez

PROFILE

Name : Michelle Rodriguez

Birth Name : Mayte Michelle Rodriguez

Date of Birth : 12 July 1978

Place of Birth : Bexar County, Texas, USA

Nickname : MRod

Height : 5' 5" (1.65 m)

Nationality : American

Occupation : Actress

Years active : 1999–presen

Zodiac Sign : Cancer



BIOGRAPHY & CAREER

Michelle Rodriguez was raised a Jehovah's Witness by her devoutly religious maternal grandmother, and has a total of ten half-siblings or siblings, some of whom she has never met.Michelle Rodriguez moved to the Dominican Republic with her mother when she was 8 and lived in Puerto Rico when she was 11, later settling in New Jersey. She dropped out of high school at age 17 (after having been kicked out of 6 different schools), but later earned her GED. as engaged to a man with Muslim beliefs whom she broke it off with after he informed her she'd have to change and "cover up" once they were married.Michelle Rodriguez briefly dated the Fast and Furious costar, Vin Diesel in 2001. From 2002 to 2004 Michelle Rodriguez was linked to a male model, and had been photographed with a couple of unknown men who appeared to be possible boyfriends.In late 2004/January 2005 tabloid rumors made speculation on Michelle Rodriguez's sexuality due to time spent with singer Blu Cantrell, though the relationship was ever confirmed.In March 2005 Michelle Rodriguez was spotted kissing her S.W.A.T. costar Olivier Martinez outside a hotel in Los Angeles and reportedly shouted to paparazzi "Can't a girl spend some time with her man alone?"Currently Michelle Rodriguez appears to be single, though she was recently spotted walking the red carpet at a People En Espanol gala with Prison Break star Amaury Nolasco.Michelle Rodriguez is also well known for the many problems she had with the law.In March 2002, Michelle Rodriguez was arrested and charged for assaulting her female roommate. The charges were later dropped after the roommate declined to press the allegations in court.In November 2003, Michelle Rodriguez went to court to face eight misdemeanor charges based on two road incidents: On July 22, Michelle Rodriguez left the scene of an accident after hitting another motorist. And on November 4, Michelle Rodriguez sped through an intersection while under the influence of alcohol. She had a suspended license both times.In June 2004, Michelle Rodriguez pleaded no contest in Los Angeles to three of the charges: hit and run, drunken driving, and driving with a suspended license. Michelle Rodriguez went to jail for 48 hours, performed community service at the morgues of two New York hospitals, completed a three-month alcohol program, and was placed on probation for three years. In 2005, while filming Lost in Hawaii, Michelle Rodriguez was pulled over by Honolulu police multiple times; she was cited for driving 83 mph in a 55 mph zone on Oahu on Nov. 1 and was fined $357, paid a $300 fine for driving 90 mph in a 35 mph zone on Oct. 20, was fined $197 for going 80 mph in a 50 mph zone on August 24.Michelle Rodriguez and her Lost costar, Cynthia Watros, who were driving in separate cars, were each pulled over and arrested on the morning of December 1, 2005 in Kailua, Hawaii. According to the arresting officers, the actresses were weaving in and out of traffic on Pali Highway, which connects Kailua and Honolulu. Michelle Rodriguez and Watros were arrested at 12:05 and 12:20 am, respectively, and both failed sobriety tests. They were booked at the main Honolulu police station for driving under the influence (Michelle Rodriguez was booked under her birth name, "Mayte Michelle Rodriguez"). They were released on $500 bail. Their police mugshots were posted at The Smoking Gun website. Michelle Rodriguez pleaded not guilty when arraigned, but on the day of her trial in April 2006, she pleaded guilty to one charge of driving under the influence. Michelle Rodriguez chose to pay a $500 fine and spend five days in jail instead of doing 240 hours of community service. Michelle Rodriguez blamed her allergy-relieving steroids for the drunk driving and "energetic" behaviour.During a May 2006 interview with on ABC's Good Morning America, Michelle Rodriguez said that the ordeal forced her to grow up. Her Lost character was killed off five months later, a development Rodriguez said was planned from the beginning which producers confirmed.Because the Kailua incident was a violation of her Los Angeles probation, Michelle Rodriguez was sentenced to 60 days in jail, a 30 day alcohol rehabilitation program and another 30 days of community service, including work for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, by a judge in Los Angeles on May 1, 2006. Because of overcrowding, Michelle Rodriguez was released from jail on the same day she entered it. Michelle Rodriguez will still have to serve the community service.Michelle Rodriguez was a struggling actress when she ran across an ad advertising an open casting call for the low-budget, independent film, Girlfight. Michelle Rodriguez beat out 350 other applicants for the part, and was cast in the starring role of Diana Guzman, a troubled teen who decides to channel her aggression by training to become a boxer. It was her first audition. The film was released in 2000, and Michelle Rodriguez's performance was recognized by both critics and audiences.Subsequently, Michelle Rodriguez has had notable roles in other successful movies, including The Fast and the Furious and Resident Evil. In 2002, she was ranked #77 in Stuff magazine's "102 Sexiest Women In The World", and #34 in Maxim's "100 Sexiest Women".In 2004, Michelle Rodriguez gave her voice to the hit video game "Halo 2", playing one of the Marines. Michelle Rodriguez also currently provides the voice of Liz Ricarro in the Cartoon Network series IGPX. From 2005 to 2006, she played tough cop Ana-Lucia Cortez on the television series.

Having run across an ad for an open casting call and attending her first audition, Rodriguez beat 350 other applicants to win her first role in the low-budget 2000 independent film, Girlfight. With her performance as Diana Guzman, a troubled teen who decides to channel her aggression by training to become a boxer, Rodriguez accumulated several awards and nominations for the role in independent circles, including major acting accolades from the National Board of Review, Deauville Film Festival, Independent Spirit Awards , Gotham Awards , Las Vegas Film Critics Sierra Awards, and many others. The film itself took home a top prize at the Sundance and won Award of the Youth at the Cannes Film Festival.
Subsequently, she has had notable roles in other successful movies, including The Fast and the Furious, Resident Evil, Blue Crush, and S.W.A.T. In 2004, Rodriguez lent her voice to the video game Halo 2, playing a Marine. She also provided the voice of Liz Ricarro in the Cartoon Network series IGPX. From 2005 to 2006, she played tough cop Ana Lucia Cortez on the television series Lost during the show's second season (the character's first appearance was a flashback on season 1's finale, Exodus: Part 1), and returned for a cameo in the second episode of the show's fifth season The Lie in 2009 and again in the penultimate episode of the series What They Died For in 2010. In 2006, Rodriguez was featured in her own episode of G4's show Icons.
In 2008, she appeared in Battle in Seattle alongside Charlize Theron. Rodriguez next appeared in the fourth installment of the The Fast and the Furious franchise, which was titled simply Fast & Furious and released to theaters on April 3, 2009. Rodriguez is in James Cameron's high-budget sci-fi adventure film Avatar, which was released to theaters on December 18, 2009. She also recently wrapped filming on Trópico de Sangre, an independent film based on the Dominican Republic's historic Mirabal sisters who were assassinated in 1960 by the Dominican dictator Trujillo for opposing his rule.
As of 20 July 2010, Rodriguez's films have grossed $1,272,734,719 in the United States and $3,686,521,043 worldwide.

FILMOGRAPHY

Girlfight (2000)
Deauville Film Festival Prize for Best Female Performance

Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance

National Board of Review Award for Best Breakthrough Performance by an Actress

Gotham Award for Breakthrough Performance

Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards for Best Female Newcomer

Nominated – Chicago Film Critics Association Awards for Most Promising Newcomer

Nominated – Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress

Nominated – Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Cinematic Debut/Breakthrough

Nominated – Chlotrudis Award for Best Actress

Nominated – Black Reel Award: Best Actress

Nominated – ALMA Award for Outstanding Latino Cast in a Feature Film

The Fast and the Furious (2001)
Nominated – ALMA Award for Best Actress in Film

3 A.M. (2001)
Nominated – ALMA Award for Outstanding Actor/Actress in a Made for Television Movie or Miniseries

Blue Crush (2002)

Resident Evil (2002)

S.W.A.T. (2003)
Imagen Foundation Award for Best Supporting Actress In A Film

Control (2004)

BloodRayne (2005)

The Breed (2006)

Battle in Seattle (2007)

Cats: The Movie (2008)

Gardens of the Night (2008)

Fast & Furious (2009)

Tropico de Sangre (2009)

Avatar (2009)

Machete (2010)

Battle: Los Angeles (2011)

Army of Two (2011)

Television Appearances

Punk'd (2005)

Immortal Grand Prix (2005)

Lost (2005-2006),(2009-2010)
ALMA Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Television Series

Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television

Adventures in Voice Acting (2007)

Video Game Voice-overs

True Crime: Streets of LA (2003)

Driv3r (2003)

Halo 2 (2004)

Avatar (2009)

AWARDS

Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
2006Got nomination for Saturn Awardcategory Best Supporting Actress on Television for Lost (2004) (TV)

ALMA Awards
2009Got nomination for ALMA Awardcategory Best Actress in Drama (Year in Television) for Lost (2004) (TV)
2009Got nomination for ALMA Awardcategory Best of the Year in Film - Actress for Fast and Furious (2009)
2006Won ALMA Awardcategory Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Television Series for Lost (2004) (TV)
2002Got nomination for ALMA Awardcategory Outstanding Actor/Actress in a Made for Television Movie or Miniseries for 3 A.M. (2001)

Black Reel Awards
2001Got nomination for Black Reelcategory Theatrical - Best Actress for Girlfight (2000)

Chicago Film Critics Association Awards
2000Got nomination for CFCA Awardcategory Most Promising Actress

Deauville Film Festival
2000Won Deauville Acting Prizecategory Best Female Performance for Girlfight (2000)

Gotham Awards
2000Won Gotham Breakthrough Awardfor Girlfight (2000)

Imagen Foundation Awards
2004Won Imagen Awardcategory Best Supporting Actress in a Film for S.W.A.T. (2003)

Independent Spirit Awards
2001Won Independent Spirit Awardcategory Best Debut Performance for Girlfight (2000)

Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards
2000Won Sierra Awardcategory Best Female Newcomer for Girlfight (2000)
2000Got nomination for Sierra Awardcategory Best Actress for Girlfight (2000)

MTV Movie Awards
2003Got nomination for MTV Movie Awardcategory Best On-Screen Team for Blue Crush (2002) shared with Kate Bosworth; Sanoe Lake

National Board of Review, USA
2000Won NBR Awardcategory Best Breakthrough Performance by an Actress for Girlfight (2000)

Online Film Critics Society Awards
2001Got nomination for OFCS Awardcategory Best Cinematic Debut/Breakthrough for Girlfight (2000)

Razzie Awards
2007Got nomination for Razzie Awardcategory Worst Supporting Actress for BloodRayne (2006)

Screen Actors Guild Awards
2006Won Actor Awardcategory Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series for Lost (2004) (TV) shared with Naveen Andrews; Emilie de Ravin; Matthew Fox

Teen Choice Awards
2001Got nomination for Teen Choice Awardcategory Film - Choice Breakout Performance