Michelle Rodriguez

Michelle Rodriguez biography

Michelle Rodriguez is Hollywood’s bad girl, combining the volcano of passion, rebellious spirit, purposefulness, and charismatic non-standard appearance. However, Linda’s part in the crime thriller Widows (2018), directed by Steve McQueen, turned the perception of the actress ‒ the viewer saw a different Rodriguez.

In the photo: Michelle Rodriguez

Childhood: San Antonio ‒ Dominican Republic ‒ New Jersey

The girl, who was born in a large family of Puerto Rican Rafael Rodriguez and Dominican woman Carmen Milady Pared in the summer of 1978, was named Mayte Michelle. Among the nine children, who Carmen gave birth from different men, it was Michelle who since early childhood distinguished herself as a human with an independent and stubborn character that surrendered neither to punishment nor religious education. At the age of eight, she remembered well the divorce of parents and the relocation of the whole, then incomplete family to their mother’s homeland.

Michelle Rodriguez in childhood and now

The grandmother, true adherent of Jehovah’s Witnesses, undertook to quell off the proud disposition of the disobedient girl. But she failed. Michel was a madcap; she was not afraid of contradicting adults and participated in all street fights, protecting the weaker. Her behavior became a stumbling-block for teachers, she constantly changed schools, the girl did not attach much importance to education, even when the family moved back to America and settled in New Jersey.

Rodriguez's classmates and neighbors were Hispanic, Indians, and the guys from the Middle East. Michelle perceived the differences between the cultures of different nations, got used to peaceful coexistence. At that time her favorite pastime was watching videos at a friend’s home. The girl commented on what was happening and imagined how much better the story she could herself come up with. The bent for the descriptions of events poured into diary entries that were short and not smooth but gave Michel inexplicable pleasure.

Youth: New Jersey ‒ New York

In her graduation class, Rodriguez left another school with her characteristic determination and told her family about her desire to become a screenwriter or film director. In confirmation of the seriousness of her intentions, the seventeen-year-old girl entered the courses, but over time she realized that she would come to the cherished dream more quickly if she became an actress. Michelle went to conquer New York and methodically attended various castings with her characteristic persistence.

Since childhood, Michelle Rodriguez has distinguished herself as a human with a stubborn and independent character

In her spare time, the girl went on the spree, meeting with guys, attending noisy parties, releasing all her inner demons. Not big bit parts in the films Summer of Sam and Cradle Will Rock inspired the beginning actress to go through casting for Karyn Kusama’s new film Girlfight.

Girlfight ‒ trailer

During the audition, confident, go-ahead, and stubborn Michelle outpaced all the claimants to the lead role of Diana, and there were more than three hundred claimants. In addition, the unusual appearance of the girl and her inner similarity with the main character of the sports drama attracted the producers. Boxing is not a women’s business? Diana-Michelle proved that this is a myth. To get the feel of her part, Rodriguez worked with the coach for six months. The film caused an unprecedented wave of discussions, and the previously unknown actress received well-deserved rewards for the best debut and breakthrough in cinema.

Career: from The Fast and the Furious to Widows

After seeing Girlfight, Vin Diesel said to director Rob Cohen, who was shooting The Fast and the Furious(2001) at the time, about his desire to see Rodriguez as his film partner. The action genre fascinated Michelle for many years, but most of all remembered the shooting in the very first film. If after the release of the action movie Paul Walker was remembered by the viewer as the main handsome in the film, and Vin Diesel as a stern superman, then Michelle Rodriguez got the glory of a strong-willed and independent girl who millions of fans began to imitate.

The Fast and the Furious 2001 ‒ trailer

The directors mercilessly exploited this image of the actress. For example, in 2002, Michelle became a cruel mercenary Rain in the Resident Evil, directed by Paul Anderson. Together with Milla Jovovich they created an inimitable duo of confrontation between good and evil. In the same year, Rodriguez starred in John Stockwell’s Blue Crush sports melodrama, a film about surfers. The movie partly had something in common with the project Point Break where Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves played, so Michelle immediately specified how she saw the image of Eden. And the screenwriters had to agree with the logical arguments of the actress.

Blue Crush ‒ trailer

Strong, independent, and attractive Rodriguez played with equal expressiveness as officer Chris in the criminal thriller S.W.A.T. (partners ‒ Samuel L. Jackson and Colin Farrell), Teresa in the crime drama Control (partners ‒ Ray Liotta and Willem Dafoe), Katarin in the horror film BloodRayne. The project Lost occupies a special line in the filmography of the actress because Michelle again specified: her character Ana Lucia Cortez will die. In 2006 - 2008, Rodriguez played as Nicki in the comedy horror film The Breed, and then she was offered only supporting roles in the dramas Battle in Seattle and Gardens of the Night.

2009 brought the long-term franchise The Fast and the Furious in the cinematographic life of the actress. For many years she performed Letty, the girlfriend of the lead character. As Michelle herself said, The Fast and the Furious is her brand and the gift of fate. In the same year, the girl became a member of the James Cameron team, working on science fiction Avatar. Her character, the pilot Trudy Chacon, who was a rebel like Rodriguez herself, died in battle. The project brought the actress not only money and again increased popularity, but also experience with such Hollywood geniuses as Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang.

Michelle Rodriguez in the movie Avatar

In the following years, the actress was busy in the next episodes of The Fast and the Furious, and also starred in such movies as Tropico de Sangre (Minerva Mirabal), Machete (Luz), and Battle: Los Angeles (Elena Santos). In 2012, Michelle met again with Milla Jovovich on the set of the Resident Evil: Retribution by Paul W.S. Anderson and then participated in Vince Offer’s project InAPPropriate Comedy with Rob Schneider and Noelle Kenney.

Widows ‒ trailer

The year 2018 ended for Rodriguez with a serious multifaceted role. Linda, one of four widows (three more are performed by Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo), became the mastermind for the robbery. The women found out who set their husbands up and why they died. As the actress admits, it was this role that helped her understand and accept many actions of her own mother. The crime drama Widows was released at the end of 2018 and has already collected many enthusiastic responses.

Michelle Rodriguez personal life

Michelle’s first love was a man, who is an orderly manner wished that the girl, like him, became a Muslim. In spite of the feelings, Rodriguez broke up with the man who infringed even upon her inner freedom. It happened on the eve of the shooting of the first The Fast and the Furious, and on the set, the actress fell in love and reciprocated her partner Vin Diesel. The love-affair was short; the couple broke up in a friendly way.

Michelle Rodriguez and Vin Diesel

In her interviews, Rodriguez admitted that she often falls in love with film partners, as it was with Olivier Martinez, with whom they worked together on the film S.W.A.T.. But the long and serious relationship is not in Michelle’s spirit; furthermore, she hinted to journalists at her bisexual inclinations that were soon confirmed by photographs, in which the actress very clearly demonstrated her feelings for the model Cara Delevingne. But having satisfied her curiosity in relationship with a woman, Rodriguez began dating a man again. This time her choice was Zac Efron. But this relationship also faded away.

Zac Efron and Michelle Rodriguez

When Michelle was asked by journalists whether she saw herself next to her husband wearing loose boxers and a screaming baby in her arms, the woman with the straightforwardness inherent to her answered that the baby is quite possible, but the man in underwear is not needed even for anything. “I need a strong man,” said Hollywood’s most independent and by no means law-abiding actress.

Actress Michelle Rodriguez

Her problems with the law began with the beating of her roommate in 2002. Then, alcohol abuse and driving under the influence of alcohol led Rodriguez to several accidents, fines, and even community service and compulsory treatment.

Michelle Rodriguez now

The beginning of 2019 promises to fans of the talent of this extraordinary actress a meeting with cyborg Gelda in a science fiction melodrama Alita: Battle Angel, screenplay by James Cameron. Again Michel will play the warrior and hunter of the future, but the nuance of her part in the search for love and self-knowledge of herself as a woman. Franchise The Fast and the Furious continues. According to the actress, the filming of the eighth part of the film was accompanied by incessant laughter thanks to the actors Jason Statham and Dwayne Johnson, who entertained the entire film crew with funny stories and jokes. The actress is happy with the opportunity to continue shooting but complains that The Fast and the Furious takes too much time and, according to her feelings, is not going to come to an end.

Forty-year-old Rodriguez also announced her determination to seriously take up literary work and directing, although she immediately complained that she was not diligent.

The actress intends to implement three projects, one of which is a drama about drug addicts. She considers a spy thriller, based on conspiracy theories, as the second one in importance. Michelle is going to invite to this project the most significant Hollywood actresses. And the third film will be for children, but Rodriguez has not expatiated about the storyline yet.

Heather Nelson

As I understand it, Rodriguez wants to make a series of films... Well, we`ll wait. Interesting :)

2021-05-08 21:07:04
Oscar Reyes

Well wow, this fragile girl beat up her neighbor ??? What a nightmare I did not expect from her

2021-04-15 20:52:30
Justin Antonio Jones

Who else in Hollywood has not fallen in love with Cara Delevingne :) Michelle Rodriguez including!

2021-04-07 17:06:54
Ellen King

«Blue Crush» is a very good film by the way. And in general Rodriguez is cool

2021-03-28 15:43:09
Caleb Jack Perry

In the movie «Fast and the Furious» Michelle played great! As Ortiz she is great :)

2021-03-22 16:14:42