DOB: Born May 9, 1979, New York, USA
Career Highs:
At age 15, Rosario achieved every struggling actor's dream: she was "discovered." Director Larry Clark spotted her on the stoop of her apartment building and immediately cast her for the role of Ruby in the 1995 production Kids. Kids went on to become a controversial hit, and Dawson opted out of her college plans, choosing instead to attend the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute.
Career Lows:
Rosario Dawson was filming a movie called This Revolution when she was taken into custody for refusing to get off of the road at the site of a Republican National Convention in Madison Square Garden. The movie's director, Stephen Marshall, 36, of Toronto, was also arrested. Charges of disorderly conduct and obstructing governmental administration were later dropped.
Films:
Killshot (2006, In-Production), Sin City (2005), Rent (2005), Alexander (2004), The Rundown (2003), Shattered Glass (2003), Men in Black II (2002), Chelsea Walls (2002), 25th Hour (2002), Love in the Time of Money (2002), The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002), The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002), Josie and the Pussycats (2001), Josie and the Pussycats (2001), King of the Jungle (2001), Down to You (2000), Side Streets (1999), Light It Up (1999), He Got Game (1998), Kids (1995), The First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest, Sidewalks of New York, This Girl's Life, This Revolution, Descent, Vinyl, The Passion of the Clerks, Ash Wednesday
Racial/Ethnic Heritage: Puerto Rican, Afro-Cuban, Irish, Native American.
FAQ: Where did she grow up?
Rosario was raised in a Manhattan tenement building by her Bronx-born mother, a professional vocalist, and her father, who worked in construction. Dawson attended an alternative school in downtown Manhattan, where she aspired to one day become a marine biologist. Although Rosario's parents separated when she was still young, they continued to live in the same building, allowing Rosario and her brother to remain close to both parents.
FAQ: Rosario on the role of race in her career:
Given Rosario Dawson's multiracial heritage, she has been asked whether race has been an issue when it comes to landing roles. Her response is: "Sometimes there's resistance, sometimes there isn't," says Dawson. "It's interesting to see what kinds of scripts I'm sent, what directors think I can pull off."
FAQ: Rosario on race and self-identification:
Marie Claire features Rosario Dawson in the magazines December 2005 issue and quotes Rosario, "When I got the role of Roxane in Alexander, some people got really upset, like, 'Why did they hire a black girl?' Meanwhile, my friend who is Afghani said, 'You look just like my family, so I don't understand what people are so upset about.' Sometimes people say weird things, like, 'I don't understand why she just doesn't say she's black ‑- Puerto Ricans aren't that brown!'" Dawson sighs. "[Race] wasn't an issue for me until I got older and it became an issue for other people." She credits her family for giving her a deeply rooted sense of self-confidence. "My grandparents and my mom are very powerful people in terms of their values and self-worth," she says. "I've never been told any reason why I couldn't do anything I wanted."
Trivia:
Rosario took guitar lessons from Dawson's Creek star Joshua Jackson and one time co-star Eddie Murphy.
Rosario gifted her ALEXANDER co-star Colin Farrell with a black eye when a bedroom fight went too far.
Dawson's cell phone starts playing the Chaka Khan song "Ain't Nobody" when her Sex and the City boyfriend of 16 months, Jason Lewis, calls.
Also in the Spotlight on Celebrities series
Halle Berry
Thandie Newton
Tyson Beckford