Michelle Rodriguez

Fame and fortune seem to have found Michelle Rodriguez. The 32-year-old Latin pop singer was born and raised in New York City, but soon after graduating from Rutgers University with a degree in Communications, she headed to L.A. to pursue a career in music. There, she managed to land a role in a TV series, and after a while, she was offered a film contract which led her to collaborate with Baz Luhrmann on the wildly popular musical, The Great Gatsby. The movie brought her to the attention of Hollywood, and ever since, she has been appearing in big and small films alike. She is one of the few who can lay claim to having a successful acting career while also managing to maintain a high profile as a singer. Here, we take a look at her remarkable story.

From New York To Hollywood

Rodriguez’s road to the top began when she was just a child. She had always been fascinated by the performing arts, and at an early age, she decided that she would like to be a famous opera singer. But her dream was far from realistic – her voice was simply not “legally” available. Undeterred, she headed to New York City determined to find a way to become a superstar. She eventually landed a role in a commercial for Victoria’s Secret which led to other opportunities. One of the ads she appeared in was for American Apparel, and after that, she was offered a role in a movie called Get Him to the Greek. She landed the part of “Ana,” a street-smart Bronx girl who befriends a rich, mostly white boy named Johnny Goth (played by Chris Brown). The film, which was mostly filmed in New York City, dealt with the pressures of New York high society and the temptations that come along with being a famous celebrity. One of the sequences that really stood out was Johnny’s party at which he invites all of his famous friends – including Rodriguez – to dance with him. It was an appearance in a movie about rich kids partying which made her a star. In the following years, she would appear in a number of other high-profile films, including the highly-acclaimed Spiderman franchise; she even managed to land a role in a Broadway musical. All the while, she was developing an incredible repertoire of songs which she performed regularly in clubs and on late-night talk shows. The Great Gatsby was to be her big break. She had gained a lot of fame for her role in the movie, and ever since, has been appearing in A-list films including Black Swan, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, and the latest Toy Story installment. In 2013, Forbes estimated her net worth at around 500 million USD.

More Than Just A Pretty Face

While Rodriguez’s good looks certainly helped her in her early years, it is arguably her voice that helped her the most. She has what is known as a “golden voice,” making her a unique talent in an industry where most of the other performers are unable to carry a note. She is also highly accomplished as an actress, and has a keen sense of when to be funny and when to be serious. In 2007, she was even nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Globes for her performance in Maid in Manhattan. Her versatility and charm make her a valuable asset to any film or TV project.

A Star Is Born

For a brief moment, it looked like Michelle Rodriguez’s dream of becoming a superstar was going to come true. Star is Born, directed by Bradley Cooper, is a remake of the 1976 film of the same name. The original Star is Born starred Barbra Streisand as a Hollywood star who falls in love with a struggling artist played by Jack Nicholson. Streisand’s character discovers the couple’s affair and steals the artist’s work, ruining his career. After stealing his work, Streisand tracks down the artist and encourages him to seek revenge. Jack Nicholson’s part was relatively small, but he became a bit of a cult figure among film buffs for his role as the struggling artist. What made the remake version special was that it starred Bradley Cooper as Jackson Maine, a famous Hollywood star who falls in love with a younger woman named Lori (played by Lady Gaga). The movie is considered one of the greatest love stories of all time because of Cooper’s and Lady Gaga’s incredible on-screen chemistry together. The pair’s on-screen chemistry is off the charts, and it seems that every scene they share is enough to make another movie. The story is considered so iconic that it has been remade twice, first in 2010 and then again in 2018. The sequel, which follows the story of Jackson Maine’s rise to fame, is currently in production.

The Successful Career

While her road to the top seemed endless, it was actually only the beginning for Michelle Rodriguez. She proved to be quite the valuable asset to the studios which recruited her, and in the years that followed, she continued to establish herself as one of the industry’s most in-demand actresses. In 2017 alone, she appeared in 12 different films, most of which were released that year. She won an NAACP Image Award for her supporting role in the Netflix series, Narcos, and was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Film for her performance in the movie, Darkest Hour. It is no wonder why Michelle Rodriguez has been called “the female Al Pacino.” Many people consider her to be one of the greatest actresses of her generation. At this stage in her career, she seems well-suited to be at the forefront of a new wave of Hispanic superstars.