Starting out with an award-winning breakthrough performance in an indie film that won her widespread acclaim, Michelle Rodriguez now has a recurring role in one of the highest grossing film franchises of all time. Playing Letty Ortiz in the 2001 blockbuster smash The Fast and the Furious, Rodriguez has appeared in the film’s numerous sequels, which have totalled well over $1 billion in sales at the box office. Rodriguez is often cast in tough-chick roles, blending beauty and brawn in characters that portray empowered women, shattering gender stereotypes in the process.
Next to her energetic portrayal of the street racing character Ortiz, Rodriguez has also had big parts in the likes of Resident Evil and S.W.A.T on top of appearances in music videos for pop giants like Drake, Demi Lovato, Lenny Kravitz and Ja Rule. TV work has kept her very much in the public eye with parts in popular shows like Punk’d, Running Wild With Bear Grylls and Germany’s Next Top Model. Rodriguez has also turned out star voice acting roles in films such as Smurfs: The Lost Village and has worked with celebrated contemporary directors such as Steve McQueen and James Cameron. A role in Cameron’s high-budget sci-fi adventure epic Avatar, which became the highest-grossing film in history, proved Rodriguez’s most successful film to date. Propelling her to new heights in Hollywood, this led to a critically acclaimed spot in Steve McQueen’s 2018 heist movie, Widows. Rodriguez is set to be reunited with James Cameron for Alia: Battle Angel in 2019, proving that she is still in high demand as her star continues to rise.
