Gina Rodriguez is different. Not only is she poised, confident, and intelligent, but she is also an accomplished actress with a remarkable success story. Rodriguez is best known for her role as Jane on the CW television series
Jane the Virgin
, which first aired in 2013. In 2014, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role in the TV series.
Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago in an immigrant family, Rodriguez grew up with countless obstacles. In a
TIMES
interview about her family life, Rodriguez says that these obstacles led her to believe that she could not do particular things or achieve her goals. In the interview, her sister, Ivelisse, revealed that one of their cousins was caught in the middle of gang cross-fire outside of their house and died. It was not an easy way to grow up.
However, Rodriguez remarks that her parents were incredibly supportive of her and her sisters, and did not allow these obstacles to get in their way. Rodriguez recounts that every night while she slept, her father whispered in her and her sisters’ ears, “I will and I can.” He wanted to speak to the subconscious in order to impact their consciousness. Furthermore, none of the sisters were allowed to have a boyfriend until they were eighteen years old in an effort to avoid teenage pregnancy, which plagued other girls in their Chicago neighborhood.
Rodriguez’s father, Genaro, is a professional boxing referee, and all three sisters also grew up boxing. As a result of fantastic parenting, a supportive family environment, and motivated spirits, the three girls, Ivelisse, Rebecca, and Gina, all grew up to achieve their versions of the American dream. Ivelisse graduated from Harvard Business School and is currently a partner at a private equity firm. Rebecca is the medical director of a family-health clinic, and Gina is a successful actress. Rodriguez gives credit to her parents for creating an environment in which her and her sisters could thrive — academically, and in their careers.
Today, Gina Rodriguez has come a long way from her neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago. After high school, she attended the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, where she had four years of training at the Atlantic Theater Company and Experimental Theater Wing. She graduated in 2005 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Rodriguez landed her first role after graduation in the
Tiny Dancer
.
Next, she played the role of Frida Kahlo in
Casa Blue: The Last Moments in the Life of Frida Kahlo
at the American Stage Theater. She continued to land roles in TV, acting in the shows
Jonny Zero
,
Army Wives
, and
Law and Order
. She also acted in several indie films, one of which, called “Osvaldos,” was accepted into multiple film festivals. In this film, Rodriguez won best actor award at the First Run Film Festival in NY in 2010.
Later on in her career, Rodriguez guest starred on the TV shows
The Mentalist
,
Happy Endings
, and
Ten Things I Hate About You
. One of Rodriguez’s most exciting roles was her role as Filly in
Filly Brown
, which came out in theaters in 2013. For the film, she learned to rap and collaborated with music producers to create five original songs for the film. She also won an Imagen award for “Best Actress in a Feature Film” for
Filly Brown
. More recently, Rodriguez plays the voice of Una, an animated hedgehog in the 2017 animated film,
Ferdinand
.
In addition to acting, Rodriguez is a philanthropist and activist. She works with Inspirica, an organization that works with Latino leaders who positively influence their communities. In addition, she works with the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts and the Boyle Heights Learning Collaborative.
Evidently, Gina Rodriguez is an accomplished actress who will definitely achieve more in the future, whether it involves acting or not. Keep an eye out for what she does next.
