Line #36 Creator/MichelleRodriguez


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11	->''1. Michelle Rodriguez's closet is filled wall to wall with nothing but black tank tops.''\
12	''2. Michelle Rodriguez is always a cop. Except when she's a Marine.''\
13	''3. Michelle Rodriguez has a nasty habit of getting herself killed all the time.''
14	-->-- '''[[http://www.cracked.com/funny-6301-michelle-rodriguez/ Cracked.com]]'''
15
16	Mayte Michelle Rodriguez (born July 12, 1978) is a Latina American[[note]]mother Dominican, father Puerto Rican; she herself was born in San Antonio, Texas[[/note]] actress best known for playing stoic, badass ActionGirl characters (that are often in the army or a police officer) in movies such as ''Franchise/TheFastAndTheFurious'' franchise, ''Film/ResidentEvil2002'', ''Film/{{Avatar}}'', and ''Film/{{Machete}}''. She also made a brief foray into television by playing -- you guessed it -- a badass cop character that dies in ''Series/{{Lost}}''. [[ChronicallyKilledActor She tends to die often in movies,]] [[VasquezAlwaysDies but at least in a badass way.]]
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18	She came out as bisexual in 2013 casually during an interview, and has supported LGBT+ causes, though she's unwilling to discuss her personal life further, disliking the news media's focus on her sexuality.
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20	Rodriguez has said she was a comic book nerd growing up, reading many and collecting cards. She really loved to draw superheroes, and still draws a lot. Later, she also frequently played ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' (and ended up co-starring in ''[[Film/DungeonsAndDragonsHonorAmongThieves Honor Among Thieves]]'', the 2023 reboot of the film series adapting the game). Definitely JustForFun/OneOfUs.
21
22	!!Filmography
23	* ''Film/{{Girlfight}}'' (2000) as Diana Guzman
24	* ''Film/TheFastAndTheFurious'' as Leticia "Letty" Ortiz
25	** ''Film/TheFastAndTheFurious2001''
26	** ''Film/FastAndFurious'' (2009)
27	** ''Film/FastAndFurious6'' (2013)
28	** ''Film/Furious7'' (2015)
29	** ''Film/TheFateOfTheFurious'' (2017)
30	** ''VideoGame/FastAndFuriousCrossroads'' (2020, voice)
31	** ''Film/{{F9}}'' (2021)
32	** ''Film/FastX'' (2023)
33	* ''Film/ResidentEvil2002'' as Rain Ocampos
34	** ''Film/ResidentEvilRetribution'' (2012)
35	* ''Film/BlueCrush'' (2002) as Eden
36	* ''Film/SWAT2003'' (2003) as Christina "Chris" Sanchez
37	* ''VideoGame/TrueCrimeStreetsOfLA'' (2003) as Rosie Velasco (voice)
38	* ''[[VideoGame/{{Driver}} DRIV3R]]'' (2004) as Calita (voice)
39	* ''VideoGame/Halo2'' (2004) as Marine (voice)
40	* ''Film/BloodRayne'' (2005) as Katarin
41	* ''Series/{{Lost}}'' (2005-06, 2009-10) as Ana Lucia Cortez
42	* ''Anime/IGPXImmortalGrandPrix'' (2005-06) as Liz Ricarro (voice)
43	* ''Film/BattleInSeattle'' (2007) as Lou
44	* ''Film/{{Avatar}}'' (2009) as Trudy Chacón
45	* ''Film/{{Machete}}'' (2010) as Luz / Shé
46	** ''Film/MacheteKills'' (2013)
47	* ''Film/BattleLosAngeles'' (2011) as Elena Santos
48	* ''Website/CollegeHumor Originals'' (2011) as Jessica
49	* ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyBlackOpsII'' (2012) as Strike Force Soldier (voice)
50	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Turbo}}'' (2013) as Paz (voice)
51	* ''Film/TheAssignment2016'' as Frank Kitchen
52	* ''WesternAnimation/SmurfsTheLostVillage'' (2017) as Smurfstorm (voice)
53	* ''Film/{{Widows}}'' (2018) as Linda
54	* ''Film/AlitaBattleAngel'' (2019) as Gelda
55	* ''Film/SheDiesTomorrow'' (2020) as Sky
56	* ''Film/DungeonsAndDragonsHonorAmongThieves'' (2023) as Holga
57	----
58	!! Tropes commonly used in her roles:
59	* ActionGirl: She has stated that she won't work in Latin American cinema because of their reductive views on female characters. She also turns down any submissive roles that get offered to her in the U.S. She usually does her own stunts, too, as seen in movies including ''Film/TheFastAndTheFurious'', ''Film/BlueCrush'' and ''Film/{{Girlfight}}''.
60	* ActorInspiredElement: When approached to star in ''{{Series/Lost}}'', she requested to only be around for a season, so her character is killed off at the end of Season 2.
61	* ActorSharedBackground: She's usually played Latinas when her character's ethnicity is shown.
62	* AwesomeDearBoy: She told her agent to let her know the second a ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil'' movie was greenlit, and sure enough, she played Rain in Paul WS Anderson's film.
63	* CelebrityIsOverrated: She is very vocal about her private life having no bearing on her work, and resents having her bisexuality brought up all the time.
64	* CelebrityVoiceActor: Averted. Though Michelle is well-known for her live-action roles, her voice acting resume is rather extensive and dates back to the early 2000s.
65	* ChronicallyKilledActor: Since she's often [[VasquezAlwaysDies Vasquez]], this comes into play quite often.
66	** Her character ostensibly gets killed off-screen during the ''Film/TheFastAndTheFurious'' franchise, but eventually averts the trope in the post-credits scene of ''Fast Five'', and she returns in the sixth movie.
67	** In ''Film/ResidentEvil2002'' the SWAT team member Rain Ocampo becomes a ZombieInfectee a third of the way through, survives almost all the way through the rest of the film, and then dies on a tram a few minutes away from a cure. Blonde, minidress-wearing Alice becomes the FinalGirl. The franchise lasted long enough that they brought her back via cloning for the fifth film. [[spoiler:And both clones die.]]
68	** Averted in ''Film/SWAT2003'', where she plays an LAPD officer in a SWAT team. She takes a bullet in the arm in the final battle but survives.
69	** Subverted in ''Film/{{Machete}}'': we're meant to think her character dies when she's shot through the eye, but she reappears at the climax of the movie with an EyepatchOfPower.
70	** In ''Film/{{Avatar}}'', she is a gruff gunship pilot who dons warpaint and dies in the final battle. The [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe Blue-Skinned Space Babe]] NubileSavage love interest lives.
71	** Averted in ''Film/BattleLosAngeles'' where she plays an Air Force Technical Sergeant, and doesn't die.
72	** Her character dies on ''Series/{{Lost}}'', though AnyoneCanDie there (and she even cameos in the sixth season... [[spoiler:for scenes in the afterlife]]).
73	** The ''[[WebAnimation/DorklyOriginals Dorkly]]'' article, "[[http://www.dorkly.com/post/60847/these-8-characters-are-definitely-going-to-die These Eight Characters are Definitely Going to Die]]", includes her by name.
74	--->'''How They're Going to Die:''' [[FacingTheBulletsOneLiner Sneering into the camera]].\
75	'''Why:''' Because [[StoryBreakerPower she gets so much shit done, there's nothing left for the protagonist to do]].
76	** Subverted in ''Film/DungeonsAndDragonsHonorAmongThieves'': [[spoiler:Her character dies in the final fight, but is resurrected pretty much immediately]].
77	* CoveredInGunge: She was slimed alongside Creator/ChrisPine during the 2023 [[UsefulNotes/KidsChoiceAward Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards]] while presenting a promo for ''Film/DungeonsAndDragonsHonorAmongThieves''.
78	* DawsonCasting:[[invoked]] Diana in ''Film/{{Girlfight}}'' is a teenager, but Michelle was already in her twenties.
79	* DyeingForYourArt:[[invoked]]
80	** She trained for two months to prepare for ''Film/{{Girlfight}}''.
81	** The physical training she did for ''Film/BattleLosAngeles'' was so intense that she was still in great shape when she filmed ''{{Film/Machete}}''.
82	* EnforcedMethodActing:[[invoked]] She didn't know how to drive when she was cast in ''Film/TheFastAndTheFurious'', and learned during production for the sake of a scene.
83	* KubrickStare: She's very fond of giving these in her movies.
84	* MsFanservice: Try to find a movie where she's not in revealing clothing, sex scenes or even topless.
85	* PerpetualFrowner: Her characters tend to be stoic and serious, with very little in the way of warmth. Thus, it can be a shock to see her [[WhenSheSmiles smiling and laughing in interviews]].
86	* RomanceOnTheSet:[[invoked]] She dated Vin Diesel during ''Film/TheFastAndTheFurious''. It's also rumored that she dated Creator/KristannaLoken while filming ''Film/BloodRayne''.
87	* SleevesAreForWimps: As a TanktopTomboy, her roles often mean forgoing sleeves to seem tougher.
88	* SpicyLatina: Her appearance in ''Film/SWAT2003'' provides the page image, and she plays lots of characters who fit this, with the standard looks, quick tempers, and toughness from harsh backgrounds.
89	* StarMakingRole: [[invoked]]With ''Film/TheFastAndTheFurious'' and ''Film/ResidentEvil2002'', she broke out quite quickly.
90	* TankTopTomboy: She seemingly always wears tanktops in her roles, showing her as less of a girly-girl while still allowing for some fanservice. In many, many roles her characters are firm tomboys.
91	* ThrowItIn:[[invoked]] A gag in ''{{Film/Widows}}'' when Linda likens Alice's dress to a condom was an ad-lib by Michelle.
92	* TypeCasting: Her roles don't vary much, usually being some variety of tough action girl/tomboy. [[http://www.cracked.com/funny-6301-michelle-rodriguez/ See this Cracked.com article for an analysis]]. She claims it's her own fault for turning down more passive roles.
93	* UnkemptBeauty: She's often portrayed as a grease monkey or other character type who usually stays or otherwise looks dirty while still being quite beautiful.
94	* VasquezAlwaysDies: She usually plays the tougher girl in a work, and dies for it.
95	* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
96	** Rain was supposed to die much earlier in ''Film/ResidentEvil2002'' (JD's death was meant for her). The reasons for the change range from Michelle being one of the most recognizable names in the cast and therefore better to keep in the film longer, or Creator/MillaJovovich protesting to make the female characters more empowered (her character Alice was originally just a DamselInDistress until she protested).
97	** She was the first choice for the lead in the ''Film/AeonFlux'' movie, which ended up played by Creator/CharlizeTheron.
98	** She was considered for the role of Christine in ''{{Film/Crash}}'' that went to Creator/ThandiweNewton.
99	** Her character Santos didn't exist in the initial drafts of ''Film/BattleLosAngeles'', and wasn't added until a month before filming began.
100	** In ''Film/ResidentEvilRetribution'' she filmed some scenes as a zombie doppelganger, but they were cut.
101	** She initially turned down the role of Linda in ''{{Film/Widows}}'' ("I didn't see the female empowerment in soft power. It was an all-too-familiar tale of poverty in an urban environment. I've lived that life - why would I want to portray it?"). Steve [=McQueen=] auditioned several other actresses, none of whom he felt fit the role, so he met with Michelle and convinced her to sign on.

Context Creator / MichelleRodriguez