[[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rosario_dawson_photo.jpeg]]

->''"You only live once. You don't want your tombstone to read: 'Played it Safe'."''

Rosario Isabel Dawson (born May 9, 1979 in UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity, [[UsefulNotes/NewYorkState New York]]) is an American actress, singer, writer, and activist.

Dawson made her film debut with the controversial 1995 teen drama ''Film/{{Kids}}''. Her subsequent film roles include ''Film/MenInBlackII'', ''Film/SinCity'', ''Film/ClerksII'', ''Film/DeathProof'', ''Film/{{Alexander}}'', ''Film/TheRundown'', and ''Film/{{Rent}}''.

She joined the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse as Claire Temple, who appears in all of the franchise's Netflix series (minus ''The Punisher'', and not for a lack of trying), in roles ranging from a single episode of ''Jessica Jones'' to a major cast member in ''Luke Cage''. Her other famous live-action television role is the adult version of Ahsoka Tano from ''Franchise/StarWars'' since Season 2 of ''Series/TheMandalorian''.

Dawson was in a relationship with U.S. Senator (and one-time Presidential candidate) Cory Booker from 2019 to 2022.

Not to be confused with either [[Manga/RosarioPlusVampire a rosario-wearing vampire]] or [[Series/DawsonsCreek a certain creek]].

----
!!Filmography
* ''Film/{{Kids}}'' (1995) as Ruby
* ''Film/{{Josie and the Pussycats|2001}}'' (2001) as Valerie
* ''Film/{{Sidewalks of New York|2001}}'' (2001) as Maria Tedesko
* ''Film/MenInBlackII'' (2002) as Laura Vasquez
* ''Film/TwentyFifthHour'' (2002) as Naturelle Riviera
* ''Film/TheRundown'' (2003) as Mariana.
* ''Film/{{Alexander}}'' (2004) as Roxane
* ''Film/SinCity'' (2005) as Gail
** ''Film/SinCityADameToKillFor'' (2014)
* ''Film/ClerksII'' (2006) as Becky Scott
** ''Film/ClerksIII'' (2022)
* ''Film/{{Rent}}'' (2005) as Mimi Marquez
* ''Film/AGuideToRecognizingYourSaints'' (2006) as Laurie
* ''Film/DeathProof'' (2007) as Abernathy
* ''Film/EagleEye'' (2008) as Zoe Perez
* ''Film/{{Killshot}}'' (2008) as Donna
* ''Film/SevenPounds'' (2008) as Emily Posa
* ''{{WesternAnimation/Wonder Woman|2009}}'' (2009) as ComicBook/{{Artemis}} (voice)
* ''WesternAnimation/TheHauntedWorldOfElSuperbeasto'' (2009) as Velvet Von Black (voice)
* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' - Herself in Truth Or Square (2009)
* ''[[Film/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief]]'' (2010) as Persephone
* ''Film/{{Unstoppable}}'' (2010) as Connie Hooper
* ''Film/FireWithFire'' (2012) as Talia Durham.
* ''Film/{{Trance}}'' (2013)
* ''[[Franchise/DisneyFairies Tinker Bell and the Legend of the Neverbeast]]'' (2014) as Nyx.
* ''Film/CesarChavez'' (2014) as Dolores Huerta
* ''WesternAnimation/DCAnimatedMovieUniverse'' (2015-present) and ''Film/SpaceJamANewLegacy'' (2021) as ComicBook/WonderWoman (voice)
* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse (2015 – 2018) as Claire Temple:
** ''Series/{{Daredevil 2015}}'' (2015, 2016)
** ''Series/JessicaJones2015'' (2015)
** ''Series/{{Luke Cage|2016}}'' (2016)
** ''Series/{{Iron Fist|2017}}'' (2017)
** ''Series/{{The Defenders|2017}}'' (2017)
* ''WesternAnimation/RatchetAndClank2016'' as Elaris
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLEGOBatmanMovie'' (2017) as [[ComicBook/{{Batgirl}} Barbara Gordon / Batgirl]] (voice)
** ''VideoGame/LEGODimensions'' (2017)
* ''Film/Unforgettable2017''
* ''Series/JaneTheVirgin'' (2018) as Jane Ramos[[note]]Not the title character, and typically called "JR" to differentiate her.[[/note]]
* ''WesternAnimation/ElenaOfAvalor'' (2018) as Daria (voice)
* ''Film/ZombielandDoubleTap'' (2019) as Nevada
* ''Film/JayAndSilentBobReboot'' (2019) as Reggie Faulken
* ''WesternAnimation/ItsPony'' (2020) as Principal Ramiro
* ''Series/{{Briarpatch}}'' (2020) as Allegra Dill
* ''Franchise/StarWars'' as [[Characters/StarWarsAhsokaTano Ahsoka Tano]] (Live-Action)
** ''Series/TheMandalorian'' (2020)
** ''Series/TheBookOfBobaFett'' (2022)
** ''Series/{{Ahsoka}}'' (2023)
* ''WesternAnimation/TheLastKidsOnEarth'' (2020) as Rezzoch
* ''Podcast/BatmanTheAudioAdventures'' (2021) as Catwoman
* ''Film/{{Haunted Mansion|2023}}'' (2023) as Gabbie

!!Dawson's work contains examples of:
* AscendedFancast: She has stated that being a popular fancast for the role of Ahsoka Tano helped her get the role in ''The Mandalorian''.
* MsFanservice: Most of her roles either focus on her sexiness or have her appear without her clothes on, including ''Sin City'', ''Alexander'', ''Death Proof'' and ''Trance'' (where she appeared with full-frontal nudity, along with two sex scenes). This led her friend [[Podcast/HollywoodBabbleOn Ralph Garman]] to dub her "Hottie [=McChocolateSkin=]".
* PlaysGreatEthnics: Her ethnic ambiguity has led to her diverse roles that span the world, from Brazilian in ''The Rundown'' to Bactrian (modern-day Afghanistan) in ''Alexander''.
* SassyBlackWoman: Due to her roles, some would even go so far as to call her the Creator/PamGrier of her generation. Due to her mixed heritage, she doubles up as a SpicyLatina.

!!Trivia related to Dawson's work:
* ActorInspiredElement: For ''Film/DeathProof'' it was her idea to have Abernathy's hair cut to resemble pin-up icon Bettie Page.
* DeletedRole: She had a small part in ''Film/TheDevilsRejects'' but it was cut.
* TheOtherDarrin: The original Broadway cast of ''{{Theatre/Rent}}'' carried over to the film adaptation, except Creator/DaphneRubinVega who was pregnant at the time. Rosario replaced her as Mimi.
* RealLifeWritesThePlot: Rosario wanting to play the adult Laurie in ''Film/AGuideToRecognizingYourSaints'' resulted in the character getting a RaceLift to become Latina - and Eleonore Hendricks, the original teenage version of Laurie, getting replaced with Melonie Diaz.
* UnderageCasting:
** In ''Film/AGuideToRecognizingYourSaints'' she plays Laurie's older self. There's only five years between her and Melonie Diaz (who is admittedly relying on some heavy DawsonCasting to play a teenager).
** She's just nine years older than her on screen daughter Vanessa Hudgens in ''Gimme Shelter''.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: She was cast to play Cecilia Reyes in ''Film/TheNewMutants'', in which case she would have joined Creator/JoshBrolin as actors who migrated from the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse to the Film/XMenFilmSeries. However she was forced to drop out because the scheduling demands for ''Series/LukeCage2016'' would interfere with filming.
----