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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (July 16, 2014)
Arts & Entertainment Everything’s Coming Up Rosie! R osie Maria Perez was born on September 6, 1964 in Bushwick, Brooklyn where she was raised in a Catholic orphanage after being abandoned by her mom and taken from her aunt. She made a most memorable screen debut as Spike Lee’s girl- friend, Tina, in Do the Right Thing, and later landed an Oscar-nomina- tion for a nonpareil performance in Fearless. Her many other credits include White Men Can’t Jump, Won’t Back Down and The Coun- selor. Rosie serves as the Artistic Chair of Urban Arts Partnership and sits on the Presidential Advisory Coun- cil on HIV/AIDS. Here, she talks about her career and her autobiog- raphy, “Handbook for an Unpredictable Life.” Kam Williams: Hi Rosie. I’m honored to have this chance to speak with you. Rosie Perez: Absolutely, Kam. KW: I really enjoyed the book! RP: Oh, you’re one of the few journalists who actually read it before speaking to me. That’s won- derful! KW: What inspired you to write your autobiography? RP: I didn’t really know at first. I kept asking myself, “Why am I KW: I found it very mov- ing, especially since I had no C ELEBRITY idea about any of it. I just I NTERVIEW thought of you as that bubbly, talented, attractive actress I’d seen in movies and on talk by Kam shows. Williams RP: And I am that person, but I’m also this one. And the reason I decided to share with the students was because I saw them come into the Acad- emy so burdened by life every doing this?” because I’m such a private person. Then, one day, the day. When you are a low-income, head of programming at my chari- poverty-stricken, Title 1 kid, you ty, the Urban Arts Partnership, said have so much to endure just wak- she was excited that I was writing ing up. So, you may have a bad it, and she hoped I’d be giving attitude or a chip on your shoulder copies to the students. My first before you even get to school. You reaction was “No,” since the sub- may arrive so anxious, angry, hun- ject-matter was really heavy, and gry or apathetic that you may say to because of some of the language I yourself, “Why should I pay atten- was using. But she then reminded tion in class?” You might be me that I’d already shared my sto- beaten-up on the way to school, ries with them, and I almost burst because you live in a bad neighbor- into tears. I realized, “Oh my God! hood. Still, I had to inform them, That’s why I’m writing it.” Those especially the seniors, that they students had been the first people, didn’t have the luxury of bringing outside of my inner circle, to hear all that baggage into the world my story. It happened when I par- which they would be stepping into ticipated in one of our programs as adults. I’d say, “You need to called Life Stories, where we come to terms with it, or let it go. encourage the kids to open up and One or the other. And if you can do share so they can understand their both, then you’re golden.” If you lives. One day, I was challenged to are unable to get past that baggage, share my story with them. That‘s the opportunities that should be where finding the inspiration and strength to write this book began. See ROSIE on page 11 July 16, 2014 The Portland and Seattle Skanner Page 7
