Named the "next big thing" and one of the "top 35 Latinos under 35," by The Hollywood Reporter, Gina Rodriguez's profile has been rising steadily since her breakout performance as the titular character in FILLY BROWN during the Sundance Film Festival in 2012. Gina Rodriguez was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Puerto Rican parents Magali and Genaro Rodriguez, a boxing referee. She started performing at age seven with the salsa dance company Fantasia Juvenil. She went on to work with other companies including Los Soneros Del Swing, performing at several Salsa Congress' in Chicago, California, New York and Puerto Rico. At sixteen, Gina was one of thirteen teens to be accepted into Columbia University NY- Theatrical Collaboration taught by Richard Niles. She wrote, directed and performed original work with twelve other kids from around the world. She fell in love with New York and NYU called her name-she was accepted into the Tisch School of the Arts, and the calling was clear, theatre was it. Gina had four years of intense theatre training at both the Atlantic Theatre Company and Experimental Theatre Wing, working with David Mamet and William H. Macy, the brilliant guidance of Rosemary Quinn and other wonderful professors. Directly after graduation, Gina booked her first lead role in the feature film Tiny Dancer. After, Gina originated the role of Frida Kahlo in the world premiere of "Casa Blue: The Last Moments in the Life of Frida Kahlo," at the American Stage Theatre. She continued to work in NY with multiple theatres and her work in film and TV steadily grew, including shows "Jonny Zero," "Army Wives," and "Law and Order," in addition to several short and indie films. One in particular, Osvaldos, was accepted into festivals including ABFF, NY HBO Latino Film Fest, Chicago International Film Fest, Urbanworld. They named Gina winner of the "Best Actor" award at the First Run Film Festival in NY and the film aired on HBO in 2010 and was named one of the "Five Best Shorts." After the years of success in NY, Gina booked a lead role in a feature film Go for It . She lives in Los Angeles, CA.
Serves as a board member for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.
She has said that her dream role is to play a superhero.
Gave birth to her first child at age 22, a son Chris Snail on April 29, 1990. Childs father is her first husband, Richard Snail.
Gave birth to her second child at age 26, a daughter Brandi Snail (aka Brandilyn Marie Snail) on February 23, 1994. Childs father is her first husband, Richard Snail.
(May 2009) Starring in her own Reality Show Mommy XXX on Crackle.com
As of February2010 she was living in the San Fernando Valley in California and running DD Entertainment. She retired from the adult industry in 2008. She is the manager to several celebrity mistresses.
As of August 2012, she was running a successful celebrity management and public relations firm, GR Media. for controversial media and reality TV personalities. She also created the celebrity phone service site DialAStar, which allows fans to speak directly to a reality TV, recording artist, band, comedian, film star, media personality, author, radio personality, magazine or high-fashion models and sports stars on their phone.
In January 2010 she retired from the adult-film business. She is still acting and is now running DD Management/DD Entertainment managing girls of some of the hottest scandals. She has become known as the "Manager Of The Mistresses" in Hollywood. As well as management, she has been working in production.
I like to peel it and share it with friends. You can spread the love,with an orange.
I dream big, baby. I want to do thrillers, I want to do smart David,Lynch-type mysteries.
I can live in L. A. as a struggling artist. I cannot live in New York as,a struggling artist.
With each dream accomplished, bigger ones are put in their place.
I do not devalue the role of a maid or nanny, or the stereotypical roles,that some members of our family have actually done to feed our families,in real life.
I grew up dancing salsa - you know, a traditional Puerto Rican dance.
I started small with commercials and print.
I love relatable stories.
I grew up in Chicago, so hip-hop has always been a part of my life.
I love telling stories that allow people to be less afraid to tell,theirs.
I think all Latino actors want to be storytellers first. I want to be an,actor first, and then I want to be Latina.
I started performing very young as a salsa dancer, and every time I was,on that stage dancing, all I knew was that I wanted to speak. I wanted,the music to stop, and I wanted to speak.
I was a salsa dancer for the majority of my life, from, like, 7 to 17,and did the World Salsa Congresses. I realized that I wanted to,continue obviously to be a performer. But in my household, being an,actor and jumping into acting is not really accepted.
Being half Jewish, we grew up with Christmas trees but had Jewish ornaments.
I think when you work really hard and you help others, God helps you get what you want.
