Rosie Perez (INTERVIEW)
Rosie Perez
The “Handbook for an Unpredictable Life” Interview
with Kam Williams
Headline: Everything’s Coming Up Rosie!
Rosie 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 girlfriend, Tina, in Do the Right
Thing, and later landed an Oscar-nomination
for a nonpareil performance in Fearless. Her many other credits include White Men Can't Jump, Won’t Back Down and
The Counselor.
Rosie serves as the
Artistic Chair of Urban Arts Partnership and sits on the Presidential Advisory
Council on HIV/AIDS. Here, she talks about her career and her autobiography, “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 wonderful!
KW:
What inspired you to write your autobiography?
RP:
I didn’t really know at first. I kept asking myself, “Why am
I doing this?” because I’m such a private person. Then, one day, the head of
programming at my charity, the Urban Arts
Partnership, said she was excited that I was writing it, and she hoped I’d be
giving copies to the students. My first reaction was “No,” since the
subject-matter was really heavy, and because of some of the language I was
using. But she then reminded me that I’d already shared my stories with them, and
I almost burst into tears. I realized, “Oh my God! That’s why I’m writing it.” Those
students had been the first people, outside of my inner circle, to hear my
story. It happened when I participated in one of our programs called Life Stories,
where we encourage the kids to open up and share so they can understand their
lives. One day, I was challenged to share my story with them. That‘s where
finding the inspiration and strength to write this book began.
KW:
I found it very moving, especially since I had no idea about
any of it. I just thought of you as that bubbly, talented, attractive actress
I’d seen in movies and on talk shows.
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
Academy so burdened by life every day. When you are a low-income,
poverty-stricken, Title 1 kid, you have so much to endure just waking up. So,
you may have a bad attitude or a chip on your shoulder before you even get to school.
You may arrive so anxious, angry, hungry or apathetic that you may say to
yourself, “Why should I pay attention in class?” You might be beaten-up on the
way to school, because you live in a bad neighborhood. Still, I had to inform
them, especially the seniors, that they didn’t have the luxury of bringing all
that baggage into the world which they would be stepping into as adults. I’d
say, “You need to come to terms with it, or let it go. One or the other. And if
you can do both, then you’re golden.” If you are unable to get past that
baggage, the opportunities that should be yours will not be yours.
KW:
Well, I applaud you for overcoming so many obstacles. After
all, the odds of making it in Hollywood
are long enough for someone coming from a privileged background.
RP:
I hear you, since the odds were supposedly great. But you
know what? I knew I was going to be successful from day one. From day one. That’s
why it throws me whenever someone says it was such a fluke that I was
successful.
KW:
The Judyth Piazza question: What key quality do you believe
all successful people share?
RP:
I would say tenacity and perseverance. You have to be like a
dog with a bone. You can’t just let it go. And number one is belief. You have
to believe in yourself. You need to have the audacity to be great.
KW:
The Harriet Pakula-Teweles question: With so many classic films being redone,
is there a remake you'd like to star in?
RP:
Wow! No one’s ever asked me that question. I wouldn’t try
it, but the only one that popped into my head is A Woman Under the Influence,
the John Cassavetes film starring his wife Gena Rowlands. Her depiction of
mental illness frightened me. Her performance shocked me, because it was so
simple.
KW:
Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?
RP:
No, I can’t think of anything, although that question is
probably out there.
KW: When you look in the mirror, what
do you see?
RP:
Me! I see me, and the reality of me gets clearer as I get
older, and I’m loving it.
KW:
The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest
childhood memory?
RP:
The crib, the peach bedspread, and the French doors at my
aunt’s house when I was 2.
KW:
What is your favorite dish to cook?
RP:
Pollo guisado, it’s a Puerto Rican-style chicken stew.
KW:
The Uduak Oduok question: Who is your favorite clothes designer?
RP:
Oh, I don’t have a favorite.
KW:
The Mike Pittman question: What was your
best career decision?
RP:
To go to college.
KW:
The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book
you read?
RP:
“White Girls” by Hilton Als. Blown away!
KW:
The music maven Heather Covington question: What was the last song you listened
to?
RP:
To be honest, “Drunk in Love” by Beyonce’.
KW:
If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would
that be for?
RP:
That my husband [Erik Haze] and I will be in premium health
until we take our last breaths, so that we could enjoy every single second of
our lives together.
KW:
The Jamie Foxx question: If you only had 24 hours to live, how would you spend
the time?
RP:
With my husband and my family. It wouldn’t matter what we
were doing. We’d probably be telling each other how much we appreciate each
other while watching boxing and eating a good meal. Of course, it would turn
into a party.
KW:
The Kerry Washington question: If you were an animal, what
animal would you be?
RP:
A horse.
KW:
The Anthony Anderson question: If you could have a superpower, which one would
you choose?
RP:
I have no idea.
KW:
The Anthony Mackie question: Is there
anything that you promised yourself you’d do if you became famous, that you
still haven’t done yet?
RP:
Yes, to go back to school and get a degree.
KW:
What was it like to skyrocket to fame?
RP:
It was both difficult and wonderful. It was quite difficult
for me because, being raised in a home, I’d come to hate being pointed at
whenever we went out in public in a group. It’s still uncomfortable for me to
be stared at, although I’ve learned to deal with it better. It makes me
self-conscious.
KW:
The Viola Davis question: What’s the biggest difference between who you are at
home as opposed to the person we see on the red carpet?
RP:
I’m more guarded and shy on the carpet. At home, I’m the
silliest cornball who talks way too much and wants to be quiet and left alone
at the same time. And I love to entertain, but in a small, intimate way. But I
feel like I can be myself on Craig Ferguson’s show. I have so much fun on his
couch, because he’s an idiot. That man cracks me up. I think there’s a kinship
in our silliness. I dance like he does in my living room all the time.
KW:
The Melissa Harris-Perry question: How
did your first big heartbreak impact who you are as a person?
RP:
You might think it was being abandoned by mother. But no, it
was being taken away from my aunt at the age of 3, because I was self-aware by
then and I knew what was going on. That was my biggest heartbreak, and it
informed a lot. I didn’t want it to be my whole story as an adult. So, I’ve
learned to heal that heartbreak and move on.
KW: The Columbus Short question: Are
you happy?
RP:
Yeah.
KW:
The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?
RP:
About an hour ago during a meeting at my charity. I laugh a
lot. It’s disgusting how much I laugh during the day.
KW: What advice do you have for
anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
RP:
[LOL] I don’t know that I would encourage anyone to follow
in my footsteps.
KW:
The Tavis Smiley question: How do you want to be remembered?
RP:
As someone that gave back, because the people I remember the
most in my life are the ones that gave.
KW:
Thanks again for being so forthcoming and so generous with
your time, Rosie, and best of luck with both the book and your career.
RP:
Thank you, Kam. I really, really appreciate it.
To order a copy of Handbook for an Unpredictable Life,
visit:
No comments:
Post a Comment