Rosie Perez on the Secret to Getting Cast Despite Nerves - In The Envelope: The Actor's Podcast

You may be surprised to learn the confident, charismatic Rosie Perez still gets nervous on set. “Everybody gets nervous,” says the actor, dancer-choreographer, and activist. “Not everyone admits it.” As she explains in great detail to her fellow artists, persevering in the entertainment industry means taking one’s craft seriously, overpreparing yet staying flexible, and learning how to rise above or even use nervousness—“finding the champion spirit within those butterflies.” Rosie has become an icon in her hometown of Brooklyn and beyond, since dancing on “Soul Train,” breaking out in Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing,” and earning Emmy nominations for directing and choreographing “In Living Color.” She’s starred on Broadway, scored an Academy Award nomination for “Fearless,” and turned in memorable onscreen roles over the years: from “White Men Can’t Jump,” “Untamed Heart,” and “The Counselor” to “The Take,” “Pineapple Express,” “Bounty Hunters,” “Rise,” “Birds of Prey,” and more. She’s now up for her f