Gina Alexis Rodriguez-LoCicero (née Rodriguez; born July 30, 1984) is an American actress. She is known for her leading role as Jane Villanueva in The CW satirical romantic dramedy series Jane the Virgin (2014–2019), for which she received a Golden Globe Award in 2015.
Born and raised in Chicago, Rodriguez began her career in 2003 in theater productions and made her screen debut in an episode of the police procedural drama series Law & Order. Her breakthrough came in 2012, in the independent musical-drama film Filly Brown. She has gone on to star in such films as Deepwater Horizon (2016), Ferdinand (2017), Annihilation (2018), Miss Bala (2019), Someone Great (2019) and Scoob! (2020). She also voices the titular character of the Netflix animated action-adventure series Carmen Sandiego.
Early years
Gina Alexis Rodriguez was born in Chicago, Illinois, the youngest daughter of Puerto Rican parents, Magali and Gino Rodriguez, a boxing referee. She has two sisters and an older brother. She was raised in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood on Chicago’s Northwest Side.
At the age of seven, Rodriguez performed at the salsa dance company Fantasia Juvenil. Rodriguez was raised Catholic, and went to high school at St. Ignatius College Prep. She focused on salsa dancing until age 17 when she began acting more.
At the age of 16, she was among thirteen teenagers to be accepted into Columbia University’s Theatrical Collaboration. She attended NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She trained for four years at the Atlantic Theater Company and Experimental Theatre Wing, and earned with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2005.
She portrayed Frida Kahlo in the world premiere of Casa Blue in the United Kingdom, in the play called The Last Moments in the Life of Frida Kahlo at the American Stage Theatre.
Career
Rodriguez at the 2014 Alma Awards
Rodriguez made her screen debut appearing in an episode of Law & Order in 2004. She later has appeared on Eleventh Hour, Army Wives and The Mentalist. On October 19, 2011, Rodriguez landed the recurring role, Beverly, in the soap opera series The Bold and the Beautiful. She received a role in the musical film Go for It!, for which she received a 2011 Imagen Awards nomination.
In 2012, Rodriguez played young hip-hop artist Majo Tenorio in the independent musical-drama film Filly Brown, for which she won an Imaged Award. She received good reviews for her performance in film. She also was the recipient of the Best Actor Award at the First Run Film Festival in New York. On June 9, 2013, Gina won the Inaugural Lupe Award. On April 16, 2013, during an interview, she revealed she was offered a role in the Lifetime television series Devious Maids, but turned it down. On October 16, 2013, she joined the cast of the movie Sleeping With The Fishes. She is also working on an album.
On February 27, 2014, Entertainment Weekly announced that Rodriguez would play the titular role of Jane Villanueva in Jane the Virgin, for which she went on to win a Golden Globe Award. On June 4, 2014, Rodriguez joined the cast of the upcoming drama film Sticky Notes. In August 2015, she co-hosted the 2015 Teen Choice Awards with Ludacris and Josh Peck. She voiced Mary in the animated film The Star, which was released in November 2017, and played Anya in the science fiction thriller film Annihilation, opposite Natalie Portman. She also voices Carmen Sandiego in the Netflix animated series Carmen Sandiego which premiered on January 18, 2019. In March 2018, Netflix announced that they had acquired the live-action film rights for Carmen Sandiego and that Rodriguez would star as Sandiego in the film.
Rodriguez owns the production company I Can & I Will Productions. She worked on projects at CBS and The CW centered around the Latino community. She served as a producer and starred in the 2019 Netflix romantic comedy film Someone Great.
In 2019, Rodriguez starred as the title character in the action thriller film Miss Bala. In the same year, it was announced that Rodriguez was cast in the upcoming Netflix science fiction thriller Awake. She also voiced the role of Velma Dinkley in the computer animated adventure film Scoob!.
Personal life
In an interview, Rodriguez revealed that she has suffered from Hashimoto’s disease, a thyroid condition, since the age of 19.
In a 2014 interview, she said, “I grew up Catholic. I have Jewish in my family and I attend a Christian church in Hollywood. I am basically all over the place.”
In 2016, Rodriguez began dating actor, model, and MMA fighter Joe LoCicero, whom she met on the set of Jane the Virgin. On August 7, 2018, Rodriguez confirmed in an interview with Us Weekly that she and LoCicero were engaged. On May 4, 2019, the couple married.
Philanthropy
Rodriguez has been increasingly involved with various charities and philanthropic efforts, made possible by her rising visibility as a film and television actress. Most notably, she became involved with various organisations in 2015, ranging from CustomInk to Naja Lingerie, all of which Rodriguez has stated have a special connection to her life and experiences.
Gina Rodriguez at the Miami premiere of Filly Brown
On March 16, 2015, she was announced as a new member of the HSF’s (Hispanic Scholarship Fund) Board of Directors. The HSF is the United States’ biggest non-profit organization which supports Hispanic American higher education. Because attaining an education was the biggest priority in Rodriguez’s household, coupled with her determination to work towards a degree, she was able to work towards receiving a HSF scholarship. For her placement on the Board of Directors, Rodriguez will help to support HSF in a matchless and meaningful way, therefore making sure that HSF’s mission will continue to support the original values and commitment to education. Rodriguez has stated that this is a great opportunity to say thank you and to help open doors for Latino students to follow.
Later in 2015, PACER’s (The Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights) National Bullying Prevention Center teamed up with CustomInk and enlisted the help of various celebrities, Rodriguez among them, to raise money for their fifth annual “Be Good to Each Other Campaign”. Throughout the month of October 2015, people were encouraged to purchase a celebri-tee from CustomInk, who would donate all the proceeds from bullying prevention T-shirts to PACER. Rodriguez, in designing a celebri-tee which featured the phrase “Kindness Is Always In Style” in cursive print, took a stand for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion in support of bullying prevention, and stated that her parents always taught the power of thinking positively and treating others with respect. She also hopes that through the Be Good to Each Other Campaign, such a message could be continued to be spread to younger generations.
Also in October 2015, Rodriguez was announced as a partner of Naja, a lingerie line founded in 2014 with ambitions to help women and the environment. Because Naja is vertically-integrated, thereby shortening manufacturing lead times by up to eighty percent, it allows the company’s savings to go towards school books, lunches, and uniforms for employees’ children, and there’s also an emphasis on a flexible work environment. Having seen the hardships of single mothers through a close friend from college, Rodriguez wanted to support a company that primarily employed single mothers and allowed them to work from home and provide for their families. She also cites Naja’s commitment to creating lingerie for women of all shapes and sizes and encouraging body confidence as a factor for becoming involved with the lingerie line; admitting that it was a process for her to fall in love with her own body, Rodriguez also spoke on the importance of empowering women to love their own bodies and what they wear. Naja is also environmentally-conscious in its production, as more than half of all of its pieces are made of synthetics (like nylon)—that have been fabricated from recycled plastic bottles—and makes use of digital printing as a more environmentally-friendly measure.
In 2016, Rodriguez was named to Oprah’s SuperSoul 100 list of visionaries and influential leaders. In 2017, Rodriguez, among several other artists, sang on the single “Almost Like Praying”. Sparked by Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of Broadway’s Hamilton, all proceeds from the song benefited those affected by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Calling It Quits | Day player | |
| Ten: Thirty One | Neighborhood Girl | Short film | |
| 2009 | Osvaldo’s | Ana Daisy | |
| 2010 | Our Family Wedding | Bridesmaid | |
| Little Spoon | Mandy | Short film | |
| 2011 | Go for It! | G | |
| 2012 | Filly Brown | Majo Tenorio | |
| California Winter | Ofelia Ramirez | ||
| 2013 | Interstate | Nayeli | Short film |
| Enter the Dangerous Mind | Adrienne | ||
| The Price We Pay | Medic (voice) | Short film | |
| Sleeping with the Fishes | Alexis Fish | ||
| Una Y Otra Y Otra Ve | Girlfriend | Short film | |
| 2014 | Since I Laid Eyes | Ilene | |
| C’est Jane | Jane | ||
| 2016 | Sticky Notes | Natalia | |
| Deepwater Horizon | Andrea Fleytas | ||
| 2017 | The Star | Mary (voice) | |
| Ferdinand | Una (voice) | ||
| 2018 | Annihilation | Anya Thorensen | |
| Smallfoot | Kolka (voice) | ||
| Sharon 1.2.3. | Cindy | ||
| 2019 | Miss Bala | Gloria Fuentes | |
| Someone Great | Jenny Young | Also producer | |
| Andy’s Song | Tavi | Short film | |
| 2020 | Kajillionaire | Melanie Whitacre | |
| Scoob! | Velma Dinkley (voice) | ||
| TBA | Awake | Jill | |
| TBA | Players | Mack |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Law & Order | Yolanda | Episode: “Enemy” |
| 2005 | Jonny Zero | Rose | Episode: “La Familia” |
| 2008 | Law & Order | Inez Soriano | Episode: “Illegal” |
| 2009 | Eleventh Hour | Robin | Episode: “Subway” |
| 2010 | 10 Things I Hate About You | Danica | Episode: “Meat Is Murder” |
| 2010 | Army Wives | Marisol Evans | 3 episodes |
| 2010 | My Super Psycho Sweet 16: Part 2 | Courtney Ramirez | Television film |
| 2011 | Happy Endings | Rita | Episode: “Why Can’t You Read Me?” |
| 2011 | The Mentalist | Elvia | Episode: “Pink Tops” |
| 2011–12 | The Bold and the Beautiful | Beverly | Recurring role; 15 episodes |
| 2012 | No Names | Megan | 3 episodes |
| 2013 | Longmire | Lorna Dove | Episode: “Party’s Over” |
| 2013 | Rizzoli & Isles | Lourdes Santana | Episode: “Built for Speed” |
| 2014 | Wild Blue | Pilar Robles | Television film |
| 2014–19 | Jane the Virgin | Jane Villanueva | Lead role; 100 episodes |
| 2016 | Lip Sync Battle | Herself | Episode: “Gina Rodriguez vs. Wilmer Valderrama” |
| 2017 | Drop the Mic | Herself | Episode: “James Van Der Beek vs. Randall Park / Gina Rodriguez vs. Rob Gronkowski” |
| 2018 | Brooklyn Nine-Nine | Alicia | Episode: “Jake & Amy” |
| 2018 | Animals. | Narrator (voice) | Episode: “Pigeons” |
| 2018–present | Big Mouth | Gina Alvarez (voice) | Recurring role; 12 episodes |
| 2018–19 | Elena of Avalor | Princess Marisa (voice) | 3 episodes |
| 2019–2021 | Carmen Sandiego | Carmen Sandiego (voice) | Lead role |
| 2019 | Robot Chicken | Ginger (voice) | Episode: “Robot Chicken’s Santa’s Dead (Spoiler Alert) Holiday Murder Thing Special” |
| 2019 | RuPaul’s Drag Race | Herself | Episode: “Dragacadabra” |
| 2020–present | Diary of a Future President | Future President Elena | Lead role; also executive producer |
Directing
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | Jane the Virgin | 3 episodes |
| 2019 | Charmed | Episode: “Witch Perfect” |
| 2020 | Diary of a Future President | Episode: “Hello World” |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Imagen Award | Best Supporting Actress – Feature Film | Go for It! | Nominated | |
| 2012 | Imagen Award | Best Actress – Feature Film | Filly Brown | Won | |
| 2013 | ALMA Award | Achievement in Film (with Edward James Olmos, Michael D. Olmos, and Lou Diamond Phillips) | Won | ||
| Inaugural Lupe Special Achievement Award | Honoree | Gina Rodriguez | Won | ||
| 2014 | Imagen Award | Best Actress/Supporting Actress – Feature Film | Sleeping with the Fishes | Nominated | |
| Young Hollywood Award | Rising Star of the Year | N/A | Won | ||
| 2015 | Golden Globe Award | Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy | Jane the Virgin | Won | |
| Critics’ Choice Award | Best Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |||
| EWwy Award | Best Actress – Comedy | Won | |||
| Television Critics Association | Individual Achievement in Comedy | Nominated | |||
| Gold Derby Award | Breakthrough Performer of the Year | Won | |||
| Comedy Lead Actress | Nominated | ||||
| Teen Choice Award | Choice TV Actress – Comedy | Nominated | |||
| Choice TV Breakout Star | Nominated | ||||
| Choice TV Liplock (with Justin Baldoni) | Nominated | ||||
| Imagen Awards | Best Actress – Television | Won | |||
| Online Film & Television Association Award | Best Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |||
| Women’s Image Network Award | Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |||
| Dorian Award | Rising Star Award | N/A | Won | ||
| Girl Power Media Role Model | Honoree | Jane the Virgin | Won | ||
| NHMC Impact Gala Award | Honoree | Won | |||
| Feelies Award | Best Actress | Won | |||
| 2016 | Golden Globe Award | Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy | Nominated | ||
| NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |||
| Critics’ Choice Award | Best Actress in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |||
| Satellite Award | Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy | Nominated | |||
| Teen Choice Award | Choice Comedy TV Actress | Nominated | |||
| Imagen Award | Best Actress – Television | Won | |||
| CinemaCon Award | Female Star of Tomorrow | N/A | Won | ||
| Unite 4 Humanity Award | Honoree | Gina Rodriguez | Won | ||
| Lip Sync Battle Award | Performer | Won | |||
| Feelies Award | Best Actress | Won | |||
| TVLine Performance of the Week | Honoree | Won | |||
| 2017 | Golden Globe Award | Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy | Jane the Virgin | Nominated | |
| People’s Choice Award | Favorite Comedic TV Actress | Nominated | |||
| MTV Award | Best Actor in a Show | Nominated | |||
| Teen Choice Award | Choice TV Actress – Comedy | Nominated | |||
| Icon Hispanic Heritage Month | Honoree | Won | |||
| ACLU Social Bill of Rights Award | Honoree | Won | |||
| Tell Tale Award | Best Actress | Won | |||
| Tell Tale Award | Jane and Petra Friendship | Won | |||
| 2018 | MTV Award | Best Kiss (with Justin Baldoni) | Nominated | ||
| Teen Choice Award | Choice TV Actress – Comedy | Won | |||
| Choice TV Liplock (with Justin Baldoni) | Nominated | ||||
| Tell Tale Award | Favorite Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Won | |||
| Eva Longoria Foundation Award | Honoree for Activism | Gina Rodriguez | Won | ||
| ALMA Award | Honoree Award | Jane the Virgin | Won | ||
| 2019 | |||||
| TVLine Performance of the Week | Honoree | Won | |||
| MTV Award | Best Performance in a Show | Nominated | |||
| Imagen Award | Best Actress – Television | Nominated | |||
| Teen Choice Award | Choice Comedy TV Actress | Nominated |