Rosa Salazar

Rosa Salazar is an actress, writer, director, and producer known for her work in film, television, and animation. Salazar first gained recognition through recurring roles on the television series "American Horror Story: Murder House" and "Parenthood," before building a film résumé that set the stage for a major breakthrough. She experienced a period of homelessness before joining the CollegeHumor comedy web series community, a formative experience that influenced her approach to challenging roles.

Salazar's career includes co-starring in "The Divergent Series: Insurgent" as Lynn and "Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials" as Brenda, establishing her as a consistent presence in major studio productions. She also appeared in the Netflix films "The Kindergarten Teacher" and "Bird Box." Behind the camera, Salazar directed and starred in the short film "Good Crazy," which was nominated for a Short Film Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

In her major studio lead debut, Salazar starred in "Alita: Battle Angel," an adaptation of the manga Gunnm directed by Robert Rodriguez. The role required her to perform entirely through motion capture technology and earned her several awards, including Best Visual Effects or Animated Performance from the Hollywood Critics Association and Best Voice or Motion Capture Performance from the Association of Latin Entertainment Critics. Salazar has spoken about the significance of the role for her as a Latina actress, noting the challenges of being previously limited to supporting roles.

Salazar has also taken on lead roles in genre-defying projects, including "Undone," Amazon's first adult animated original series, where she played Alma Winograd-Diaz, a Mexican American woman who develops the ability to time travel. On television, Salazar is known for performances in "Parenthood," "Undone," and "Brand New Cherry Flavor," also serving as a producer on "Undone" and co-producer on "Brand New Cherry Flavor." Her performances have been noted for anchoring complex material, with The Hollywood Reporter highlighting her impact on ambitious film and television projects.

Salazar was invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She also voiced Vanessa Rodriguez in the Pixar Disney+ series "Win or Lose." With a career defined by technical ambition, creative range, and advocacy for Latinx representation, Salazar continues to expand the possibilities for leading actresses in Hollywood.