A cross between beauty and brawn, Texas-born Michelle Rodriguez has come a long way from humble beginnings shaped by time spent growing up in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Jersey City. It was from such sometimes rough yet diverse surroundings that Michelle began to build a personal persona as a street-smart "tough girl", which when combined with raw talent and unmatched screen presence, helped her beat out 350 other girls to land her first speaking role as the lead in 2000's critically-acclaimed independent film Girlfight. The award-winning performance quickly helped Michelle garner the attention of Hollywood, leading to major roles in blockbusters such as The Fast and the Furious (2001) and S.W.A.T. (2003) as well as a role in ABC's hit television series Lost.Michelle later appeared in the dramatic indie Battle in Seattle with Charlize Theron followed by Fast & Furious with Vin Diesel. She can currently be seen in James *Cameron's Golden Globe-nominated epic Avatar, as well as the upcoming Robert* Rodriguez film Machete, and Battle: Los Angeles with Aaron Eckhart. Always* seeking opportunities to branch out and reveal her multifaceted layers, Michelle is *currently developing her own projects as a writer and producer.SOURCE: MichelleRodriguez.com