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"  When Puerto Rican/French actress Gina Rodriguez, 27, first read the script for Filly Brown, \u2013 about a young hip-hop rapper, in theaters tomorrow \u2013 she knew in her heart that this role was for her. However, when the lead role for Filly was changed from spoken word artist to a rapper, Rodriguez didn&amp;#039;t let that discourage her. &amp;quot;I did my audition and spoken word, and I spit a rhyme for them. [After the audition] I thought I ruined it,&amp;quot; she said. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s those moments in life where you take a leap of faith and it worked, and they found their Filly. Four days later I was in the studio making music.&amp;quot; Filly Brown is a family drama film about a hip-hop rapper, Majo Tonorio, (stage name: Filly Brown ) who is trying to make it in the industry. Throughout the film, Filly is faced with challenges along the way and has to make some life-changing decisions. This film features a Latino powerhouse cast including the late Jenni Rivera (in her moving film debut!) and veterano Edward James Olmos. Rodriguez has faced plenty of her own obstacles and tough choices in life: At 19 years old she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and when she was offered a role in Lifetime&amp;#039;s Devious Maids, she turned it down because, &amp;quot;I am not going to take a role because there&amp;#039;s money. It might extend my checkbook but not my integrity.&amp;quot; Rodriguez sees these obstacles as opportunities to learn, grow and to prove herself and she didn&amp;#039;t let that frighten her. &amp;quot;It really solidified the women that I wanted to be. Through all these obstacles and challenges it actually gave me a voice for those that I feel have been voiceless for so long,&amp;quot; she said. Coming from humble beginnings and working parents, Rodriguez&amp;#039;s family always instilled in her the importance of being a good person and not losing herself in the world of Hollywood. &amp;quot;Every morning my dad would have me looking in the mirror and repeat, &amp;#039;Today is going to be a great day, I can and I will,&amp;#039;&amp;quot; she said. Her parents were afraid of Rodriguez being in the industry but she assured them that she is determined to make it and will. &amp;quot;[My parents] had forgotten the women that they had created, a strong powerful women that was going to work hard and was not going to give up,&amp;quot; said Rodriguez. See Rodriguez discuss her upbringing in tonight&amp;#039;s HBO Latino documentary, Habla Women. When Gina Rodriguez isn&amp;#039;t acting or attending events she crochets and goes on adventures. Her mother taught her how to crochet, she&amp;#039;s not big on cooking but she can crochet beanies. As for having fun, Rodriguez likes taking risks such as, jumping off planes, hiking, zip lining and much more. &amp;quot;I&amp;#039;m an adrenaline junkie, I&amp;#039;ve bungee jump over the jungle into a river, bats over my head, I swam a 2000 foot cave in Puerto Rico a few months back,&amp;quot; she said. Her advice to young Latinas? &amp;quot;Get an education. The one thing that nobody can take away from you is your education,&amp;quot; said Rodriguez. &amp;quot;I&amp;#039;m here, I&amp;#039;m present, I&amp;#039;m a contributor to society, I deserve to be part of this conversation, I have an opinion, listen to me roar.&amp;quot; Gina Rodriguez&amp;#039;s next project will be on the show Wild Blue on Fox where she plays the leading lady and she was also recently cast in the film Marching Bands. You can see her tonight on HBO Latino &amp;quot;Habla Women&amp;quot; along with other inspiring Latinas at 8:00 p.m. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/news/a12518/gina-rodriguez-interview/>