Encouragement is something that everyone can use from time to time. For every hit show or big newcomer you see on the 2025 TV schedule, there’s likely at least one person that showed their support to make it happen. In the case of Rosie Perez, her fledgling career included a guest spot on 21 Jump Street, which saw her get the vote of confidence from Johnny Depp himself.
Talking to Variety, the Brooklyn-born icon talked about her appearance in the Season 4 episode “2245” back in 1990, which as it happens can be streamed through a Peacock subscription. More specifically, she provided this anecdote about how her first interaction with Mr. Depp went so well, the following events transpired:
My first scene, Johnny Depp whispered in my ear, ‘Oh, darling, you’re too good for this shit.’ Then he invited me to his trailer, and I’m thinking, ‘Oh, my God, Johnny Depp’s invited me to his trailer.’ He’s on the phone, and he goes, ‘Yeah, yeah, she’s amazing. Her name is Rosie Perez. Hang on. Hey, Rosie — over here. Say hello to my girlfriend, Winona Ryder.’ And I fell over laughing. After, we talked seriously, and he said, ‘I’m gonna tell people about you. You know, you’re right for the good stuff.’
Considering this moment took place after Perez’s spot in the stacked cast of up and coming actors that was the ensemble of Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing, it appears that Mr. Depp knew what “the good stuff” was when it came to acting. It wouldn’t be too long until that statement would be proven to be even more valid, thanks to accomplishments such as her award-nominated run for In Living Color and her 1993 Oscar nomination for the Peter Weir film Fearless.
Unfortunately for her, that was also the year that one of the most surprising Oscar upsets gave that Best Supporting Actress trophy that Rosie Perez was vying for to Anna Paquin for her performance in The Piano. Still, the promise of her career was something that her 21 Jump Street co-star could spot in a second.
Fast forward to the present day, and she has several other award nominations to boast of, most recently as a part of the cast of the HBO Max series The Flight Attendant. Now if only we could get Rosie Perez and Johnny Depp to reunite for a project of some sort, things could come around full circle.
For now, we'll just have to look forward to her next big movie role, which just so happens to be the reunion between Rosie Perez and her Do The Right Thing director, as she's playing herself in Spike Lee's long awaited Denzel Washington crime thriller Highest 2 Lowest. That film opens in theaters on August 22nd, with its Apple TV+ debut set for September 5th.
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