Rosie Perez is crediting former co-star Jeff Bridges for her casting in “Fearless” (1993). Perez says the studio “had an issue” with their on-screen “interracial relationship,” however that Bridges went “to bat” for her.
“Fearless” was distributed by Warner Bros. It centered on Bridges’ character Max Klein surviving a aircraft crash and connecting along with his fellow survivor (Perez). Isabella Rossellini and John Turturro co-starred.
“Early in my profession, I had auditioned for ‘Fearless,’ directed by Peter Weir. Though I knew I nailed it, they might see I used to be actually, actually, extraordinarily nervous, so I wasn’t actually positive,” Perez mentioned through the 2024 Chaplin Award Tribute gala honoring Bridges. “I used to be extraordinarily stunned to get a callback – stunned as a result of I additionally knew the studio didn’t need me for the function. Then they mentioned for spherical two that they needed me to satisfy with Jeff Bridges. Holy shit! That’s Jeff Bridges! He’s this huge film star [with a] household dynasty. I used to be a little bit past nervous. I used to be shaking and couldn’t cease shaking. Jeff may see it and he tried to assist me. He sat subsequent to me. He was so relaxed that it type of pissed me off, he was so calm. After which he gave me that bizarre little half smile and in some way he was saying to me ‘chill out.’”
Perez continued, “So we learn collectively and afterwards I knew three issues: That I used to be proper for the half, that he can be there for me, and that he would deal with me.”
If solely issues had been so easy.
“As I left, everybody mentioned that I did nice which meant in fact, I’ve obtained the half, proper? Nicely, truly, no, as a result of this was 30 years in the past. Are you prepared for this? The studio had an issue with an interracial relationship between me and Jeff,” Perez mentioned, “and that’s the explanation why I didn’t [immediately] get the half. Are you fucking kidding me?”
A spokesperson for Warner Bros. didn’t instantly reply to IndieWire’s request for remark.
Nonetheless, Perez perservered.
“My brokers referred to as and mentioned, ‘They need you for spherical three, do you not wish to do it?’ And I mentioned, ‘No, I’m going to do it as a result of that’s my half and I’ll do something to get it,’” she mentioned. “I went in there realizing that [director] Peter Weir needed me. [Producer] Paula Weinstein, god relaxation her soul, needed me. Jeff needed me to play the half. Nicely, you by no means hear that. You by no means hear an actor of his caliber going to bat for somebody who nonetheless is pretty type of new and controlled solely to sure kind of components. He simply gave me a lot confidence. I went in, once more, they usually supplied me the half.”
Perez went on to land a Greatest Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her efficiency.