Mayte Michelle Rodriguez is an American actor and writer, born on July 12, 1978. Rodriguez began her acting career in 2000, portraying a troubled boxer in the independent sports drama film Girlfight (2000). The movie earned her the Indie Spirit Award and the Gotham Award for Best Debut Performance.
For all intents and purposes, Michelle Rodriguez is one of the few truly visible Latina actresses working in Hollywood today. The actress has appeared in several high-profile Hollywood productions. She is especially well-known for the ferocity and boldness she displays in her action parts.
In this list, we bring the top movies of Rodriguez from her impressive filmography that reflect her as a rising star and action queen. These movies are also the gleaming milestones in her journey of success so far.
Here we present a list of Michelle Rodriguez’s best films, chosen from her extensive filmography. These top 10 movies establish her as a star and action queen, standing out as shining points in her acting Journey.
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Avatar
Director: James Cameron
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
IMDB rating: 7.8
‘Avatar’ is widely cited as one of the century’s best films and is often hailed for its sparkling visuals and Box Office earnings. It is also one of the most expensive pictures, starring Michelle Rodriguez.
Rodriguez plays Trudy, a pilot with Air Pandora who frequently flies a combat helicopter and aids Jake, Norm, and Dr. Grace in their sorties over Na’vi territory. After understanding that the cruel Colonel Quaritch had duped her, she joins Jake Sully and his squad to fight against human aggression. All of us fall for her wit and pun-filled references.
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Fast and Furious 6
Director: Justin Lin
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
IMDB rating: 7
Fast and Furious is a franchise that doesn’t need an introduction. In the sixth installment, Hobbs (Dwane Johnson) probes Dominic (Vin Diesel) and Brian (Paul Walker Late) to gather the gang to eliminate the mercenaries: Dominic is suddenly interrupted by confronting Letty, his presumed-deceased girlfriend.
Rodriguez reprises her character, Letty, Dominic’s ex-girlfriend with amnesia who has no memories of their past together. Rodriguez’s influence was most obvious in this installment of Fast and Furious.
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Girlfight
Director: Karyn Kusama
Genre: Sport, Drama
IMDB rating: 6.7
The movie plot falls along the lines of the plot of “Million Dollar Baby.” The female lead has to overcome several obstacles before successfully competing and dominating in a traditionally male-dominated field. Powerful and expertly crafted, “Girlfight” is a blazing introduction to Rodriguez’s brilliant career.
In her first film, Michelle Rodriguez plays Diana Guzman, a fierce, short-tempered, motivated, and ambitious fighter. She starts training and fighting against the male boxers against opposition from her family and, at first, her coach.
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The Fast and the Furious
Director: Rob Cohen
Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime
IMDB rating: 6.1
The Fast and the Furious is the first installment of the critically acclaimed and widely lauded franchise. Dominic (Vin Diesel) is a professional racer and hijacker, and Letty is his girlfriend and gang member. Brian (Paul Walker), an LAPD officer, along with Dominic’s crew, get into a series of encounters throughout the saga, forcing Brian to make a difficult choice between doing the right thing and doing what’s easiest.
Michelle Rodriguez stars as Letty Oritz, a talented driver-mechanic who is just as adept on the streets as she is in her car. Her trademark persona is one of the best portrayals of the action queen.
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Resident Evil
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Genre: Action, Horror, Sci-fi
IMDB rating: 6.6
A laboratory accident causes hundreds of scientists to mutate into flesh-eating beasts, and a special military squad must battle both the supercomputer and the scientists.
Michelle Rodriguez reprises her role as Rain Ocampo in ‘Resident Evil,’ a role she originally played as the protagonist before switching to the opposing side. Rain’s adventure in ‘Resident Evil consists largely of dodging the Red Queen and the zombies while searching for the anti-virus that will cure them after they have been bitten and attacked. Despite her tragic demise, Rain will play an even more significant role in the series’ future installments.
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Battle in Seattle
Director: Stuart Townsend
Genre: Action, Drama, History
IMDB rating: 6.6
The 1999 demonstrations in Seattle, Washington, in opposition to the WTO Ministerial Conference are chronicled in the documentary Battle in Seattle. Peaceful gathering escalates into near-riot, affecting many people like Lou (Michelle Rodriguez). The film has fictitious and real-life characters, making it a blend of the two genres.
Rodriguez plays more of a supporting role in the movie. However, she stole the show whenever she appeared in the movie to portray her character.
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Fast and Furious (2009)
Director: Justin Lin
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
IMDB rating: 6.5
This is the fourth installment of the “Fast & Furious” saga. Brian O’Conner returns to the FBI in Los Angeles, where he works alongside Dominic Toretto to infiltrate the organization of a heroin importer. This film is emotionally devastating and physically exhausting, with Rodriguez and Diesel at the helm.
Michele again plays Dominic’s girlfriend. Unfortunately, there isn’t much of a buildup to the revelation that Letty was working undercover with Brian and the FBI to track down and apprehend Mexican drug lord Arturo Braga. Still, the audience learns this information later in the film, when Michelle Rodriguez is no longer a secret. Following this, it is disclosed that Letty’s efforts in locating Braga have resulted in Dominic’s criminal record being expunged.
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Machete
Director: Robert Rodriguez, Ethan Maniquis
Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller
IMDB rating: 6.6
The film “Machete” tells the redemptive tale of a former Federale who goes on a mission of retribution against his old boss. While not quite as hard-hitting as Quentin Tarantino’s films, ‘Machete’ still has its share of hilariously stupid moments that make for fun viewing.
Luz, a leader of Machete’s gang of illegal immigrants, is portrayed by Rodriguez. And she has once again given her tough girl performance in this crime thriller.
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Turbo
Director: David Soren
Genre: Animation, Action, Comedy
IMDB rating: 6.4
The story of Turbo is one of reckoning and the achievement of a garden snail’s lifelong ambition to become the world’s fastest creature. Assisted by his slower competitors, Turbo (Ryan Reynolds), who looks up to Guy Gagne, gets closer and closer to realizing his ambition of winning the Indy 500. Turbo’s transformation from a lumbering, clumsy hero into a quick, cunning villain is a fascinating storyline.
The addition of Michelle Rodriguez as Paz, a vehicle technician, only adds some adrenaline to the story.
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W.A.T
Director: Clark Johnson
Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime
IMDB rating: 6
The movie teams up Sergeant Hondo (Samuel L. Jackson), Boxer (Brian Van Holt), Christina Sanchez (Michelle Rodriguez), Jim Street (Colin Farrell), Kaye (LL Cool J), and McCabe (Josh Charles) in a lethal and ruthless S.W.A.T. team. The mere sight of Samuel L. Jackson at the helm brings back fond memories.
Rodriguez, the team’s sole female member, performs at a high level. It’s an exciting journey to be tasked with stopping the escape of kingpin Montell and dodging attacks from those who stand to gain $100 million in cash.
