From the producers of Parenthood and Hamilton comes the TV series Rise. It’s an inspiring drama about high school English teacher Lou Mazzuchelli (Josh Radnor, How I Met Your Mother), who takes over the school’s lackluster theater department. It’s not a smooth transition, especially when he leap-frogs over his colleague Tracy Wolfe for the new job.
Tracy Wolfe is portrayed by Rosie Perez. The dynamic Brooklyn native of Puerto Rican descent is known for her roles in the films Riding in Cars with Boys (Shirley), White Men Can’t Jump (Gloria Clemente), Fearless (Carla Rodrigo, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress), and Untamed Heart (Cindy), among others. Perez made her acting debut in the 1989 Spike Lee hit Do the Right Thing (Tina). Perez was also a dancer (Soul Train, see video below) and choreographed music videos for Janet Jackson, Bobby Brown, LL Cool J, and routines for the Fly Girls on the TV show In Living Color. Note: Jennifer Lopez was a Fly Girl. Rise airs Tuesdays at 10pm on NBC, right after This Is Us.
