INTERVIEW: Michelle Rodriguez Prefers Tough Chick Roles

Don't expect BATTLE: LOS ANGELES star Michelle Rodriguez to play a damsel in distress anytime soon.  Michelle tells CineMovie, she will stick to playing strong women roles and leave the eye candy to those who did it well.

Michelle Rodriguez stars in BATTLE: LOS ANGELES as a Marine fighting the aliens on the coast of Los Angeles. Since her film debut as tough girl boxer in Girlfight, Michelle has landed  the tough as nails roles in many action films including Resident Evil, The Fast and Furious, S.W.A.T, and most recently in Machete and Avatar.  The Puerto Rican and Dominican actress doesn't mind playing the tough-chick roles as she recently told CineMovie's Zay Zay and credits Latina actresses such as Rita Moreno, Rosie Perez and Jennifer Lopez for paving her way to Hollywood.

Movie Review: Battle: Los Angeles

Michelle Rodriguez has been on the Hollywood scene for only ten years but she has made her mark in many popular movie franchises since answering a casting call for the role for Girlfight in 2000. When a role calls for strong-willed action ladies, Michelle Rodriguez's name comes up along with Angelina Jolie's.  In many of her films, Michelle dons a uniform as a soldier.  Does she mind that Hollywood comes calling for similar roles?  In our sit down with the BATTLE: LOS ANGELES star, Michelle expressed her preference to playing female warriors than the pretty girl roles.  "When you see the all girls doing one thing, you don't need me up on the mix," she told CineMovie. "You've got that thing covered, so let me go handle my own little lane over here."

While most Hollywood films have the token minority, BATTLE: LOS ANGELES has a melting pot of characters including three Latino characters played by Rodriguez, Michael Peña (Crash, "East Bound & Down"), and newcomer Ramon Rodriguez (Transformers 2).  Michelle credits producer Neil H. Moritz (The Fast and the Furious) for the color blind casting but she doesn't think of herself as a Latina actress, rather an actress when it comes to roles.  The Texan born also feels she hasn't had to struggle for roles as a Latina because of previous actresses who came before her.  "My ride was paved by Rita Moreno, Jennifer Lopez and Rosie Perez." said the BATTLE: LOS ANGELES star.

Watch the video above for more with Michelle Rodriguez.

Movie Clip: Aaron Eckhart Battles for Los Angeles

BATTLE: LOS ANGELES is in theaters March 11, 2011.