Rosie Pérez has lived a hell of a life--from being a love child to a schizophrenic and a ladies' man, to being raised in a group home away from the person she'd understood to be her mother, and all of the other challenges that come with growing up in an environment that's hostile to poverty, brown people, and women. Her autobiography is a resilience story, one of continuous learning, forgiveness, intelligence, and talent.

If you haven't seen it, or haven't seen it in a while, check out White Men Can't Jump, which Pérez stars in with Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes.