Rosario Dawson is not like other Hollywood actors. Consider this: she’s 32, and in her 20s decided she’d had enough of being judged on her looks, so took to wearing enormous sweatshirts to auditions.

“I’d perform my ass off, and the casting directors would be like, ‘You are perfect for this role, but can you wear something a little less shapeless?’” Her manager would bargain with her. She could wear a roll-neck jumper, he said – but could it at least be a fitted one? “I’m like, ‘Ugh, fine’, but these stupid conversations needed to be had, because unfortunately, don’t believe what they tell you, there’s very little imagination in Hollywood.” She hoots with laughter.

It annoyed her when casting directors asked to see her in more revealing clothes, she says, because she was naked in the film Alexander, “so go to any crazy, sick website and you’ll be able to look at it in slow motion if you like”. Does that bother her? “No, not at all, my point being: then don’t complain, ‘We don’t know what she really looks like.’ Are you kidding?! Do your research. ‘She looks a little fat right now’,” she says, recalling a message that filtered down from some rotten, deluded film executive. “Really? They’re called breasts … There was definitely a period for a couple of years where I rebelled against it. It probably cost me a lot of really big jobs, but I was just so angry.”

I had been worried Dawson would be too tired to talk properly. Earlier in the day, she had called to put the interview back two hours, pleading jetlag, her voice full of mid-Atlantic grogginess. But she arrives at the Guardian on foot, poses quickly for a photo, sits down and she’s away, words tumbling out.

(more…)

Award-winning actress, writer and philanthropist Rosario Dawson will serve as spokesperson for the 5th Annual National Train Day and share her love of train travel and how it allows her to be involved in the community in a more personal way with rail fans. A celebration of train travel and the ways that trains touch the lives of people across America, National Train Day will take place in Dawson’s native New York City, at train stations in Philadelphia, Chicago and Los Angeles, and in communities nationwide, on Saturday, May 12, 2012. This year’s festivities will highlight the unique perspective passengers enjoy as they take in the beauty and vastness of the American landscape from the comfort of their seats when traveling by rail.

“I am delighted to join Amtrak and train fans everywhere in celebrating National Train Day. I love trains not only because they offer a more intimate way to see the country and experience the communities along the way, but also because they are one of the greenest ways to travel, which is a value that has always been important to me,” says Rosario Dawson.

“So many of my very first memories of travel as a kid in New York City were on the train,” adds Dawson. “I remember riding on Amtrak and jumping up at the first opportunity to visit the cafe car. It’s great to be able to walk around, hang out and grab a bite at my leisure. I’m always watching the fast changing scenery through the windows which can be as mesmerizing as a film. It always makes the trip so much more vivid.”

“We are thrilled to have Rosario Dawson, someone who is an inspiration both on and off the screen, as our spokesperson for the 5th Annual National Train Day,” says Emmett Fremaux, Amtrak Vice President, Marketing and Product Development. “Like many of our customers, she is passionate about staying connected to her community and is someone who enjoys the journey, not just the destination.”

A multi-faceted talent, Dawson is known to her legions of fans for her work in film, her leading roles with today’s hottest actors and directors, as well as her efforts as a philanthropist in communities across the country. When not starring opposite the likes of Will Smith in Men In Black II and Seven Pounds, Denzel Washington in Unstoppable, and Edward Norton in 25th Hour, Dawson is supporting a variety of community organizations. She is the co-founder of Voto Latino, the country’s leading non-partisan organization dedicated to bringing new and diverse voices into the political process to promote positive change, and is an active board member of V-Day, a global organization founded by Eve Ensler committed to ending violence against women and girls. An ardent environmentalist, Dawson works with the Environmental Media Association to promote healthy, sustainable lifestyles and inspire environmentally responsible behavior, and serves as a mentor through its School Garden Program which provides interdisciplinary and student-centered experiences to enrich learning through “living classrooms.” Dawson also lends her time and efforts to the Lower Eastside Girls Club in Manhattan, a group devoted to helping girls grow, learn, have fun, and develop confidence in themselves and their ability to make a difference in the world.

National Train Day will bring the “rail way” to life for attendees, and those participating online and through social media. To join in the celebration, passengers inspired by their train travel experience are encouraged to submit photos, video and stories at NationalTrainDay.com, facebook.com/NationalTrainDay or @natltrainday for a chance to win prizes.

I have updated the photo gallery with 512 HQ and MQ images of Rosario Dawson from the most recent events that she has attended!

A release date for the film “Ten Year” has finally been set and announced! It will be out in theaters on September 21st!

According to Collider.com, Rosario Dawson is set to co-star in the upcoming Cesar Chavez biopic titled “Chavez”. They are saying that Rosario Dawson was cast as Dolores Huerta, Chavez’s partner in activism and co-founder of what eventually became the United Farm Workers.

The script by Keir Pearson (Hotel Rwanda) will focus on Chavez organizing “the largest non-violent protest in U.S. history to accomplish his ultimate goal of obtaining basic human rights for over 50,000 farm workers in California.” Shooting is scheduled to begin next month in Mexico.

Rosario Dawson is to perform in the West End for a charity event next month.

Dawson will act alongside Olivia Williams, Meera Syal, Trudie Styler and Eve Ensler in A Memory, a Monologue, a Rant and a Prayer, which is a collection of monologues exploring violence. They have been edited by Ensler, who is the author of The Vagina Monologues.

Dawson will perform In Memory of Imette by Periel Aschenbrand. The evening will feature between five and ten monologues and is being produced by Lauren Prakke and Michelle Yue.

The event will be held on March 26 at the Lyric Theatre. All proceeds will go to charities Women for Women International, V-Day and Domestic Violence Intervention Project. The proceeds from every ticket sold will be tripled by Goldman Sachs Gives and The Millby Trust.

TheStage.co.uk

I have updated the photo gallery with 164 HQ and MQ images of Rosario Dawson from all the events that she has attended so far this year!

EA and Starbreeze Studios are enlisting high-profile actors for the voice cast of first-person shooter Syndicate. Rosario Dawson and Brian Cox will both play major characters in the game.

Dawson (Clerks II, Death Proof) will play Lily Drawl. Like the player, she’s an agent employed by the syndicate EuroCorp. However, she’s conflicted about her job and sympathizes with the underground resistance to the megacorporation’s reign.

“I’m amazed how videogames have become so deep in story, delivering fantastic worlds and memorable characters rivaling big Hollywood films,” said Dawson. “I was excited when EA approached me to play Lily Drawl in Syndicate. She’s an interesting and strong female character. How cool is it to play the mastermind who designed the military chip inside the player’s head!”

Cox, who appeared in X-2: X-Men United and The Bourne Supremacy among many others, portrays Jack Denham in the game. Denham is said to be the ruthless EuroCorp executive described as the “power behind the boardroom throne.” I’m gonna guess he’s a bad guy.

Michael Wincott (Alien: Resurrection, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves) was also confirmed for the voice cast. He plays a seasoned EuroCorp agent. Considering he mostly plays villains in films and video games (he was the Prophet of Truth in Halo 2), it’s safe to assume he’s not your BFF in this game.

“Syndicate immerses players deep into a dystopian world of unscrupulous corporations and chip augmented enforcers,” said Mikael Nermark, CEO of Starbreeze Studios. “These agents are the weapons of this war for market dominance and we needed strong talent to represent these intense characters. We are honored to have worked with the incredible Rosario Dawson, Brian Cox and Michael Wincott to make this world come alive.”

Syndicate will be released later this month on the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

CinemaBlend.com