LaRhonza Lee Rodriguez (born November 28, 1999) is an American actress and singer. Rodriguez is known for her regular role as Fabiola Torres on the Netflix comedy Never Have I Ever.[1][2]
Lee Rodriguez | |
|---|---|
| Born | LaRhonza Lee Rodriguez November 28, 1999 Fresno, California, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2018–present |
Early life
editLaRhonza Lee Rodriguez was born on November 28, 1999, in Fresno, California[3] to a Mexican-American father and an African American mother.[4] When she was a child, her family moved to Hesperia, California. When she was in the 8th grade, she started performing roles in the school theatre at Encore Jr./Sr. High School, a school specializing in the arts, helping her develop an interest in acting. She listed herself in a talent agency and later got a role in the year 2018.[3]
Career
editRodriguez's first TV acting role was her portrayal of Bea in the series Class of Lies in 2018.[5] In the same year Rodriguez portrayed Naomi on Grown-ish in 2018.[5][6] In 2020, Rodriguez joined the cast of Mindy Kaling's Netflix series Never Have I Ever as Fabiola,[7] a gay teenager who is captain of the robotics team at her high school.[8][9] To prepare for the role, she tried her hand at building a robot that she named "Tinzel Washington".[3]
In 2023, Rodriguez started releasing music under the stage name "La Rhonza".
Personal life
editRodriguez has spoken about colorism and the lack of representation of dark-skinned actresses of colour in the entertainment industry.[3] Rodriguez has future goals of releasing music albums and touring.[3] Rodriguez identifies as queer, first coming out on National Coming Out Day in 2020.[10][11][12] Rodriguez is 5’9” (1.75 m) tall.
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Class of Lies | Bea | Recurring role (season 1) |
| Grown-ish | Naomi | Episode: "If You're Reading This It's Too Late" | |
| 2020–2023 | Never Have I Ever | Fabiola | Main role (seasons 2-4); recurring role (season 1) |
| 2023 | The Good Doctor | Bianca | Episode: "Second Chances and Past Regrets" |
References
edit- ^ Romero, Ariana. "Never Have I Ever's Lee Rodriguez Takes You Inside Fab's Awkward, Explosive Queer Journey". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
- ^ Barr, Sabrina (July 17, 2021). "Never Have I Ever star Lee Rodriguez opens up on 'toxic relationships' in series". Metro. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Bergado, Gabe (April 27, 2020). "Lee Rodriguez Prepared for Her "NHIE" With a Robot Named "Tinzel Washington"". Teen Vogue. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
- ^ Rodriguez, Priscilla (August 11, 2011). "Never Have I Ever Star Lee Rodriguez on Portraying Fabiola & Female Friendships". Refinery 29.
- ^ a b "Meet The Cast From Season Two Of Netflix's Much-Loved Teen Drama, 'Never Have I Ever'". ELLE. July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
- ^ Peake, Amber (July 15, 2021). "How old is Lee Rodriguez? Ages of the Never Have I Ever Cast explored". The Focus. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
- ^ "Meet the Fresh Faces of TV Who Popped Into Our Portrait Studio at Netflix's YA Spring Showcase". People. February 26, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
- ^ "'Never Have I Ever' Shows Us What Life Is Like After Coming Out". www.out.com. July 16, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
- ^ Singh, Olivia. "'Never Have I Ever' star Lee Rodriguez says fans can expect 'new love triangles' and 'juicy' storylines on season 2". Insider. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
- ^ Kumar, Naveen (July 16, 2021). "Never Have I Ever's Lee Rodriguez Wants Queer Stories to Go Beyond Coming Out". them. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
- ^ Fuentes, Tamara (August 27, 2021). "'Never Have I Ever' Star Lee Rodriguez Is Tired of Coming Out". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
- ^ "Lee Rodriguez Wants You to Know That "You Shouldn't Have to Explain Your Queerness."". Teen Vogue. September 4, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2021.