Dawson was born in New York City to Isabel,[1] a Bronx-born professional vocalist, and Greg Dawson, a construction worker.[2] The two are now divorced.[3] Her father is of Irish and Native American descent, and her mother is of Afro-Cuban, African American, and Puerto Rican ancestry.
Dawson grew up on Manhattan's Lower East Side[2] and has a brother named Clay. She and her family squatted in an abandoned building during most of her childhood.[3] While attending school, she had aspirations of becoming a marine biologist.
[edit] Career
Dawson's acting career began when filmmaker Larry Clark saw her on a Manhattan stoop and asked her to be in his film Kids.[4] Dawson's performance was critically praised, and as a result she decided to pursue a career in acting. She attended the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. Dawson has worked steadily since her debut, with a mixed amount of commercial and critical success. As of 2007, she has worked with such notable directors as Oliver Stone, Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith, and Spike Lee, and costarred with the likes of Will Smith, Edward Norton, Taye Diggs, Clive Owen, Chris Columbus, and Colin Farrell.
Dawson's films have varied; ranging from independent films, to highly successful big budget blockbusters, and large scale box office bombs. Among her successes are He Got Game, opposite professional basketball player Ray Allen, and Men in Black II, which saw her sharing the screen with Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones; among her failures are The Adventures of Pluto Nash (which was nominated for six Golden Raspberry Awards[5]) and the live-action film adaptation of Josie and the Pussycats.[6]
In 1999, Dawson teamed up with Prince for the re-release of his 1980s hit "1999".[7] The new remixed version featured the actress in an introductory voice over, offering commentary on the state of the world in the year before the Millennium.[8] The same year she appeared in The Chemical Brothers' video for the song "Out of Control" from the album Surrender.[9] She is also featured on the track "She Lives In My Lap" from the second disc of the OutKast album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, during which she speaks the intro and a brief interlude towards the end.
In 2004 Dawson appeared in Oliver Stone's Alexander as the bride of Alexander the Great. In August-September 2005, Dawson appeared on stage as Julia in the Public Theatre revival of Galt MacDermot's 1971 musical The Two Gentlemen of Verona at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.[10]
She starred in the film adaptation of the popular musical Rent, where she played the exotic dancer Mimi Marquez, replacing the original Mimi, Daphne Rubin-Vega, who was pregnant at the time of filming. She also appeared in the adaptation of the graphic novel Sin City, where she played the prostitute-dominatrix, Gail. She will appear in Sin City's sequel in 2008.
In 2005 Dawson appeared in a graphically violent scene in the Rob Zombie film The Devil's Rejects. Though the scene was cut from the final film, it is available in the deleted scenes on the DVD release.
In 2006's Clerks II, Dawson starred as Becky, the crush-turned-wife of Dante Hicks. As she mentioned in the making of documentary, Back to the Well, the donkey show sequence was what made her decide to appear in the movie. In May of the same year, Dawson, an avid comic book fan, co-created the comic book miniseries Occult Crimes Taskforce.[11] She was at the 2007 Comic-Con to promote her new comic book miniseries.
In 2007, Dawson teamed up with friend Talia Lugacy, whom she met at the Lee Strasberg Academy, to produce and star in Descent.[12] On July 7, 2007 Dawson presented at the American leg of Live Earth.
[edit] Personal life
Dawson dated former Sex and the City star Jason Lewis for two years. They lived together in Los Angeles until they separated in November 2006.[13] She is currently reported to be dating another Sex and the City cast member, Andrea Boccaletti.[14] She has also been rumored to have dated Dawson's Creek star Joshua Jackson, and Jay-Z.[15] She is rumored to be the subject of the latter's song, "Lost One."[16]
For her 27th birthday party, she asked Guns N' Roses to perform. At the event, Axl Rose and Tommy Hilfiger got into a physical altercation which garnered some press attention.[17]
Dawson is involved with the Lower East Side Girls Club[18][19] and supports other charities such as environmental group Global Cool, the ONE Campaign, Oxfam, Amnesty International, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, Stay Close.org (a poster and public service ad campaign for PFLAG where she is featured with her uncle Frank Jump)[20]International Rescue Committee, Voto Latino,[21][22][23] and she participated in the Vagina Monologues.
Dawson is a big Boston Red Sox fan.[24] She is also a Trekkie and speaks a little Klingon.[25]
Dawson is now dating horror film director Eli Roth.
[edit] Select filmography
* Kids (1995)
* He Got Game (1998)
* Side Streets (1998)
* Light It Up (1999)
* Down to You (2000)
* King of the Jungle (2000)
* Josie and the Pussycats (2001)
* Chelsea Walls (2001)
* Ash Wednesday (2002)
* Men in Black II (2002)
* The Adventures of Pluto Nash (2002)
* 25th Hour (2002)
* The First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest (2002)
* World VDAY (2003) (documentary)
* This Girl's Life (2003)
* Shattered Glass (2003)
* The Rundown (2003)
* Alexander (2004)
* This Revolution (2004)
* Sin City (2005)
* Rent (2005)
* Clerks II (2006)
* A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006)
* Grindhouse: Death Proof (2007)
* Descent (2007)
Upcoming:
* Eagle Eye (2008) (filming)
* Poor Things (2008) (pre-production)
* Sin City 2 (2008) (pre-production) .... Gail
* Killshot (2007) (completed) .... Donna
[edit] Awards/Nominations
* ALMA Awards
o 2006, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture (Rent) Nominated
* American Black Film Festival
o 2004, Rising Star Award Won
* Black Movie Awards
o 2006, Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Rent) Nominated
* Black Reel Awards
o 2006, Best Actress (Rent) Nominated
o 2006, Best Ensemble (Rent) Nominated
o 2006, Best Supporting Actress (Sin City) Nominated
o 2003, Best Supporting Actress (25th Hour) Nominated
o 2000, Best Actress (Light It Up) Nominated
* Broadcast Film Critics
o 2006, Best Song (Rent) "Seasons of Love" Nominated
* Image Awards
o 2006, Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture (Rent) Nominated
o 2000, Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture (Light It Up) Nominated
* MTV Movie Awards
o 2006, Best Kiss (Sin City) Nominated
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