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Rosa Salazar

Rosa Salazar

Actor, also producer · Born July 16, 1985 (41) · Washington, D.C., USA

Sundance award nominee

Rosa Salazar (/ˈsæləzɑːr/; born July 16, 1985) is an American actress. She had roles in the NBC series Parenthood (2011–2012) and the FXanthology series American Horror Story: Murder House (2011). She made her breakthrough as the title character of the film Alita: Battle Angel (2019) and is known for starring in the series Brand New Cherry Flavour (2021), which she also co-produced. Salazar appeared in The Divergent Series: Insurgent (2015), Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015), and Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018) and also appeared in the Netflix films The Kindergarten Teacher (2018) and Bird Box (2018). She stars in the Amazon series Undone (2019–2022). Salazar was born on July 16, 1985, in Washington, D.C., to Luis and Marilynne Salazar. Her father is Peruvian, and her mother is French-Canadian. She grew up in Washington, D.C., and nearby Greenbelt, Maryland. She attended Greenbelt Middle School and Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, where she was active in the theatre program. She attended Prince George's Community College, where she studied drama, then continued drama studies at Upright Citizens Brigade, where she practiced method acting, improvisation, and performance. Salazar enjoyed entertaining others from the age of fifteen and became serious about becoming an actress after moving to New York City as a young adult. There she appeared in several CollegeHumor sketches. Shortly after relocating to Los Angeles in 2009, she made her film debut playing the character Crystal in Jamesy Boy, written and directed by Trevor White. She then landed recurring roles on two hit TV series: American Horror Story: Murder House and Parenthood. In 2015, she co-starred in various sequels: The Divergent Series: Insurgent as Lynn, and Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials as Brenda. In 2016, Salazar directed and starred in the short film Good Crazy, a story of a social crusader. It was nominated for a Short Film Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. In 2018, she reprised her role as Brenda in Maze Runner: The Death Cure. In 2019, she made her major studio lead debut with the film Alita: Battle Angel, an adaptation of the manga Gunnm directed by Robert Rodriguez. It brought Salazar numerous awards, including "Best Visual Effects or Animated Performance" from the Hollywood Critics Association and "Best Voice or Motion Capture Performance" from the Association of Latin Entertainment Critics. That year, it was announced that Salazar would have a main role on the Netflix horror drama miniseries Brand New Cherry Flavor. It was released on August 13, 2021. In 2023, Salazar was invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Description above from the Wikipedia article Rosa Salazar, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 16, 1985 (41)
From
Washington, D.C., USA
Works as
Actor, also producer
Titles
35 on MovieCove · 39 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Down 15% in 30 days

What are Rosa Salazar's films like?

Across their 19 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Action6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 47th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Comedy3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 52nd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 73rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 53rd percentile
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
30%
Bonds
20%
Morality
18%
Survival
17%
Power
9%
Society
4%
Ideas
3%
Family bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeMemory3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 15 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 5 · Serious 3 · Dark 7

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 7 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 4

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 2 · Charged 7 · Intense 6

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 6 · Shifting 8 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 10 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 2

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 3

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 5 · Engaged 8 · Full focus 2

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 11 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

12 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 5 of 12 analyzed roles.

Ally
5 of 12
Hero
4 of 12
Shapeshifter
2 of 12
Herald
1 of 12
Show the 12 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
14
Melancholic
8
Thrilling
6
Dread
4
Contemplative
5
Other
16

How their films linger

Hopeful11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 5 with a twist

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet8
  • Ambiguous6
  • Other1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Rosa Salazar's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 27 of their 35 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Disney+ (8).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Rosa Salazar's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

39 credits, 35 with a MovieCove page.

  • Vampires of the Velvet Lounge(2026)

    as Alexis

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Play Dirty(2025)

    as Zen

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Win or Lose(2025)

    Show 8 episodes · as Vanessa (voice)

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • A Million Miles Away(2023)

    as Adela

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Wedding Season(2022)

    Show 8 episodes · as Katie

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all shows

  • Pantheon(2022)

    Show 4 episodes · as Senator Elaine Rivera (voice)

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Marcel the Shell with Shoes On(2021)

    as Larissa

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Chariot(2022)

    as Maria Deschaines

    Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films

  • No Future(2021)

    as Becca

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Brand New Cherry Flavor(2021)

    Show 8 episodes · Producer · as Lisa N. Nova

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all shows

  • B Positive(2020)

    Show 4 episodes · as Adriana

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all shows

  • Pink Skies Ahead(2020)

    as Addie

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Undone(2019)

    Show 16 episodes · as Alma Winograd-Diaz

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Alita: Battle Angel(2019)

    as Alita

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Bird Box(2018)

    as Lucy

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Star Trek: Short Treks(2018)

    Show 1 episode · as Lynne Lucero

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all shows

  • The Kindergarten Teacher(2018)

    as Becca

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Maze Runner: The Death Cure(2018)

    as Brenda

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Big Mouth(2017)

    Show 4 episodes · as Ms. Benitez (voice)

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all shows

  • CHIPS(2017)

    as Ava

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Good Crazy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Director · Writer · as Rosa

  • Submerged(2016)

    as Amanda

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Night Owls(2015)

    as Madeline

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials(2015)

    as Brenda

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • China, Il The Musical (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as Barb

  • The Divergent Series: Insurgent(2015)

    as Lynn

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Man Seeking Woman(2015)

    Show 5 episodes · as Rosa · as Rosa / Bosa

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • Search Party(2014)

    as Pocahontas

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Tim and Eric's Bedtime Stories(2013)

    Show 1 episode · as Lucy

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • Jerked (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Actor

  • Jamesy Boy(2014)

    as Crystal

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Hello Ladies(2013)

    Show 1 episode · as Heaven

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • Epic(2013)

    as Roller Derby Girl (voice)

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Ben and Kate(2012)

    Show 1 episode · as Molly

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all shows

  • American Horror Story(2011)

    Show 3 episodes · as María

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all shows

  • China, IL(2008)

    Show 10 episodes · as (voice) · as Barb (voice)

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all shows

  • Law & Order: LA(2010)

    Show 1 episode · as Yolanda

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all shows

  • Parenthood(2010)

    Show 13 episodes · as Zoe DeHaven

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • CollegeHumor Shorts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Show 1 episode · as Adison · as Rosa

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 39 titles from 2007 to 2026; peak year 2018.

Biggest box office

Alita: Battle Angel (2019)

$405M worldwide

Highest rated

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2021)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Play Dirty (2025)

Film career

20072026

Peak 2018 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 7 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting39 of 39: 38 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score55thDirecting1 of 39: 0 only directing, 1 with another roleWriting1 of 39: 0 only writing, 1 with another role

By decade

2000s1 · acting2010s26 · 26 acting · 1 crew2020s12 · acting

Billing

usually 6th · top billed in 6% of 16 roles
1318

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

Nominated for a Sundance award in 2017.

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Rosa Salazar's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 53rd percentile, the median of all 19; across their 15 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 56th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Approval · how many liked their films

54thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Reach · how many have seen their films

95thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 15

Midcredits score across 35 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th11
  • 25th to 49th10
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

15 of their 35 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Universally Panned1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser15
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed11

Most divisive · actor

China, IL (2008)

83rd percentile spread · 23% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Pantheon (2022)

Midcredits 98th · 93% liked

Reviewers score the acting 68/100 in their films, across 15 reviewed titles; fans 79, detractors 45. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Rosa Salazar's work okay for kids?

Across up to 14 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore11 titles3–85 · median 66 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity14 titles12–66 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity11 titles29–82 · median 47 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs11 titles11–46 · median 35 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense11 titles26–78 · median 59 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Rosa Salazar work with?

People who share at least 2 of Rosa Salazar's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Wes Ball shares the most, 2.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers