Rosario Dawson’s best movies and TV shows showcase her career, which is filled with high-profile projects and smaller movies, working alongside great filmmakers. Dawson made her movie debut in the controversial 1995 movieKids. From there she continued to prove herself an alluring and versatile talent, appearing in dramas, comedies, musicals, and action movies. Regardless of whether she has a starring role or a supporting one, Dawson is always memorable.
Throughout her career, Dawson’s talents have led her to be noticed by legendary filmmakers like Spike Lee and Quentin Tarantino. She has also found herself playing big roles in some of the most popular franchises around, such as in the Marvel and Star Wars universes. From award-winning TV projects to voice acting roles to some overlooked gems, these movies and TV shows highlight the best of Dawson’s impressive career.
Top Five
Cast
Top Five (2014) follows comedian Andre Allen, played by Chris Rock, as he navigates the complexities of fame and personal aspirations. Allen, trying to transition from comedy to serious acting, finds himself challenged during an interview with journalist Chelsea Brown, portrayed by Rosario Dawson. Directed by Chris Rock, the film explores themes of identity and career in the entertainment industry, blending humor with insightful commentary.
Rosario Dawson joinedChris Rock’s best movieto date as an actor and as a director. Rock stars inTop Fiveas comedian Andre Allen, who is in the midst of planning his wedding to a reality star and launching his new movie which is an attempt at a serious role. Taking place over a single day, Andre is joined by journalist Chelsea Brown (Dawson), who is doing a profile on him and attempting to explore who he is as a man and artist.
The movie is a perfect vehicle for Rock to showcase his sharp sense of humor while also commenting on his own career. However, there is also a wonderful rom-com aspect to the movie, withterrific chemistry between Rock and Dawson as two people slowly fall for each other. However, the highlight ofTop Fivemay be the cameos with Cedric the Entertainer, Jerry Seinfeld, and DMX providing the biggest laughs in their brief roles.
Rent
Rent, directed by Chris Columbus, is a rock opera film set in late 1980s East Village, New York. It follows a year in the lives of bohemians Mark and Roger, who experience love, loss, and personal growth as they navigate struggles and relationships in an artistic community.
Rosario Dawson proved that she could add singing to her long list of talents inthe Broadway musical adaptationofRent. The movie follows a group of friends living in New York City and struggling with their artistic lifestyles, their sexualities, and the ongoing AIDS crisis that has claimed the lives of several friends.
While the majority of the original Broadway cast reprised their roles for the movie,Dawson was a new addition, taking over the role of Mimi Marquez, an exotic dancer. Dawson brings a lively spirit to the movie while also fitting in well with the established cast. She helps to create one of the best love stories in the movie among a lot of tragedies. It is a rousing and heartbreaking musical that does justice to the original stage version which has become so iconic.
The Lego Batman Movie
The LEGO Batman Movie is a spin-off of 2014’s The LEGO Movie, which centers around the titular hero; where after another day in Gotham City goes wrong thanks to the Joker and other fellow DC villains, Batman tells the Joker he’s a pitiful villain, not worth his time and hurts his feelings. Wanting to prove himself to Batman and get his ultimate revenge, Joker concocts an idea that will require the Caped Crusader to learn how to give up the lone vigilante act and recruit the help of allies Robin and Batgirl.
Rosario Dawson is no stranger to the comic book genre, but she gets the chance to embrace her comedic side as well in the entertaining animated movieThe Lego Batman Movie. After stealing the show as the Caped Crusader inThe Lego Movie, Will Arnett’s take on Batman gets its own spinoff with this hilarious animated movie that showcases Gotham City’s Dark Knight as a lonely hero whose life is turned upside down when he is put in the care of young orphan Dick Grayson (Michael Cera).
Dawson joins the star-studded voice cast as Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl. The movie is a wildly fun take on the Batman lore while also featuring many other iconic characters. The voice cast is also wonderful with the likes of Zach Galifianakis as Joker, Ralph Fiennes as Alfred, and Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman long before she played a much more serious take on the character in the live-actionThe Batman.
Shattered Glass
Shattered Glass, directed by Billy Ray, portrays the true story of Stephen Glass, a young journalist who rose to fame in the 1990s through his work at The New Republic. The film explores the unraveling of Glass’s career as his fabrications in numerous articles are discovered, leading to a major scandal in the world of journalism. Starring Hayden Christensen as Glass, the movie delves into themes of integrity and deception in media.
Before collaborating together in theStar Warsuniverse, Rosario Dawson and Hayden Christensen starred together in this hugely underrated biopic.Shattered Glassstars Christensen as Stephen Glass, a reporter who worked forThe New Republicand was a great success as a writer. However, after there were questions asked about some of his stories, it was revealed that he had largely invented entire journalistic pieces and passed them off as fact.
Dawson stars in the movie as Andy Fox, a fellow journalist and one of the people who begins investigating Glass’ work. The actress brings a stirring determination to the role as someone looking to protect the dignity of her profession. However, the real surprise is Christensen, who delivers a complex and nuanced performance as this fascinating and frustrating protagonist. It is one of the hidden gems of thejournalism movie subgenre.
Ahsoka
Ahsoka follows the journey of former Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy. Released in 2023, this series takes place within the Star Wars universe and features Ahsoka navigating through a complex political and cosmic landscape.
After debuting the iconicStar Warscharacter on an episode ofThe Mandalorian, Rosario Dawson was given the chance to lead her own spinoff series as Ahsoka Tano.Ahsokafollows the famed Jedi warrior following the fall of the Galactic Empire as she seeks out other remnants of the villains while uncovering a growing threat at the center of the galaxy.
AmongtheStar WarsDisney+ shows,Ahsokawas one of the better-received entries. It grows the mythology of the franchise in interesting ways while linking to theClone Warsanimated series in ways that will thrill fans.Dawson continues to prove herself the ideal live-action take on this hero, with a stoicism and vulnerability that are well-balanced. WhileAhsokaseason 2 is still a long way away, it seems likely Dawson will continue to play this character in theStar Warsuniverse for years to come.
25th Hour
25th Hour, directed by Spike Lee, follows Monty Brogan, a convicted drug dealer in post-9/11 New York City, as he spends his final day of freedom with friends and his girlfriend before beginning a seven-year prison sentence. The film explores themes of reflection and redemption during a pivotal moment in his life.
After an early role inHe Got Game,Rosario Dawson reunited with Oscar-winning filmmaker Spike Lee for one of his best movies.25th Hourstars Edward Nortonas Monty, a drug dealer who has been caught and is facing a long prison stretch. With one day left before he has to turn himself in to the authorities, Monty uses the time to tie up loose ends, spend time with the people he loves, and come to terms with the daunting future that awaits him.
Dawson plays Naturelle Riviera, Monty’s girlfriend whose loyalty he begins to question as he wonders who ratted him out to the police. She joins an exceptional cast that also includes great performances from Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Pepper, and Brian Cox. It is one of the best movies taking place across one day and really shows how important 24 hours can be.
Daredevil
Daredevil is a Netflix original series starring Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock. The TV show ran for three seasons before being canceled by Netflix, despite being critically praised. Kingpin was the main antagonist in seasons 1 and 3 and also introduced Jon Benrthal’s Punisher in season 2. Daredevil was followed by Disney+’s Daredevil: Born Again.
While the Netflix Marvel shows all shared some connective tissue, Rosario Dawson was the one at the center of it all as Claire Temple, the heroic nurse who served as the only character to appear in all four solo series as well as the team-up seriesThe Defenders. However, her first and best appearance came inDaredevil. Charlie Cox took on the role of Matt Murdoch, a blind lawyer from Hell’s Kitchen who also serves as protector of his community as the vigilante Daredevil.
Claire is introduced as a compassionate nurse in the neighborhood who ends up caring for Matt and eventually becoming a love interest. Though released at the height of Mavel’s popularity,Daredevilclearly set itself apart with its strong violence and grim storylines. It made for a refreshing comic book series with a street-level view. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like Claire will be returning inthe upcomingDaredevil: Born Again.
Sin City
Based on the original graphic novel by Frank Miller, Sin City is a dark and gritty crime-noir action movie that tells several different stories, all set at the same time in the same city. The lines of good and evil are blurred, with vigilantism being the new norm, as a city rife with corruption slowly swallows its citizens whole. Each protagonist is loosely connected to one another’s stories as the movie paints a bigger picture through each new point of view.
Before stepping into the Marvel world, Rosario Dawson starred in the R-rated comic book movieSin City, from the mind of Frank Miller.Sin Cityis an anthology movie that adapts several stories from Miller’s comic series of the same name. Taking place in the same seedy and corrupt city,Sin Citylooks at the various criminals and cops who have their own violent and surreal adventures.
Dawson plays Gail, the hardened sex worker who operates her own section of Sin City where she looks out for her girls and delivers her own brand of justice. She is part of a stellar all-star cast that also includes Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, Clive Owen, and many more. Robert Rodriguez co-directed the movie with Miller, bringing the comic book panels to life in such a faithful way while creating one of the most unique comic book movies ever.
Dopesick
From Executive Producer Danny Strong and starring and executive produced by Michael Keaton, Dopesick, examines how one company triggered the worst drug epidemic in American history. The series takes viewers to the epicenter of America’s struggle with opioid addiction, from the boardrooms of Purdue Pharma to a distressed Virginia mining community, to the hallways of the DEA.
Rosario Dawson was part of the acclaimed cast of one of thebest miniseries of all time.Dopesicktakes a look at the opioid epidemic in America with a mixture of true stories and some fictionalized accounts. The movie depicts the pharmaceutical companies that pushed their addictive drugs, the pharmaceutical reps who got rich off the lies, and the lives of many people in small communities who were overcome with addiction.
Dawson gets one of the heroic roles in the series as Becky, a DEA officer who makes it her mission to hold the corporate villains responsible for the damage they have done. She is also joined by Peter Sarsgaard, Kaitlyn Dever, and Michael Keaton in one of his best performances.Dopesickis a powerful, heartbreaking, and eye-opening look at a real problem that has continued to affect countless people with the fight still ongoing.
Death Proof
Mike McKay, a Hollywood stuntman, murders young women via “stunts” he performs with his vehicles — but he makes a mistake when he targets another stunt performer.
While often seen as the worst of Quentin Tarantino’s movies, the fact thatDeath Proofis still a wildly fun and brilliant action movie is a testament to how good his filmography really is.Death Proofis Tarantino’s contribution to theGrindhousemovie event with him taking a unique approach to a slasher movie. The thriller stars Kurt Russell as Stuntman Mike, a Hollywood car stuntman who moonlights as a serial killer, targeting women and using his souped-up car to kill them.
Rosario Dawsonplays Abernathy, who is targeted by Mike along with her friends while on a road trip. She has a lot of fun with the classic Tarantino dialogue as well as the fun directions her character gets to head in. Tarantino delivers some show-stopping stunt moments that showcase his action-movie talents. However,the real fun comes in the climaxwith the movie taking an unexpected turn which results in one of Russell’s best performances.
