Essential Viewing: 11 Must-See Gina Rodriguez TV & Movie Roles

While Gina Rodriguez is best known for leading The CW’s Jane the Virgin, she’s also acted in many other films and TV shows.

Rodriguez began her acting career by guest starring on many procedurals, such as Law & Order, The Mentalist, and Rizzoli & Isles. She also had a short stint on the CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful.

Whether Rodriguez directs independent films or romantic comedies, fights bad guys, or voices popular characters in animated classics, she does it with style.

Since she began leading films and TV shows over a decade ago, Rodriguez has rarely been without work. She’s become one of the leading ladies in the United States and owns her production company, often producing her lead roles.

Rodriguez has joined Will Trent Season 3 as Marian Alba, the assistant district attorney. The series returns on Tuesday, January 7, 2025.

We wanted to discuss her 11 best television and film roles to celebrate her new role.

(Filly Brown 2012)

Role: Majo Tenorio. Available to stream on Peacock or Tubi.

Rodriguez portrayed a young hip-hop artist, Majo Tenorio, in Filly Brown. This was her breakout leading role, as she sang into the film and dealt with dysfunctional family issues.

Majo Tenorio only wanted to help her mom get released from jail and become a rap star. The late singer Jenny Riveria and Lou Diamond Phillips played the dysfunctional parents.

Rodriguez shined by playing a naive teenager who didn’t understand the music business and only wanted to help her family.

She and rapper Dominique performed the track “This is My Life” in the film. Showcasing her journey from an underground artist to a legitimate singer was important.

This role showed Rodriguez’s range and emotional depth and allowed her to interact with famous stars.

Watch Filly Brown Online

Someone Great (2019)

Role: Jenny Young. Available to Stream on Netflix

Typically, Netflix is known for its romcoms, but Someone Great shines because of the strong bonds of female friendship after Jenny (Gina Rodriguez) experiences a break-up with her longtime boyfriend.

Jenny’s boyfriend, Nate, breaks up with her when he learns she landed a promotion across the country.

Her best friends, Erin (DeWanda Wise) and Blair (Brittany Snow) save the day by planning an all-day girls’ adventure to distract Jenny and honor their friendship before she moves.

The three of them have delightful chemistry that makes you believe they are friends in real life. So much of this film is relatable, as many of us thought our lives were over if we weren’t married by 30.

This is a fun chick flick, and if you enjoy films or TV shows about women’s friendship, check out Sweet Magnolias on Netflix.

Watch Someone Great Online

I Want You Back (2022)

Role: Anne. Available to stream on Prime Video

While Gina Rodriguez didn’t lead this Prime Video romantic comedy, she had an integral role. This charming film was packed with well-known actors, with Jenny Slate and Charlie Day in leading roles.

Their partners dump Emma (Slate) and Peter (Day). They accidentally meet and team up to win them back. This plan involved Emma seducing Anne’s (Rodriguez) new boyfriend, Logan, played by Manny Jacinto.

Things became complicated when Anne saw Logan and Emma becoming friends, and Peter befriended Noah (Scott Eastwood), Emma’s ex-boyfriend.

They weren’t supposed to care about the people they were duping or each other. This was a charming romcom, making you root for the underdogs.

I want You Back Online

Carmen Sandiego (2019-2021)

Role: Carmen Sandiego. Available to stream on Netflix

Many of us grew up playing the 1980s Carmen Sandiego computer games, so this choice and the next one are nostalgic.

The Netflix version modernized Carmen’s story by making her a female Robin Hood. She has more of a background story and becomes a complex, layered character.

Rodriguez enjoyed making Carmen her own, and this series is ideal for new and old fans to binge.

Rodriguez is also involved in the live-action Carmen Sandiego and helped launch a book series with her version of Carmen Sandiego.

The live-action project was delayed since they wanted to create something different. This one sounds like fun.

Watch Carmen Santiego Online

Scoob! (2020)

Role: Velma Dinkley. Available to Stream on Max.

While many of Rodriguez’s roles were live-action, she also voiced some infamous characters, including Velma, the brainy counterpart of Mystery Inc.

Rodriguez made Velma even more outspoken and spunky than usual as she made witty jokes from the start. Her younger counterpart, played by Ariana Greenblatt, charmed audiences too.

While diehards may prefer the old-school cartoons, Scoob! utilized the talents of an all-star cast and modernized their roles while featuring inside jokes and Easter eggs.

The movie is nostalgic and still teaches the importance of friendship and forgiveness, with Scooby and Shaggy’s friendship at heart. It’s worth a watch if you enjoyed Scooby-Doo.

scoob Online

Spy Kids: Armageddon (2023)

Role: Nora Torrez. Available to stream on Netflix

Since 2001, Robert Rodriguez( no relation to Gina) has created the Spy Kids universe. With Spy Kids: Armageddon, he introduced a new family, The Tango-Torrez family, with Gina Rodriguez and Zachary Levi headlining as the parents.

The story is similar to the others, and Robert’s son even helped him write it, considering what Easter eggs and twists new and old audiences would like.

Gina Rodriguez gave the best performance. She looked like she had fun every time she was on screen, whether with her on-screen children Patty ( Everly Carganilla) and Tony (Connor Esterson) or playing a badass spy.

She excelled at combining comedy and action; her fans will enjoy this.

spy kids armageddon Online

Miss Bala (2019)

Role: Gloria Fuentes. Available to stream on Starz

Miss Bala was Rodriguez’s grittiest role to date. Miss Bala was a remake of the 2012 film, with Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke at the helm.

Rodriguez portrays Gloria, a make-up artist, who visits her best friend Suzu to assist her in preparing for the Miss Baja beauty pageant. As the friends go out to celebrate, a shooting occurs, and Suzu disappears.

While it wasn’t as bleak as the original, the 2019 version focused on women’s empowerment as Gloria finds herself at the mercy of a drug gang to get her friend back.

Miss Bala resembles Fox’s The Cleaning Lady because, like Thony, Gloria would toe the line and work with a cartel or go undercover to save someone she loves.

Rodriguez shines in this role because she shows emotional depth as she plays a flawed, emotional character.

miss bala 2019 Online

Players (2024)

Role: Mack. Available to stream on Netflix

Rodriguez has become the queen of romcoms on Netflix and Prime Video, but Players followed a different formula that appealed to her as a producer and an actress.

Rodriguez stars as Mack, a sports journalist who scores hook-ups daily. She’s satisfied with the lack of strings attached for a long time, but then she meets Mark (Tom Ellis) and wants a real relationship.

What’s so fun about Players is Mack enlists the help of her male friends to help her land the guy. She’s the ringleader of the pack, and she’s self-assured and confident.

So many romantic comedies feature the man pursuing the woman, so there’s that twist. Since it’s a romcom, there’s never a straight line, and one of her friends falls for Mack.

The chemistry between Rodriguez and Damon Wayons Jr. was delightful. This is the perfect movie to watch near Valentine’s Day.

Players 0 Online

Not Dead Yet (2023-2024)

Role: Nell Serrano. Available to stream on Hulu

ABC’s sitcom Not Dead Yet was delightfully witty but relatable and allowed Rodriguez to connect with the audience.

She played Nell Serrano, who returns to her old job at SoCal Independent and learns she’s stuck writing obituaries. As luck would have it, Nell sees her subjects, and these ghosts love dishing out advice from the afterlife.

Rodriguez has joked that many of her characters were a hot mess, including Nell, but Nell learned to set better boundaries and become less destructive.

This included becoming less selfish in her friendship with Sam (Hannah Simone) and growing more compassionate towards her boss and rival, Lexi (Lauren Ash).

Watching the three ladies in scenes together were some of the most entertaining parts of the series.

Watch not dead yet Online

Jane the Virgin (2014-2019)

Role: Jane Villanueva. Available to buy from Apple TV and Prime Video

Jane the Virgin was Rodriguez’s first leading role as Jane Villanueva. It was a different kind of dramedy since Jane was trying to save her virginity until marriage but was then accidentally artificially inseminated by the doctor.

You only read about these things; naturally, Jane was a writer. As luck would have it, the birth father, Rafael, was an old crush and was now married. It was also his final chance to have a child, making things more complicated.

Jane the Virgin included one of the ultimate shipping wars between Jane and Rafael and Jane and Michael, her current boyfriend. Both sides were passionate about who they thought Jane should be with.

Watch Jane the Virgin Online

Will Trent (2023-Present)

Role: Marian Alba. Available to stream on Hulu

Gina Rodriguez is joining Will Trent as a series regular in Season 3. She’ll play assistant district attorney Marion Alba.

Rodriguez loves that Marion differs from her other characters and is not a hot mess. Marion is very businesslike and confident.

She has a run-in with Will Trent in the Season 3 premiere, which will be entertaining.

Will Trent Season 3 premieres on ABC on Tuesday, January 7 at 8/7c.

Watch Will Trent Online

Which Gina Rodriguez role was your favorite? Are you looking forward to seeing her on Will Trent?

Let us know in the comments.