‘The Flight Attendant’ Finally Gives Rosie Perez the Role She Deserves

There are certain actors who serve as an unofficial stamp of quality in Hollywood. If you see someone like Walton Goggins, Margo Martindale, or Cristin Milioti in a cast list, you know that project is going to be good. For too long, Rosie Perez has been relegated to the outskirts of that esteemed list, her presence quietly proving that her shows and movies are worth your time even if they don’t give her the stage she deserves. Thankfully HBO Max is bucking that trend. The Flight Attendant gives Perez the spotlight she always deserves, and the result is marvelous.

From her film debut Perez proved she was an acting force. Despite its controversy, her role as Tina in Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing was one of the film’s emotional grounding forces. Throughout the ’90s Perez went on to star is such great movies as White Men Can’t Jump and Fearless (the latter of which nabbed her an Oscar nomination). Though Perez’s performances have remained steadfastly great, the size of her roles have changed in recent years. Yes, Perez has starred in excellent shows and movies like Search Party,  Birds of Prey, Bounty Hunters, and She’s Gotta Have It. But more often than not Perez’s characters are forced to live on the sidelines.

That’s not the case at all in The Flight Attendant. Though Perez’s Megan Briscoe isn’t part of Cassie’s (Kaley Cuoco) central drama, it would be a mistake to label her as a secondary character. While Cassie struggles with the realities of alcoholism and waking up next to a dead body, Megan has to balance being a stereotypical suburban wife and mother with being a freaking spy. If that’s not a role meant to fit Perez like a glove, nothing is.

As Megan, Perz excels at jumping between anxiety-producing tension and laugh-out-loud comedy. Megan is clearly terrible at being a spy for a mysterious government. Everything she does, from bringing her son with her on her stakeouts to using eBay as an excuse to borrow her husband’s work computer, screams mom who doesn’t know what she’s doing. But Perez is so naturally charming and cute, each of her missteps seems funnier and more relatable than the last.

At least that’s the case during The Flight Attendant’s early episodes. As the series continues and the consequences of Megan’s malware begin to unfold, so too does a different side of this actor. Without spoiling too much, Perez’s performance plays out like a poison-soaked pie. By the time you stop smiling and realize the full horrors of her actions, it’s too late. Perez expertly switches from a wide-eyed housewife to a manipulative foe hiding behind cute bangs and a great smile. It’s a transformation that’s so expertly executed you don’t see it coming until after Megan has already completed her mission and possibly ruined her family’s life. It’s a chilling change that steals the screen while Cassie’s struggles are at their most intense. But more than that it’s proof that Rosie Perez can do anything.

There are a lot of actors who excel at dramatic roles, and many who are rulers of comedy. But few performers can switch between those two extremes in the blink of an eye. Even fewer can do so with a degree of grace of charisma that leaves you loving them even after their character has done the worst thing imaginable. Rosie Perez is one of those rare few. Give this woman some more meaty roles. Perez can more than handle it, and we will love watching her every second of the way.

Watch The Flight Attendant on HBO Max