Gina Rodriguez Wins Award for Best Performance in TV Comedy
The sister and daughter of Teamsters Union representatives in Chicago edged out some of Hollywood’s leading ladies to take home a top honor at this year’s Golden Globes.
Gina Rodriguez won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy TV Series for her performance as the titular character in the CW’s “Jane the Virgin.” In addition to now being an award-winning actress, Rodriguez is the sister of Teamsters Local 727 business agent Ben Rodriguez. Her father, whom she thanked in her acceptance speech on January 11, is Geno Rodriguez, a longtime representative of Teamsters Local 714 and Teamsters Local 731.
“It’s been exciting for the whole family to see her journey and to know how extremely hard she’s worked over the years,” said Ben Rodriguez, who services Teamster-represented parking, valet and hotel workers in Chicago. “That kind of hard work, determination and resolve has always been a part of our family.”
Gina Rodriguez, 30, beat “Seinfeld” alum Julia Louis-Dreyfus and “Nurse Jackie” star Edie Falco to win the Golden Globe. In her televised speech, she profusely thanked her family, saying, “My father used to tell me to say every morning: ‘Today is going to be a great day. I can and I will.’ Well, Dad, today is a great day. I can and I did.”
Her father, Geno Rodriguez, is famous in his own right. In addition to being a Teamster leader, he’s refereed hundreds of professional boxing matches and title fights around the world and is currently the lead referee for the World Boxing Organization. Most recently he officiated the World Welterweight Title bout between Manny Pacquiao and Chris Algieri in Macao on November 23, 2014.
The star of “Jane the Virgin,” which has been renewed by the CW for a second season, also thanked her Latino supporters on Sunday and dedicated her award to the Latino community. “This award is so much more than myself,” Gina Rodriguez said. “It represents a culture that wants to see itself as heroes.”
“While our family is excited for Gina’s beautiful moment in the spotlight,” her brother Ben said, “we’re most happy that she promotes Latino people and the Latino culture with such grace, class and talent.”
Teamsters Local 727 and Teamsters Local 731 are affiliates of Teamsters Joint Council 25, America’s premier labor union for Chicago, Illinois and northwest Indiana.