Michaela Antonia Jaé Rodriguez, formerly known as Mj Rodriguez, born on January 7, 1991, in Newark, New Jersey, is an American singer and actress whose career began on stage, most notably in an off‑Broadway production of Rent, where she earned the 2011 Clive Barnes Award for her portrayal of Angel Dumott Schunard. After a brief hiatus to explore her gender identity, she returned to the screen with guest roles on Nurse Jackie, The Carrie Diaries, and Luke Cage, the latter marking the first transgender appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In 2017, she secured the lead role of Blanca Evangelista in the FX series Pose, a performance that brought her a 2021 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and a 2022 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Television Series Drama. Transitioning into music, she released her debut single "Something to Say" in June 2021 under Access Records, followed by the single "Green Lights" in 2024, and released a studio album titled 33 the same year through TribeDisciples.
