Michaela Antonia Jaé Rodriguez (born January 7, 1991) is an American actress. Following her tenure at a theatre production of Rent as Angel Dumott Schunard during college, Rodriguez took a hiatus from acting to transition between 2012 and 2016. During that period, she appeared in minor roles in television shows such as Nurse Jackie, The Carrie Diaries, and Luke Cage. She later garnered further prominence and attention as Blanca Evangelista in the FX drama, Pose. A role that would later reward her with a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series Drama, making her the first transgender actor to win an award from the ceremony. Her other roles include Carolyn in Tick, Tick... Boom!, Sofia Salinas in Loot and Zagan in the Netflix animated series, Dead End: Paranormal Park.
Rodriguez is the first openly transgender actor to be a part of the Transformers franchise.