Rosario Dawson's acting career began when filmmaker Larry Clark saw her on a Manhattan stoop and asked her to be in a film he was making. The movie, Kids, became a critical success and Dawson's performance was commended, and as a result she decided to pursue a career in acting; attending the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. Dawson has worked steadily since her debut, with a mixed amount of commercial and critical success. As of 2007, she has worked with such notable directors as Oliver Stone, Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith and Spike Lee, and costarred with the likes of Will Smith, Edward Norton, Taye Diggs, and Colin Farrell.