I can't believe this Brooklyn 99 actor originally auditioned for Rosa Diaz (but got another iconic role on the sitcom instead)

Brooklyn 99's leather-jacket clad, secretive and no-nonsense detective Rosa Diaz- can you imagine any other actress, other than Stephanie Beatriz, who could have nailed this role in the hit workplace sitcom?

While it's difficult to imagine, another sitcom star originally auditioned for the part of Rosa Diaz, and it is none other than Chelsea Peretti, who eventually went on to play the iconic Gina Linetti.

Brooklyn 99's ensemble cast, which includes Andy Samberg, Melissa Fumero, Terry Crews, Andre Braugher, Joe Lo Truglio, Beatriz and Peretti, is perfect in every way and each actor has portrayed their characters to perfection.

However, the sitcom would have been very different if Peretti had ended up playing Rosa instead of Gina.

More on this in our story.

I just found out that Chelsea Peretti originally auditioned for Rosa in Brooklyn 99

Gina Linetti and Rosa Diaz are both iconic Brooklyn 99 characters, perfectly portrayed by actresses Chelsea Peretti and Stephanie Beatriz, respectively.

However, things might have looked very different for the workplace sitcom because Peretti originally auditioned for Rosa. The actress revealed this behind-the-scenes secret in an interview with HuffPost:

"Should I drop a bomb? I initially auditioned for the part of Rosa, which was not called Rosa at the time.''

The part of Rosa was initially called Megan and Peretti auditioned for that. The sarcastic queen was almost cast as the leather-clad and tough Rosa Diaz, but fate had other plans and the part eventually went to Beatriz.

However, since Peretti was already familiar with Dan Goor and Michael Schur (she was a writer on their sitcom Parks and Recreation), they wrote a part for her and the rest is history.

It is a testament to Peretti's talents as an actress and comedian that despite not being a Detective in Brooklyn 99, she is one of the most popular and fan-favorite characters on the sitcom.

Reminiscing about how Gina Linetti was born, Peretti further added:

"Did not get it [Rosa's part], but they called me and were like, 'We're going to write a different part for you.' So my part was not in the script that I initially read...Do I love the part? Yes, it's a miracle."

Brooklyn 99: Gina Linetti is partially based on Chelsea Peretti

While Peretti did not get the role she originally wished for, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as it led to Gina Linetti, one of the most interesting characters on the show.

Since Gina was specially written for Peretti, the actress also revealed that most of the character traits were actually written after her, and her friends would attest that she is very close to Peretti in real life.

Brooklyn 99 is a show about Detectives and how they solve cases using the best of their capabilities. Yet somehow, the civilian administrator and Captain Holt's assistant stole the show.

Gina Linetti is now an iconic character in the world of sitcoms and it is all thanks to Peretti's brilliant comedic timing. Whether it's her sardonic behaviour towards Charles and Amy or funny banter with Jake, everybody knows that Gina actually runs the 99 precinct and is the true hero of the sitcom.

Interestingly, her friendship with Jake Peralta was also written after Peretti and Samberg's off-screen friendship, as they are childhood friends in real life. No wonder Jake and Gina's platonic chemistry is off the charts in Brooklyn 99, as it clearly shows their off-screen bond.

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