The Mummy

Background:

“I’m so evil... it’s not funny.” Patricia Velasquez on her role in The Mummy

Model-turned-actress Patricia Velásquez is perhaps best-known for her role as the invulnerable wife in the 1999 sleeper hit The Mummy and its anticipated sequel The Mummy Returns in 2001. She also played roles in films Committed (2000), San Bernardo (2000), Mindhunters (2004) and Twelve Days of Christmas Eve (2004, TV), As well as series “American Family” (2002), “Arrested Development” (2003-04) and “CSI: Miami” (2005). In addition to acting, one of the highest-paid and most accomplished Hispanic models in history, Velásquez has built a prolific career in the world of modeling by strutting down numerous important catwalks, fronting major magazine covers and appearing in countless famous print ads, including for Victoria’s Secret and Chanel’s Allure.

Sports Illustrated veteran model Velásquez was chosen as one of Stuff magazine’s “102 Sexiest Women in the World” in 2002. She stands 5’ 9½ with measurement 33 1/2-23 1/2-35 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine). Regardless of Hollywood’s glamour and glitz, Velásquez always remembers her hard time while growing up in Venezuela. Following her first few modeling gigs, she purchased a new house for her family and helped finance her brothers’ college education. A humanitarian, Velásquez supports such causes as the advancement of Hispanics, the fight against pediatric AIDS as well as fair treatment of home-grown peoples. She also founded an organization to help Venezuelans. On more private note, Velásquez identifies as bisexual. She has been linked to comedian Sandra Bernhard (dated in the mid-1990s).


Wayu Tribe

Childhood and Family:

Born Patricia Carola Velásquez Semprún, on January 31, 1971, in Guajira, Venezuela, Patricia Velasquez moved to Paris shortly after her birth and stayed there for four years before relocating to Mexico and then few years later returning to Venezuela. Despite the traveling life, Patricia and her five other siblings were raised in poverty by their educator parents. Her father is Venezuelan with a touch of Spaniard and her mother originated from a Native American Indians native to Venezuela called The Wayu Tribe.

Patricia was educated in San Vicente de Paul High School and finished her studies in 1987. She went to college after graduation to study engineering and accounting, but dropped out a year later to try her hand in modeling.


Most Expensive Model

Career:

Patricia Velásquez launched her modeling career after a year of college studies, when she was recruited by an agent in Caracas who was impressed by her exotic image included in one of her friend’s pictures sent to the agency. Soon after, she flew to Milan to further chase her career. In 1989, she entered a beauty pageant in Venezuela, representing Peninsula Goajira. Though she failed to crown the title of Miss Venezuela, it didn’t influence her future modeling gigs.

Instead, the exotic Velásquez landed a number of modeling gigs, including appearing on the 1994 Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Edition. She also starred in such print advertisements as Monsoon, Chanel’s Allure, Roberto Verino’s Verino fragrance and the renowned Victoria’s Secret. Her face has also grossed in the pages of major magazines like Vogue and Elle. As for runaways, Velásquez has worked with many top designers, including Corinne Cobson, Owen Gaster, Antonio Berardi, Bella Freud, Claude Montana, Jean Paul Gaultier, Salvatore Ferragamo as well as Dolce & Gabbana. During her flourishing stints in the world of modeling, Velásquez has joined Ford in New York, Models 1 in London and IMG in Paris. With such great accomplishment, the Venezuelan beauty has created a reputation for herself as one of the most talented Hispanic and highest-paid models in history.
Velásquez branched out to acting in 1996 with her debut role as Maya in the adventure film Jaguar, Le, starring Jean Reno and Patrick Bruel. She continued with roles in Eruption (1997), Beowulf (1999) and No Vacancy (1999), but it was her portrayal as Pharaoh’s untouchable wife Anck-Su-Namun in the box office hit The Mummy (1999) that won Velásquez real attention. The Stephen Sommers-directed movie saw her shared the screen with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz.

Following the breakthrough performance, Velásquez’s movie career took off. In 2000, she offered a memorable comedic turn as a waitress named Carmen in writer/director Lisa Krueger’s Committed, a role that successfully stole the limelight from the star Heather Graham. The film screened at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. The same yaer, she also appeared in action-thriller Façade, costarred with Alberto San Juan in the comedy San Bernardo and was additionally featured in the musical Turn It Up, starring Pras, Ja Rule and Jason Statham. In 2001, Velásquez reprised the villainous role of Anck-Su-Namun for the anticipated installment The Mummy Returns.

The dark brown-haired actress segued to television in 2001, appearing as Sonja Amata in one episode of “Ed.” She continued with recurring roles in “American Family” (2002, as Elena) and “Arrested Development” (2003-04, played Marta Estrella) before returning to film acting as Nicole Willis in director Renny Harlin’s action Mindhunters in 2004. The film cast her in lead role opposite Eion Bailey, Val Kilmer, LL Cool J and Christian Slater. After starring in Alfonso Arau’s biopic film Zapata - El sueño del héroe (2004), Velásquez made a two episodic guest appearance in the series “Rescue Me” (2004), played supporting role Isabel Frias in the made-for-TV comedy-fantasy The Twelve Days of Christmas Eve (2004), and guest starred in an episode of the long-running “CSI: Miami,” a year later.


Awards:
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