Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Patricia's exotic looks made her an instant favorite of our voting panel, and no doubt the producers of The Mummy movies saw the same thing we did: a woman who wears her sex appeal on her sleeve.
Patricia (before the Gisele Bundchen-led Brazilian invasion) was the best-known Hispanic model in the world. Though she never set out to do more than just high-fashion modeling, a chance part in the French movie Le Jaguar got her film career going, and 6 movies later it still keeps rolling. She also had a part-time gig as the host of a TV show called Arriba! (an appropriate title).
Patricia Velasquez was born in Guajira, Venezuela, on January 31, 1971. Raised by her educator parents in a third world country, not to mention the fifth child of six, Patricia's life was far from luxurious or glamorous.
She attended San Vicente de Paul High School, and after her graduation in 1987, Patricia headed for college to study engineering and accounting. Although she was being raised to go into the Venezuelan oil industry, which is practically the only choice for Indian children from Venezuela (Patricia's mother is of native heritage, from the Wayu tribe in the Amazon), a chance event led her to switch her plans.
A friend of hers wanted to become a model, and one of the pictures that she sent to a casting call in Caracas included Patricia. As fate would have it, the agency wanted exotic Patricia.
After a year of college studies, she left for Milan in pursuit of a modeling career. Up until that point, the closest Patricia came to a modeling experience was her participation in beauty pageants in her native Venezuela, which didn't affect her upcoming modeling gigs.
In 1998, Patricia strutted down catwalks in ready to wear fashion shows for designers such as Antonio Berardi, Bella Freud, Corinne Cobson, Claude Montana, Jean Paul Gaultier, Salvatore Ferragamo, Dolce & Gabbana, and Owen Gaster.
As for print, Patricia appeared in ads for Chanel's Allure, Monsoon, Roberto Verino's Verino fragrance, as well as everyone's favorite, Victoria's Secret. She even donned swimsuits for Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Edition in 1994.
Signed with Ford in New York, IMG in Paris and Models 1 in London, Patricia extended her resume from appearing in the pages of Vogue and Elle, to appearing on the big screen.
Her debut role was as Maya in the 1996 film Le Jaguar, which she followed up with a role in Eruption (aka Volcano Run) a year later. 1999 was a huge year for Patricia, as she appeared in Beowulf and No Vacancy; broke out despite a small role, as Anck-Su-Namun in the sleeper hit, The Mummy; and finally appeared in Faade (aka Death Valley).
Patricia stole the spotlight from cutey Heather Graham in Committed, in a comedic turn as a waitress -- she was especially noticed during the screening at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. That same year, she appeared with Pras and Ja Rule in Turn It Up, and then starred in Saint Bernard.
Even with the glamour and glitz of Hollywood, Patricia never forgets the struggling days of poverty growing up in Venezuela. After her first few modeling gigs, she bought her family a new home, made sure her 3 brothers received a college education, and still supports causes such as the advancement of Hispanics, fair treatment of indigenous peoples, and the fight against pediatric AIDS. She also launched a foundation to help Venezuelans.
Patricia will next be seen in the anticipated sequel to The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, as the Pharaoh's untouchable wife. She may be evil in the film, but it's surely her beauty that makes her untouchable.
"I'm so evil... it's not funny." -Patricia Velasquez, on her role as the Pharaoh's wife in The Mummy
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