Patricia Velasquez

Patricia Velásquez Actress - Date of Birth 31 January 1971 Guajira, Venezuela

Birth Name Patricia Carola Velásquez Semprún

Height 5' 8" (1.73 m)

Mini Bio (1) Patricia Velásquez was born Patricia Carola Velásquez Semprún in Guajira, Venezuela on January 31, 1971, the fifth of six children. She was raised by her parents, both of whom were educators, in a third world country. Needless to say, Patricia's life was far from luxurious. She attended San Vicente de Paul High School, and after her graduation in 1987, headed for college to study engineering and accounting. Although she was being raised to go into the Venezuelan oil industry (which is basically the only choice for Native American children from Venezuela), a chance event led her to switch plans. A friend of hers wanted to become a model, and one of the pictures 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. In 1998, she strutted down catwalks in ready-to-wear fashion shows for designers such as Antonio Berardi, Bella Freud, Corinne Cobson, Claude Montana and Dolce & Gabana, to name a few. As for print, Patricia appeared in ads for Chanel's Allure, Roberto Verino's Verino fragrance, as well as Victoria's Secret. She even donned swimsuits for Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Edition in 1994 at the age of 23. She has participated in the mother of all beauty pageants, the Miss Venezuela pageant, and can be seen in such movies as The Mummy (1999) and The Mummy Returns (2001). Patricia has tried and succeeded in branching out from the stereotype of a model. Besides, she has more noble reasons for her very full schedule. She grew up in a very poor family in Guajira, and promised herself that she would get her family out of that situation. 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.

- IMDb Mini Biography By: Jason Castellano

Lauren After 8 year Relationship/Separated 1 child F1. Maya

A former model. Both of her parents are educators. Her father worked for the UNESCO. Her mother's heritage derives from the Wayu group in Zulia state in Venezuela.

Had a tough childhood with very little material possessions. This gave her a valuable lesson in appreciating any fortune bestowed upon her. As a result, she has developed a very strong character, including being a vocal spokesperson for Hispanic causes.

Her mother derives from The Wayu group from Venezuela.

Spent a couple of years in Milan, which helped her to become a more sophisticated, classy and stylish woman.

Signed with Ford models in New York, IMG in Paris, and Models 1 in London. She also extended her resume by appearing on the pages of Vogue and Elle.

Ranked #16 in Stuff magazine's "102 Sexiest Women in the World" (2002)

Spent the first four years in her life in Paris. After Paris, the family relocated to Mexico for a few years then returned to Venezuela.

She is fluent in English, French, Italian, and Spanish.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0892383/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

Patricia Carola Velásquez Semprún (born 31 January 1971) is a Venezuelan actress and model, most well-known for her portrayal of Anck-su-namun in the 1999 film The Mummy and its 2001 sequel, The Mummy Returns.

Early life Velásquez was born in Maracaibo, Venezuela, the fifth of six children. Her father is mestizo and her mother a member of the indigenous Wayuu people. Her parents were both teachers; her father also worked for UNESCO and was assigned to other countries. Velásquez grew up with her family in France and Mexico. She attended San Vicente de Paul High School, graduating in 1987.

In 1989, she participated in the Miss Venezuela 1989 contest. She represented Peninsula de la Guajira, a center of the Wayuu people, and placed as 2nd runner-up. After three years of engineering studies at college, Velásquez left for Milan, Italy, in pursuit of a modelling career. She is fluent in English, Spanish, French, and Italian.

Personal life In 2002, Velásquez founded The Wayuu Taya Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting the Wayuu, an indigenous people located in northwestern Venezuela and northern Colombia. In 2010, after the devastating Haiti earthquake, she had the Wayuú Tayá Foundation commission a special symbol of hope to raise money for the victims of the Haiti earthquake. It was sold with the slogan: Keep the "H" Close to Your Heart—Help Haiti Hope.

Velásquez has a daughter, Maya, with her former girlfriend Lauren. They separated after eight years together.

In February 2015, Velásquez released her memoir Straight Walk, recalling her journey from poverty to international acclaim. She came out as lesbian, saying that she wanted to set an example of honesty for her daughter.