Patricia Velasquez biography:
Early life Velásquez, the fifth of six children, was born in Zulia, Venezuela to a Venezuelan father of Native and Spanish descent and a mother who came from the Wayuu tribe. Her parents were both teachers; her father also worked for UNESCO and as a result, she spent some of her childhood in Mexico and France. She attended San Vicente de Paul High School, graduating in 1987. After a year of college studies, Velásquez left for Milan, Italy, in pursuit of a modeling career. She also competed in the 1989 Miss Venezuela pageant representing Guajira Peninsula, placing seventh.
Career
In 1997 she studied acting in Los Angeles and New York. In 1998, she paced down runways in ready-to-wear fashion shows for designers such as Antonio Berardi, Bella Freud, Corinne Cobson, Claude Montana, and Dolce & Gabbana. As for print advertising, Velásquez appeared in ads for Chanel's Allure, Roberto Verino's Verino fragrance, as well as Victoria's Secret. Early in her modeling career, she appeared in several issues of the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. This led to a large number of further modeling engagements, which ultimately culminated in her being ranked #45 on the Maxim Hot 100 Women of 2001 and #16 in Stuff Magazine's "102 Sexiest Women in the World" poll in 2002. She is currently a L'Oréal model. Velásquez appeared in the role of Anck-Su-Namun in the 1999 film The Mummy and its 2001 sequel The Mummy Returns. Her character makes her first entrance in the film in remarkably intricate body paint. Velásquez's movie credits normally omit the acute accent over the a in her surname. She had a special appearance on Breaking the Girl video of the alternative rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Television
Velásquez played the character of Begoña on several episodes of The L Word during its 5th season (2008). She also had a recurring role on the television series Arrested Development playing Marta Estrella, and on CSI: Miami in the episode "From The Grave" as a guest star, playing Celia Gonzalez.
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The Mummy Returns: Interview with Patricia Velasquez
The Mummy (1999)' became a surprise global blockbuster, eventually earning over  $415 million. Now, the legacy of a 3,000 year-old curse returned to threaten nosey antiquarians Rick and Evelyn O'Connell (Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz) and assorted villains and adventurers - along with box office records, in the shape of 'Mummy Returns, The (2001). ' The sequel also reunites the original characters of Imhotep, played by Arnold Vosloo, and Anck-Su-Namun, his sexy lover played by Venezuelan modelling superstar Patricia Velasquez.
It's easy to see why the 29-year-old Latina beauty got the role.
You must be thrilled as you get a much bigger role in the sequel? - Yeah, it's a much bigger role, as I also play Meela, the modern reincarnation of my Egyptian character. I was so happy when they called me.
Did you enjoy playing the bad girl? - It was great, but for me it's really a love story. They really want to be together. Everyone can relate to that.
You and Rachel have this amazing catfight. How tough was that to do?
- The hardest thing I had to do in the whole film was the big fight scene I have with Rachel. The training we did was insane, boxing with martial arts. We both trained for 3 months, sometimes 7 or 8 hours a day, and I did all my own stunts - including the jumps and the splits - except one. I used to be a dancer, and for me it was a really good combination of dance and acting. At the start we were both a bit shy about hurting each other, but by the end we were really going for it. (Shows her hands) See, I'm still covered in little scars!
Did you get hurt badly at all? - I actually ended up in hospital for 3 days, I was so tired. It was weird, and they don't know this, but I've been to the doctor 3 times and they've been checking my heart because I pushed it so much. But I'd totally do it again. Supposedly there was this cyst that grew in the last 2 months we were training, and then right after we did the fight the cyst burst, and I ended up in The Courtland in London.
How was it?- (Laughs) You can't stay anywhere else after that place! It's like a super 6-star hospital where the Queen goes. They have amazing room service, newspapers and magazines in the morning - I have never seen anything like it. The food was so good this friend of mine would go there just to eat!
Tell us about your background. Are you pure Indian?- No, I'm half Indian. My mother is Indian from a village called Wayu, and my Dad is Venezuelan, and he's a mix of Indian and Spanish.
What did you inherit from your mother?- My spirituality and sense of work, along with family values.
What about your Dad?- Definitely my desire for knowledge and love of reading, and his sense of honesty. Always work hard, be honest, and be proud of who you are. That's what I learned.
How did you start modelling and then acting?- I began dancing when I was just 5, and I never really wanted to become an actress because it's what every other model does. But then I did my first one with Jean Reno and completely fell in love with it. That film was all about saving an Indian village in the Amazon, and because I'm a South American Indian and I have a foundation for the Indians, I thought, 'I have to do this. ' So I went to the Amazon for 3 months and it completely changed me. And when I came back, I kept modelling, but after 2 or 3 years I realized acting was what I wanted to do, and then when I did my little part in the first 'Mummy' I had no idea it'd be such a huge hit everywhere. For me it was more like a modelling job because I had to put on all this special body makeup that took 13 hours to do.
Is it true you grew up with no running water?- Completely. It was this little town, and I thought, 'If I can bring home $30 a month, that'll pay for water for the whole building. ' So that's how I got into modelling. I actually thought it was very superficial, as my parents are teachers and I grew up in that sort of environment. And most models get into acting mainly because of ego. They think, 'What can I do now to keep the same lifestyle and be the center of attention?' And that's not the right reason for going into acting.
Supermodels usually live wild lives. So just how wild were you? Didi you do tons of drugs and party all night?- (Laughs) OK, I've been very wild, but I've never really been the sort of person who goes that crazy! There was a time when I used to live in Spain that it went really crazy with drugs and stuff like that. One time I went to Ibiza and it was just crazy that night. We took so much stuff, and in the morning I arrived at the hotel and I was supposed to go back to Madrid, and I said, 'I'm not going. I'm staying. ' And that day I got a call to do my first cover and to work with this big, big client in Spain, and I felt so bad. I was like, 'What are you doing? Your family is living in Venezuela with no water and this is the way you're behaving?' So,never again. Thank God I had all these family values or who knows where I'd be now.
Are you married?- No, no kids either. But I have 8 nieces and nephews, so I can take them to see this film.
Do you have a boyfriend?- Not right now. I travel too much. I live in New York and I was only there for 2 weeks all last year. Before, I used to have relationships all the time. Then I realized about 2 years ago that I was having them for the wrong reason. It was more like a security thing. You need a routine, to be able to spend some timewith a person, and my lifestyle is constantly on the move. I was in Venezuela two days ago, then I'm off to Spain and Miami next week and so on.
What do you look for in a man?- Anything that isn't macho.
So that cuts out all Latin America men?- (Laughs) No, my brothers are so not like that and so are many men. I think if I could have a boyfriend like my brothers I'd be really happy. But without the brother thing.
Don't you ever worry that because you travel so much, and don't have time for a relationship, one day you'll wake up and feel really lonely?- No, not at all. First, I have my whole family, and I have great friends too. And I know that I'll have kids at some point. I want to have 2 and adopt 2 as well. So I'm not worried. I'll do it in 2 years, 3 years. Who knows. God knows. He'll bring it to me when it's right.
There are all these rumours that you had an affair with [Sandra Bernhard. Are they true?]- Everyone talks about Sandra. Look, she was a very, very important person in my life - and she still is. She was a friend, she was like a mother to me, and also like my daughter sometimes. I had no idea who she was when we first met in France. She came to do a show and we became really good friends. People say many things, but at the end of the day people can say what they want. Sandra is somebody that I have in my heart forever, because I didn't even speak English when I met her, and she taught me so much. I didn't even know what a credit card was, or frequent flier cards or any of that stuff. She really, really helped me.
Do you ever miss those modelling days?- Sometimes. I enjoyed working as a model a lot as it let me travel and I got to do some really interesting projects. But now it's about me instead of the clothes.
Your career's going great now, but you must have had some low points?- Yes, but it gave me a lot of strength too. My parents used to
 work for UNESCO and we were living really well at first. I spent my early childhood with them in Paris, and then we lived in Mexico, and then when we moved back to Venezuela my father's contract finished and the situation got very difficult. That's when we ended up living on the 15th floor of this apartment block with no water, for 13 years. The elevators never worked so you had to carry water up and so on. But one thing we all got was a really good education. And we became survivors. Then as a model, my career went quite slowly, even though I always evetually got the good jobs. So when I first came to L. A. , I felt really guilty to be driving around in a convertible. But then I thought, 'I've paid my dues, I'm a survivor. ' So struggling for work here has been very good for me, but it's also been very hard to handle rejection. There are only so many roles for people like me, and I don't have a big name yet.
- (Laughs) No, no, no, I hate shopping. If I need something, even a pair of socks, my assistant has to get them for me. I hate shopping! No, I spend my money on huge phone bills. For the past 12 years my life has been travelling and living away from the ones I love, and now I live in New York. So I call my mother every day in Venezuela, and I speak to my Dad and brothers and sisters. I also go back to see them a lot, whenever I have the time. Clothes, thank God I can get them from designers.
What's your biggest turn-on? - (Laughs) Latin music! If you put that on you can keep me up all night!
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| Non-acting careers: | Big break: The Mummy returns
| | Defining characters: | Best movies: The Mummy returns
| | Best TV: | | Stage credits: She paced down runways in ready-to-wear fashion shows for designers such as Antonio Berardi, Bella Freud, Corinne Cobson, Claude Montana, and Dolce & Gabbana. | | Endorsements: | | Other notable appearances/credits: | | Top awards: | | Other: | FACTIO MAGAZINE Interviews Patricia Velasquez
FM:Give us an inside look into your career as an actress and supermodel.
PATRICIA VELASQUEZ: Depending on the day, it’s always different. Some days  are dedicated to my foundation, www.wayuutaya.org which takes a lot of work from me as well. That’s what I like about my career, that it changes everyday.
FM: Describe your signature style.
- PV: I like being comfortable. Everything I buy or wear has to be comfortable. I believe that when I’m comfortable, I can be myself.
FM: What are your favorite shops worldwide?
- PV: William Sonoma, supermarkets, Bed Bath and Beyond and Carlos Miele in NY.
FM: Where are some of your favorite places to travel and what do you always pick up for your wardrobe?
- PV: I love traveling to Morocco, Mexico, Margarita Island in Venezuela, Los Roques in Venezuela and Madrid. I pick things that I can use several times and that are comfortable!
FM: What are you always on the hunt for?
- PV: Fun, culture, different things, great food, great world music, people.
FM: What are some of the designer staples we’d find in your closet?
- PV: You’d find Carlos Miele (Brazilian designer), Isaac Mizrahi, Duran y Diego, Karl Lagerfeld, Miguelina and Alvin Valley.
FM: What women and men (from which city worldwide) have great style and why?
- PV: Buenos Aires, Argentina – they are used to what they have and they make it look very chic. New York for the combination of urban and roots, Chicago is also very chic and London – very funky, but good.
FM: Do you think money and style go hand in hand or can style never be bought?Is it something you just have?
- PV: Style doesn’t need money. People can make anything look great – it’s about the person.
FM: What does global style mean to you
- PV: People worldwide... on the search for style.
FM: What would people be most surprised to know about you?
- PV: That I’m a very calm person.
FM: Did you know when you started in the entertainment industry that you would rise to the success that you have?
- PV: I knew I was going to do something different, but not like this.
FM: What tips would you give women and men in general to be well rounded, balancing out life and business?
- PV: We should not focus on the success of other people. We need to identify our true path. When something doesn’t feel ok, it’s because it’s not. We should not feel afraid to ask the universe for things. We should really believe in ourselves time after time because eventually we will get where we want to go as long as our intentions are good. We should not try to find happiness in other people and also don’t try to imitate the life of other people. Each one of us has a different journey.
FM: What do you see yourself doing in five years?
- PV: I hope my foundation is very big then. I hope to have a family and I hope to continue to work close to the one's that are close to my heart.
reference factio Magazine
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If there is one creature that represents my essence,
Sandra Bernhard
