Ali Landry facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ali Landry
Landry in 2008
Born	Ali Germaine Landry Cecilia, Louisiana, U.S.
Years active	1997–present
Title	Miss Louisiana Teen USA 1990 Miss Louisiana USA 1996 Miss USA 1996
Spouse(s)	Mario Lopez ​ ​ (m. 2004; annulled 2004)​ Alejandro Gómez Monteverde ​ (m. 2006)​
Children	3
Beauty pageant titleholder
Major competition(s)	Miss Louisiana Teen USA 1990 (Winner) Miss Teen USA 1990 (Top 12) Miss Louisiana USA 1996 (Winner) Miss USA 1996 (Winner) Miss Universe 1996 (Top 6)

Ali Germaine Landry (born July 21, 1973) is an American actress and model. She also won the Miss USA 1996 beauty pageant. Many people know her as Rita Lefleur from the TV show Eve. She was also famous as the "Doritos Girl" in a popular Super Bowl commercial in 1998. People magazine even named her one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world that year.

Early Life and Education

Ali Landry was born on July 21, 1973. Her parents are Renella and Gene Allen Landry. She grew up in Cecilia, Louisiana. Her family has French (Cajun) roots.

She went to Cecilia High School and finished in 1991. While there, she was the captain of the cheerleaders. After high school, she studied mass communication at the University of Southwestern Louisiana. This school is now called the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She was also a member of the Kappa Delta sorority.

Pageant Journey

Ali Landry started her journey in beauty pageants in 1990. She won the title of Miss Louisiana Teen USA. Later that year, she competed in the Miss Teen USA 1990 pageant. She did very well in the early rounds. She placed in the top 12 overall.

In 1995, Ali won the Miss Louisiana USA title. This made her the first person to win both Miss Louisiana Teen USA and Miss Louisiana USA. She then moved on to the Miss USA 1996 pageant. This big event was held in Texas. Ali performed very well throughout the competition. She eventually won the Miss USA crown in 1996.

After winning Miss USA, Ali competed in the Miss Universe 1996 pageant. This international competition took place in Las Vegas. She was one of the top contestants. She placed in the top 6 finalists. Ali Landry was the first former Miss Teen USA contestant to win the Miss USA title.

Career After Pageants

After her pageant days, Ali Landry became a successful model and actress. She modeled for many photographers and magazines. She became widely known as the spokeswoman for Doritos chips. She appeared in very popular TV commercials for Doritos during the Super Bowl games in 1998, 1999, and 2000.

In 1998, People magazine recognized her beauty. They included her in their list of the 50 most beautiful people in the world. Her home was even shown on TV shows like E!'s "Celebrity Homes" and MTV's "Cribs."

Ali Landry also had many acting roles. From 2003 to 2006, she was a regular cast member on the TV show Eve. She played the character Rita Lefleur. She also hosted the second season of the show Spy TV in 2002.

She has appeared on other TV shows, including Fear Factor, where she was a runner-up. Ali is also an athlete and has participated in the Boston Marathon. She hosted "Spotlight to Nightlight" on Yahoo!, where she talked with celebrity moms about parenting. In 2009, she launched her own lifestyle brand called Belle Parish. It started with a children's clothing line.

In 2011, Ali starred in and produced Hollywood Moms' Club for the TV Guide Network. She also became the face of Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula in 2012.

Personal Life

Ali Landry met actor and TV personality Mario Lopez at a pageant. They got engaged in 2003 and married on April 24, 2004. Their wedding was a Catholic ceremony in Mexico. However, their marriage was annulled just two weeks later.

She later married film director Alejandro Gómez Monteverde. They got married on April 8, 2006, in Mexico. Ali and Alejandro have three children together. Their daughter was born in July 2007. They have two sons, born in October 2011 and July 2013. Their son Valentin's middle name was inspired by Pope Francis. Ali and Alejandro met the Pope while she was pregnant, and he blessed their baby.

Ali and her husband, Alejandro Monteverde, worked together on the film Bella. Alejandro directed the movie, and Ali was involved in its production. The film received honors from the Toronto Film Festival and was recognized by the Smithsonian and the White House. Former US President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush watched the film. They even invited Alejandro Monteverde to the State of the Union speech in 2007.

Film and Television Appearances

Ali Landry has appeared in several films and television shows.

Films

Television Shows