Patricia Velásquez facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Patricia Velásquez
Velásquez at South by Southwest in 2019
Born	Patricia Carola Velásquez Semprún (1971-01-31) 31 January 1971 (age 54) Maracaibo, Venezuela
Occupation	Actress model author
Years active	1989–present
Known for	The Mummy The Mummy Returns Committed The Curse of La Llorona Liz in September
Children	1
Modeling information
Height	1.74 m (5 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Hair color	Dark brown
Eye color	Brown
Agency	Iconic Focus Models (New York) Traffic Models (Barcelona) Visage Management (Zuirch)

Patricia Carola Velásquez Semprún (born January 31, 1971) is a Venezuelan actress, model, and humanitarian. She is famous for playing the character Anck-su-namun in the popular movies The Mummy (1999) and its sequel, The Mummy Returns (2001).

Besides her work in movies and fashion, Patricia is dedicated to helping others. In 2002, she started the Wayùu Taya Foundation to improve the lives of native communities in Venezuela.

Early Life and Family

Patricia Velásquez was born in Maracaibo, Venezuela. She was the fifth of six children. Her father was mestizo (meaning he had mixed European and Indigenous American ancestors), and her mother was from the native Wayuu community. Both of her parents were teachers.

Her father also worked for UNESCO, a part of the United Nations that focuses on education, science, and culture. Because of his job, Patricia's family lived in different countries, including France and Mexico, before returning to Venezuela. This allowed her to become fluent in four languages: Spanish, English, French, and Italian.

Career in Modeling and Acting

A Famous Model

From 1995 to 2000, Patricia studied acting in Los Angeles and New York. At the same time, she became a successful fashion model. She walked on runways for famous designers like Chanel, Chloé, and Dolce & Gabbana.

She appeared in advertisements for well-known brands and was on the cover of many magazines, including Vogue and Marie Claire. For eight years, she was a model for Cover Girl cosmetics, becoming their first major Latin supermodel.

Success in Movies and TV

Patricia Velásquez is best known to movie fans for her role as Anck-su-namun in The Mummy and The Mummy Returns. She played the powerful and mysterious love interest of the main villain.

She has also appeared in many other movies and TV shows. She had roles in the TV series Arrested Development, The L Word, and CSI: Miami. In 2019, she played a part in the horror movie The Curse of La Llorona.

Patricia has also lent her voice to video games. She voiced the character Marisol Díez Delgado in SSX Tricky and Unuratu in Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

Helping People Around the World

Patricia Velásquez uses her fame to help others, especially the native people of her home country.

The Wayuu Taya Foundation

In 2002, she started The Wayuu Taya Foundation. This non-profit group helps the Wayuu, a native group in Venezuela and Colombia. The foundation works to provide them with better living conditions, education, and healthcare. After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, her foundation also raised money to help the victims.

Working with International Groups

Because of her work, Patricia has been recognized by major world organizations.

• In 2003, UNESCO named her an Artist for Peace. This honor was for her work to protect the culture and rights of the Wayuu people.
• In 2009, she received the “Women Together” award at the United Nations.
• In 2018, the Organization of American States (OAS) made her a Goodwill Ambassador for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of the Americas.

She has also received awards from the Human Rights Campaign and the LA Femme Film Festival for her humanitarian efforts.

Personal Life

Patricia Velásquez has a daughter named Maya. In 2015, she wrote a book about her life called Straight Walk. In the book, she shared her story of growing up in a poor family and becoming a world-famous model and actress. She wrote the book to be an honest role model for her daughter.

Selected Work

Here are some of the movies, TV shows, and video games Patricia Velásquez has been in.

Movies

Television

Video Games

Images for kids

• Unzipped (film)

  Documentary

• Catwalk (film)

  Documentary

• Eruption

  Luisa Soares

• Beowulf (1999 film)

  Pendra

• No Vacancy (1999 film)

  Ramona

• Facade

  Juanita

• Saint Bernard

  Claudia

• Turn It Up (film)

  Turn It Up

• Zapata: El sueño del héroe

  Josefa

• 12 days of Christmas Eve

  Isobel Frias

• Cenizas eternas

  Ana

• Guys Reading Poems

  Mother

• Little Heroes

  Pilar

• Brut Force

  Mariela Vicuña

• List of a Lifetime

  Meg

• Free Dead or Alive

  Soledad

• Satanic Hispanics

  Maribel

• Ed (TV series)

  Episode: "Closure"

• Fidel (2002 film)

  Television film

• E! Historias verdaderas: El peso de una corona

  Television documentary

• American Family (2002 TV series)

  15 episodes

• Rescue Me (American TV series)

  2 episodes

• The Twelve Days of Christmas Eve

  Television film

• Almighty Thor

  Television film

See also

In Spanish: Patricia Velásquez para niños