Patricia Carola Velásquez Semprún, born in 1971 in Maracaibo, Venezuela, is a Venezuelan actress and fashion model. She is the fifth of six children. Her parents, both Venezuelan, were educators; her father, of mestizo heritage, worked with UNESCO, which led the family to live in several countries, including France and Mexico, during Patricia's childhood. Her mother belongs to the Wayuu, an indigenous group native to Venezuela and Colombia, a heritage that would later shape Velásquez’s philanthropic work.
Velásquez completed her secondary education at San Vicente de Paúl High School, graduating in 1987. In 1989, she competed in the Miss Venezuela pageant, where she earned the position of second runner-up. After studying engineering for three years in college, she left academic life to pursue a modeling career, relocating to Milan, Italy.
Patricia Velásquez’s modeling career flourished in the 1990s. She studied acting and modeling in New York and Los Angeles while advancing her career on international runways. In 1998, she gained prominence walking in ready-to-wear shows for renowned designers such as Dolce & Gabbana, Claude Montana, Corinne Cobson, Bella Freud, and Antonio Berardi.
She also featured in major advertising campaigns, including Chanel’s Allure fragrance and Roberto Verino’s Verino fragrance, as well as serving as a model for Victoria’s Secret. Early in her career, she appeared multiple times in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, which significantly boosted her visibility. Her rising popularity earned her spot number 45 in Maxim's Hot 100 Women of 2001 and number 16 in a global sexiest women poll conducted in 2002.
In 1999, Velásquez gained wide recognition for her role as Anck-Su-Namun in the blockbuster adventure film The Mummy. She reprised the role in its 2001 sequel, The Mummy Returns. Her acting portfolio expanded with a special appearance in the music video for Red Hot Chili Peppers' song “Breaking the Girl.”
On television, she appeared as Begoña in the fifth season of the Showtime series The L Word, and had a recurring role as Marta Estrella in the comedy series Arrested Development. She guest-starred in an episode of CSI: Miami titled "From the Grave" and held a recurring role in the FX series Rescue Me as the ex-girlfriend of Franco and mother of his daughter, Keela. One of her later television roles was a guest appearance on the series Ugly Betty. She also competed in The Celebrity Apprentice, representing the Wayuu Taya Foundation, and was eliminated during the sixth week of the competition.
| Birth Date: | 31 Jan, 1971 |
| Age: | 49 yrs |
| Occupations: | Actor Model Film actor |
| Citizenship: | Venezuela |
| Birth Place: | Maracaibo |
| Gender: | Female |
| Description: | Venezuelan actress and fashion model |
| Net Worth 2021: | 3 million |
