Mayra Veronica

Born in Havana, Cuba, Mayra Veronica Aruca Rodriguez was heavily influenced by her father Arturo, a singer for the one-time popular rock group Los Dada. As Veronica followed her father to rehearsals and shows during her youth, she came to love entertaining and the arts. Her development as an entertainer was slowed after Mayra and her mother, whose name is also Mayra, defected to the United States in hopes of a better life away from Fidel Castro's iron fist. Settling in Miami, mother and daughter toughed it out without the rest of their family, until Veronica's father arrived.

Though the family was reunited, they struggled financially and Mayra grew up poor. She loved ballet, but because the family could not afford the dance school fees, Mayra was given a second option: recruit seven friends to attend ballet and she could take lessons for free. Fortunately, Veronica found seven friends in to time. She took dancing seriously until the age of 17, at which point she decided that her newly voluptuous body was more appropriate onstage than in a tutu. While at Florida International University studying psychology and business, Veronica took some acting classes on the side and starred in several plays. After graduating, she moved to New York City to further pursue an acting career.

After taking more acting classes in the Big Apple, Veronica returned to Miami to try to establish herself in the entertainment industry there. Her first big score was at TV channel MediaOne, where she hosted Miami Hoy and Hollywood Previews, two celebrity-centric programs. By 2001, Veronica had begun working for Univision, the Spanish media company and TV network. Her role as a model and host on the variety show Don Francisco presenta showed off her fine physical traits and attractive personality. It did not take long for audiences and media outlets to notice this hottie, and soon Veronica was a star. Subsequent work in the PBS made-for-TV movie The Suitor, the independent film Tumbe, and several Univision and Sabado Gigante sitcoms proved that Veronica was a popular actress with a strong Q rating.

As far as modeling goes, Mayra emerged on the international stage following her appearance in the August 2003 issue of FHM. In both 2004 and 2005, she made it on the magazine's list of the "Top 100 Sexiest Women in the World." Veronica went on to sell calendars, and then became one of the most-searched names on the Web. Further appearances as a spokesmodel for Coca-Cola, L'Oral, Colgate, Burger King, and Allstate cemented Veronica as one of America's finest Latinas. In fact, she is so famous for her talent and beauty that a Saudi prince even courted her, going so far as to buy her a house. Veronica later gave the gift to her mom, but never pursued a relationship with the prince. As a regular feature in celebrity magazines, and thanks to her renewed focus on acting and music, it looks like we'll be seeing this stunning model and actress for some time to come.