Valery Milagros Ortiz (born August 1, 1984) is a Puerto Rican-American
actress and model. She has appeared in various television series
including South of Nowhere (2005-2008), Diary of a Single Mom
(2009-2011), Hit the Floor (2013-2016) and Gabby Duran & the
Unsittables (2019â€"present). Ortiz has also appeared in films
including Date Movie (2007), Dumbbells (2014) and Thriller
(2018).Ortiz was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and raised in Orlando,
Florida. Passionate to become a "ballerina" and she explored her
dancing talents after receiving a scholarship to The Southern Ballet
Theater Performing Art Centre in Orlando. She continued dancing but
eased out of it in middle school as her interest in theatre and acting
grew. She worked in Orlando as an extra on the Universal Studios
backlot. Following in her older brother's footsteps, she was accepted
into the Dr. Phillips High School performing arts magnet program.
After four years of study, Ortiz began working in several productions
like Latins Anonymous (Orlando Fringe Festival), West Side Story as
Maria, A Midsummer Night's Dream as Helena, The Vagina Monologues
(Orlando Premiere) and The Edinburgh, Scotland Fringe Festival.While
attending the University of Central Florida for a Bachelor in Fine
Arts, Ortiz was given an opportunity to work on television show Splat!
as a host. After the first season, a two-week road trip "vacation" to
Los Angeles turned into permanent relocation to Los Angeles. Ortiz
quickly started working on a local television show called LATV Live as
a VJ.While working at the Hard Rock Cafe as a hostess, Ortiz was cast
as in the comedy Date Movie as Jell-O, a Jennifer Lopez impersonation.
During the movie's filming, she was cast the television series South
of Nowhere. Shortly after, she was cast in the pilot Emily's Reason's
Why Not, which was picked up and aired in 2006. In 2010, she appeared
on an episode of Two and a Half Men. She currently is an anchor for Si
TV and E! News. Ortiz was "One of the Top 25 Latinas of 2006" from
Maxim en Español. For three seasons, Ortiz portrayed the role of
Raquel Saldana in Hit the Floor, a scripted VH1 series that premiered
May 2013.
actress and model. She has appeared in various television series
including South of Nowhere (2005-2008), Diary of a Single Mom
(2009-2011), Hit the Floor (2013-2016) and Gabby Duran & the
Unsittables (2019â€"present). Ortiz has also appeared in films
including Date Movie (2007), Dumbbells (2014) and Thriller
(2018).Ortiz was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and raised in Orlando,
Florida. Passionate to become a "ballerina" and she explored her
dancing talents after receiving a scholarship to The Southern Ballet
Theater Performing Art Centre in Orlando. She continued dancing but
eased out of it in middle school as her interest in theatre and acting
grew. She worked in Orlando as an extra on the Universal Studios
backlot. Following in her older brother's footsteps, she was accepted
into the Dr. Phillips High School performing arts magnet program.
After four years of study, Ortiz began working in several productions
like Latins Anonymous (Orlando Fringe Festival), West Side Story as
Maria, A Midsummer Night's Dream as Helena, The Vagina Monologues
(Orlando Premiere) and The Edinburgh, Scotland Fringe Festival.While
attending the University of Central Florida for a Bachelor in Fine
Arts, Ortiz was given an opportunity to work on television show Splat!
as a host. After the first season, a two-week road trip "vacation" to
Los Angeles turned into permanent relocation to Los Angeles. Ortiz
quickly started working on a local television show called LATV Live as
a VJ.While working at the Hard Rock Cafe as a hostess, Ortiz was cast
as in the comedy Date Movie as Jell-O, a Jennifer Lopez impersonation.
During the movie's filming, she was cast the television series South
of Nowhere. Shortly after, she was cast in the pilot Emily's Reason's
Why Not, which was picked up and aired in 2006. In 2010, she appeared
on an episode of Two and a Half Men. She currently is an anchor for Si
TV and E! News. Ortiz was "One of the Top 25 Latinas of 2006" from
Maxim en Español. For three seasons, Ortiz portrayed the role of
Raquel Saldana in Hit the Floor, a scripted VH1 series that premiered
May 2013.
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