Fans of Patricia de Leon can catch the Latina star in MGM’s new film American Summer. Patricia plays the Julia alongside Matthew Lillard and Efren Ramirez ("Pedro" from Napolean Dynamite), who turn an empty mansion into a brothel. But that's not the only place you'll find Patricia.
In addition to American Summer, Patricia continues to host Billbard Latino, has a recurring role on Fox Family Channel’s “Lincoln Heights” and will now be hosting a Court TV show for Spanish television. Seems she has come a long way from her first big break of being crowned Miss Panama in 1995. With such a hectic schedule, Patricia admits “I don’t get back to Panama City as much as I’d wish and I miss my parents all the time.”
With so many other beautiful young girls vying for this beauty pageant title, Patricia was quick to set herself apart from the others. She began modeling at age 13 and knew how to present herself. “I was probably the youngest contestant there”, she explains, “and I didn’t know to actually put any pressure upon myself so my innocence and being myself worked in my favor. I still think if you don’t expect too much, you don’t”, she pauses collecting her next phrase in English, “you don’t set yourself up for failure. Excuse me, my main language is Spanish. What I’m trying to say is just live life and enjoy it.”
But Patricia didn’t rely on her looks alone for her future success. She attended law school upon her father’s disciplinary actions. “It was either law or business administration for me and my sister. She took business and I got stuck with law. I hated it.” After four years in school, Patricia decided to turn her sights on acting after facing 600 hours mandatory government work and “I refused to do that. In order to get your degree, you had to work those hours.” Serendipity intervened when de Leon put her law career on hold to ready herself for the beauty pageant. “But I have always thought – and told others – that you shouldn’t do anything as a job that you don’t enjoy because you’ll become a miserable person.” An offer to model in Mexico City came up after winning her title, so Patricia packed up her things and moved there by herself for 18 months. But coming from her close-knit family, the young talent returned to Panama City.
“Honestly, all I really wanted to do was be a newscaster.” In fact, her modeling days did come in handy when a Panama City station was looking for a pretty weather girl. “They told me there wasn’t a newscaster opening but that I could be their weather girl. And that’s how I started.”
Read the rest of Patricia's story in the new issue of CATALINA.
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Photo: John Russo/Brooks Institute. ___________________________________________
Web Extra: Click here for more information on Salma Hayek's summer mission to help fellow moms.
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Web Extra: Click here to find out about Eva Mendes' (naked!) mission.
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Web Extra: Click here to find out how your favorite Latina Grey's Anatomy star is strutting her stuff in the name of good heart health.
