Valery Ortiz
{{short description|Puerto Rican actress}}
{{Infobox person
| image = Valery Ortiz at the 2014 Alma Awards.jpg
| caption = Ortiz at the 2014 Alma Awards
| birth_name = Valery Milagros Ortiz
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1984|8|1}}
| spouse = {{Marriage|Jesse Carrion|2011}}
| birth_place = San Juan, Puerto Rico
| othername =
| occupation = Actress, model
| yearsactive = 2004–present
| website = {{URL|http://www.valeryortiz.com/}}
}}
Valery Milagros Ortiz (born August 1, 1984) is a Puerto Rican 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 (2019–2021). Ortiz has also appeared in films including Date Movie (2006), Dumbbells (2014) and Thriller (2018).
Early life
Ortiz was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico{{cite web |url= http://www.missoandfriends.com/scoop/scoop_details.php?article=Chit-Chat-with-Puerto-Rican-Actress,-Singer-and-Dancer-Valery-Ortiz!&id=1844&topic=celebs |title=Chit Chat with Puerto Rican Actress, Singer and Dancer Valery Ortiz! |first= Madiha|last= Y.|work=missoandfriends.com |date= 2014-05-05|access-date=16 October 2014}} and raised in Orlando, Florida.{{cite web |url= http://www.latina.com/entertainment/celebrity/valery-ortiz-vh1-hit-the-floor-interview |title= Valery Ortiz Talks VH1's Hit the Floor & Meeting Jennifer Lopez|first= Priscilla|last= Rodriguez|work=latina.com |date= 2014-07-21|access-date=16 October 2014}} 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.{{citation needed|date=October 2014}} 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.{{cite web |url= http://www.latin-times.com/page/latin-times-media-exclusive-interview-actress-valery-ortiz |title= Latin Times Media Exclusive Interview Actress Valery Ortiz|work=latin-times.com |access-date=16 October 2014}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.americanlatino.tv/about-americanlatino/our-host|title=Our host: Valery Ortiz|publisher=Americanlatino.tv|access-date=25 August 2011}}
Career
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{{cite journal |author= |date= Summer 2014|pages= 6|title= Valery vs. Raquel|url= https://issuu.com/mrdreamzmagazine/docs/issuu_summer_2014_valery_ortiz_mr_d|journal= Mr DREAMZ|access-date= 2014-10-16}} 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.{{cite web |url= http://www.eurweb.com/2014/05/valery-ortiz-joins-afterbuzz-tvs-spotlight-on-to-talk-career-fitness-and-more/ |title=Valery Ortiz Joins AfterBuzz TV's 'Spotlight On' to Talk Career, Fitness and More |work=eurweb.com |date= 2014-03-14|access-date=16 October 2014}}{{cite web |url= http://www.playboy.com/articles/femme-on-fire-valery-ortiz |title=Femme on Fire: Valery Ortiz ||work=playboy.com |date= 2013-05-29|access-date=16 October 2014}} During the movie's filming, she was cast the television series South of Nowhere.{{cite web |url= http://celebzter.com/spotlight-actress-valery-ortiz-has-all-the-right-moves/ |title=Spotlight: Actress Valery Ortiz has all the right moves|work=celebzter.com |date= 2013-03-11|access-date=16 October 2014}} 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.
In August 2019, Disney Channel announced the premiere date for their new live-action comedy series Gabby Duran and the Unsittables with Ortiz set to star as Dina Duran.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/08/disney-channel-live-action-comedy-series-gabby-duran-the-unsittables-kylie-cantrall-1202439168/|title='Gabby Duran & The Unsittables': Disney Channel Sets Premiere Date For Live-Action Comedy Series – Update|date=August 29, 2019|website=Deadline Hollywood}} Ahead of the series premiere in October 2019, the show received an early season 2 renewal from Disney Channel.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/disney-channel-gabby-duran-unsittables-season-2-renewed-1203361590/)|title=Disney Channel Gives Early Season 2 Renewal to New Comedy 'Gabby Duran' (EXCLUSIVE)|date=October 7, 2019|website=Variety}}
Personal life
Ortiz currently lives in Los Angeles, California. She enjoys reading, hiking, decorating, and writing.
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
!Title !Role !Notes |
|---|
| 2006
| Jell-O | |
| 2008
| From a Place of Darkness | Rosa | |
| 2013
| 2 Dead 2 Kill | Donna Valens | |
| 2014
| Missy | |
| 2015
| Lure | Girlfriend | Short |
| rowspan="2"| 2016
| Skirtchasers | Gabriella | TV movie |
| Peaches
| Sydnee DeLeon | Short |
| 2018
| Thriller | Ms. Cruz | |
| 2020
| Ms. Ellen | |
| 2021
| Old Flames Never Die | Steph | TV movie |
| 2024
| Valentina | |
=Television=
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes |
|---|
| 2004
| Herself/co-host | TV series |
| 2005–08
| Main cast |
| 2006
| Waitress | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2006–07
| Roxanne | Recurring cast: season 2 |
| 2007–09
| On the Up | Herself/host | TV series |
| 2008
| Buck's Friend #2 | Episode: "Forever Young" |
| 2009
| Marisol Acosta | Episode: "Stealing Home" |
| 2009–11
| Lupe | Main cast |
| rowspan="3"| 2010
| Celeste Vega | Episode: "Up Close & Personal" |
| Gigantic
| Kelli | Episode: "Pilot: Part 1 & 2" |
| Two and a Half Men
| Tracy | Episode: "Chocolate Diddlers or My Puppy's Dead" |
| 2010–16
| American Latino TV | Herself/host | TV series |
| 2011
| In the Flow with Affion Crockett | J-Lo/Kim Kardashian 2011 | Episode: "No Rush!" |
| rowspan="2"| 2013
| Cowgirl Up | Maddie | Main cast: season 2 |
| Cltrl.Alt.Del
| Catalina | Episode: "Do You See What I See?" |
| 2013–16
| Raquel Saldana | Main cast: season 1-3 |
| 2016
| Maria | Episode: "Uprising" |
| rowspan="2"| 2017
| Noelle | Recurring cast: season 5 |
| If Loving You Is Wrong
| Tippa Haynes | Recurring cast: season 2 |
| 2018
| NCIS | Carrie | Episode: "Dark Secrets" |
| rowspan="2"| 2019
| Going Up | Vanessa | Recurring cast: season 1 |
| Five Points
| Valeria | Recurring cast: season 2 |
| 2019–21
| Gabby Duran & the Unsittables | Dina Duran | Main cast |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.valeryortiz.com/ Official website]
- [http://www.the-n.com/ntv/shows/cast.php?id=531&cast_id=208 South of Nowhere Cast Profile]
- {{IMDb name|id=2046909|name=Valery Ortiz}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20140821182350/http://www.vh1.com/celebrities/valery-ortiz/#cast=hit_the_floor Valery Ortiz] as Raquel Saldana on VH1's Hit the Floor (TV series)
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ortiz, Valery}}
Category:Actors from San Juan, Puerto Rico
Category:Actresses from Orlando, Florida
Category:21st-century Puerto Rican actresses
Category:Puerto Rican film actresses
Category:Puerto Rican television actresses
Category:Puerto Rican female dancers
Category:Singers from Orlando, Florida