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Who is Dayanara Torres?
Puerto Rican actress, singer and model Dayanara Torres Delgado was born under the zodiac sign Scorpio on 28 October 1974 in Toa Alta, Puerto Rico. She has just 12 acting credits, and is perhaps still known best for portraying the lead character Anna Alvarado in the 1995 romantic musical movie “Hataw Na”, which also starred Nida Blanca and Gary Valenciano, and was written and directed by Jose Javier Reyes. It follows the lives of teachers Anna Alvarado and Robbie Mallorca.
Education and early life
Dayanara was raised alongside her older brothers Joey and Jose in Toa Alta, by their father Jose Torres Lopez and mother Luiz Delgado; not many details have been shared about her family because she respects their privacy, but it’s known that her father died in 2017.
She was interested in a couple of activities while attending Colegio Santa Rosa (high school), appearing in a couple of school plays, dancing and practicing creative writing. Dayanara’s dream was to become a dentist but, as she was spotted by a talent agent when she was 17 and thus launched her modelling career, Dayanara chose not to pursue a college degree upon matriculating in 1993.
Beauty pageants
Dayanara won the annual Miss Puerto Rico pageant aged 17 and thus earned her right to represent her country at the 1993 Miss Universe pageant; she won the crown but her victory caused some controversy because she was believed to be underage even though she had turned 18 several months earlier. Another controversial thing about her victory was that she didn’t win in any of the pageant’s segments.
Upon being crowned Miss Universe, Dayanara became a UNICEF ambassador and travelled though Latin America and Asia to promote the organization; she then also launched the charity Dayanara Torres Foundation which donated scholarships to underprivileged Puerto Rican and Filipino children.
She became a celebrity in the Philippines, and lived there from 1994 through 1998, prior to returning to Puerto Rico and releasing her only music album – “Antifaz” – in 1998, which topped the charts in the Philippines and Latin America.
Roles in TV series
Dayanara’s appeared in just three TV series. Her debut was playing a supporting character in the 1994 episode “Selyo” of the Philippines’ biographical romantic drama “Maalaala Mo Kaya”, which starred Cris Villanueva and Charo Santos-Concio, and tells the extraordinary stories of middle-class people; the series aired from 1991 through 2022 and won eight of its 23 award nominations.
In 2004, Dayanara played Elise Tomkins in two episodes of the US soap opera “The Young and the Restless”, which has aired close to 13,000 episodes since it was created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell back in 1973. It today stars Doug Davidson and Peter Bergman, and follows the lives of people from Genoa City; the series has won 303 of its more than 1,100 award nominations.
Dayanara’s only other TV series role has been playing Julia Rivera in 66 episodes of the 2007 drama “Watch Over Me”, which starred Todd Cahoon and Dan Wells, and follows a young man who’s begun working as the bodyguard of a millionaire businesswoman.
Roles in movies
Dayanara’s debut film role was playing Young Sara in the 1994 romantic comedy “Linda Sara”, which starred Johanna Rosaly and Daniel Lugo, and was written and directed by Jacobo Morales. It follows four siblings who’ve decided to sell their mother’s valuables without telling her.
A couple of Dayanara’s following roles were in the 1995 romantic comedy “As Long as We’re Together”, in 1999 the romantic action comedy “Type Kita… Walang Kokontra” and the family musical “La Cenicienta”; she was also featured in the 2000 music video “Marc Anthony: When I Dream at Night”.
In 2009, she played Amelia in the drama “The Nail: The Story of Joey Nardone”, which starred Tony Danza and William Forsythe, and was directed by James Quattrochi. It follows heavyweight boxer Joey Nardone who’s been released from jail after eight years, and the movie won a Philadelphia Film Festival Audience Award for Best Feature Film.
#WorldTheatreDay 🎭
🎭 #DiaMundialDelTeatro
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#1997 La Cenicienta 🕊
Cinderella 👸🏻 Sinderela
Centro de Bellas Artes
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Director #AxelAnderson@fzamoratv produced: People Television @astrastudiospr @cbasanturce#iLoveTheTheatre #LoveTheatre #Theatre #Emotions #LivePerformance pic.twitter.com/rJgF2rpmaR— Dayanara Torres MU93 (@dayanarapr) March 29, 2019
Dayanara’s only other film role has been portraying Yolanda in the 2013 romantic comedy “Looking for Maria Sanchez”, which starred Jaime Camil and Lin-Manuel Miranda, and was written and directed by Bruno Irizarry. It follows a Puerto Rican man who’s living in New York City and has fallen in love with Puerto Rican woman Maria; the film won a 2014 Premios ACE Award for Cinema – Best Supporting Actor (Jaime Camil).
Other credits
Some of Dayanara’s talk-show appearances have been in “Al Rojo Vivo con Maria Celeste”, “Mas Vale Tarde” and “Red Carpet Report”.
Love life and relationships
Dayanara’s more or less open when it comes to speaking about her love life in interviews.
While living in the Philippines, she was in a four-year relationship with popular Filipino actor Ariel Aquino Muhlach, perhaps known better as Aga Muhlach; they met on the set of the movie “As Long As I’m With You”.
On 9 May 2000, Dayanara exchanged vows with famous American singer-songwriter and actor Marco Antonio Muniz, perhaps known better as Marc Anthony; she gave birth to their son Cristian Anthony Muniz on 5 February 2001, and their second son Ryan Anthony Muniz followed on 16 August 2003. Dayanara and Marco separated in June 2002 but reconciled a couple of months later and renewed vows in December of the same year; they separated again in October 2003 and their divorce was finalized on 1 June 2004.
Dayanara’s today engaged to American movie producer Louis D’Esposito, who’s perhaps known best for being a co-president of Marvel Studios.
There are no other men whom Dayanara’s perhaps been with, that we know about; she’s engaged to Louis D’Esposito as of September 2023, was married to Marc Anthony and has two sons with him.
Interesting facts and hobbies
Dayanara named her and Marc’s son Cristian because Marc’s a huge fan (and friend) of Mexican musician and actor Cristian Castro.
She was diagnosed with the most dangerous form of skin cancer on 4 February 2019; it had already begun spreading and the doctors removed parts of it from her back and knee, as well as two lymph nodes from the top of her leg.
Dayanara’s fluent in English, Spanish and the Filipino language Tagalog.
She and famous American actor, producer and director Joaquin Phoenix were born on the exact same day and in the same city.
The Dayanara Doll was launched in 1998, and instantly sold out in the Philippines and Puerto Rico.
She loves animals and is an avid horseback rider.
One of Dayanara’s favorite actors is Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, and some of her favorite movies include “Moana”, “Jungle Cruise” and “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle”.
Appearance and net worth
Dayanara’s age is 48. She has blue eyes and brown hair, weighs around 130lbs (59kgs) and is 5ft 8ins (1.73m) tall.
Dayanara’s net worth’s been estimated at over $5 million, as of September 2023.
