Dancer, model, and singer Roselyn Sanchez was awarded Miss America Petite in 1994. In Puerto Rico, she gained public attention as a dancer and co-host of the variety show Que Vacilon. She moved to New York City in search of an acting career at the age of 21 and worked on her one-woman show, Out Here on My Own. Her first English speaking role was for the CBS soap opera As the World Turns as Pilar, the show’s first Latina character in its over 40-year history on the air.
Her television career includes the short-lived series Fame L.A. and the Fox rookie cop drama Ryan Caulfield: Year One. Her feature film breakthrough role came in 2001, as Jackie Chan’s love interest in Rush Hour 2. The following year she had supporting roles in the comedy Boat Trip, the thriller Basic, and the horror flick Nightstalker. In 2003, she starred alongside Jaci Velasquez and Sofia Vergara for the comedy Chasing Papi (aka Papi Chulo).