Denise Quiñones

Denise Marie Quiñones August (born 9 September 1980) is a Puerto Rican actress, model and beauty queen who is the fourth woman from Puerto Rico to win the Miss Universe contest. Prior to winning the Miss Universe pageant, she represented her hometown of Lares in the Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2001 pageant.[1]

This article is about the actress, model, and beauty queen. For the lawyer and government official, see Dennise Longo Quiñones.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Quiñones and the second or maternal family name is August.

Denise Quiñones
Denise Quiñones in 2001
Born	Denise Marie Quiñones August (1980-09-09) September 9, 1980 Ponce, Puerto Rico
Occupation	Director of Miss Universe Puerto Rico pageant
Home town	Lares, Puerto Rico
Title	Miss Lares Universe 2001 Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2001 Miss Universe 2001
Beauty pageant titleholder
Hair color	Brown
Eye color	Brown
Major competition(s)	Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2001 (Winner) Miss Universe 2001 (Winner) (Miss Photogenic) (Bluepoint Best in Swimsuit) (Clairol Herbal Essences Style Award)
Website	https://twitter.com/DeniseQuinones9

Career

Quiñones won the Miss Universe 2001 pageant in Bayamon, Puerto Rico in 2001. She was crowned by Lara Dutta, Miss Universe 2000 of India and also won the awards of Miss Photogenic, Bluepoint Swimsuit, and Clairol Best Style. She is only the fourth Miss Universe winner to also win Miss Photogenic after Margareta Arvidsson, Margarita Moran, and Janelle Commissiong. Her win came on the Miss Universe pageant's 50th anniversary. As Miss Universe, Quiñones resided in New York City for a year, enjoying the benefits that all winners of the pageant receive, including complimentary make-up and haircare, a car, complete wardrobe, professional representation by the Miss Universe Organization, a $60,000 scholarship to a New York City film school, and traveling opportunities.[2] Quiñones was the first winner to wear the reputed Mikimoto Crown during its official press presentation by Mikimoto’s former brand director, Mr. Toyohiko Miyamoto.

On the night of the Miss Universe 2002 contest, she passed on her crown, once again in Puerto Rico (this time the event was held in the city of San Juan), to Oxana Fedorova of Russia.[3]

Since relinquishing the title, Quiñones attended the School for Film and Television's two-year conservatory acting program. Presently an actress, Quiñones has starred in the Spanish version of Nilo Cruz's play Ana en el trópico (Anna in the Tropics) and continues to hone her talent in the United States. For her role in Anna in the Tropics, she was nominated and awarded an HOLA Award (from the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors) and an ACE Award. In October 2005, she was selected for the role of Doña Rosita, in a production of Federico García Lorca's play Doña Rosita la soltera.

Quiñones guest-starred in a season 5 episode of the WB Network television series Smallville. She played Andrea, a masked avenger who fought crime in Metropolis and invited Clark Kent (Tom Welling) to join her in her adventures. On the heels of her Smallville role, she was also cast in the role of "Rachel", a young fighter pilot in the pilot for the TV series Aquaman, which was in development for the CW Television Network. The pilot did not make the fall 2006 lineup.

In November 2006, Quiñones led the off-Broadway cast of Zanahorias (or Carrots in English), a Spanish comedy by Spanish playwright Antonio Zancada. For her role in Zanahorias, she won an ACE Award in 2007.

In July 2008, it was announced that Quiñones would play the part of Lara in the upcoming film I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell, based on the book of the same name. On July 24, 2008, producer Tucker Max announced on the film's official production blog that Quiñones had dropped out due to a scheduling conflict.[4]

In February 2014, Quiñones joined the eighth season of Univision's beauty pageant reality show Nuestra Belleza Latina 2014 as a team mentor where she coaches a team of young women on modeling industry success techniques.

On February 15, 2018, Quiñones was named as the new pageant director for Miss Universe Puerto Rico, taking over responsibilities previously held by former director Desiree Lowry. [5]

Personal life

Quiñones was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico.[6] She dated Rene Perez, from the band Calle 13, from 2006 to 2009.[7][8] From 2010 to 2011, Quiñones was in a relationship with Dominican actor Frank Perozo.[9][10][11]

Films

• Elite[12] (2010) - Special agent Sandra Torres
• La Soga[13] aka The Butcher’s Wife (2009) - Jenny
• Party Time[14]
• Bad Boys II[15] (2003) (uncredited) - Street walker in Cuba

Television series

• Elena Santos[16] - Yarelis (serie de TV de PR)
• Aquaman[17] (2006) TV series - Rachel
• Smallville[18] - "Vengeance Chronicles” (2006) Webisode - Andrea Rojas (Angel of Vengeance)
• Smallville[19] - "Vengeance" (2006) TV episode - Andrea Rojas (Angel of Vengeance)
• The Bedford Diaries[20] (2006) TV series - Mia Thorne (post-production)
• Freddie[21] - "The Two That Got Away" (2006) TV episode - Denise
• Freddie[22] - "The Mixer" (2006) TV episode - Denise
• Love Monkey[23] - Pilot (2006) TV episode - Gorgeous Woman

Theater

• Pantaleón y las visitadoras[24]
• Ana en el Tropico[25]
• Doña Rosita la Soltera[26]
• Doña Flor Y Sus Dos Maridos[27]
• Zanahorias (Primera edicion)[28]

See also

• List of Puerto Ricans
• History of women in Puerto Rico

References

1. "Municipio de Lares". pr.gov (in Spanish). PR Gov't.
2. Denise Quinones Biography. Archived 2010-08-08 at the Wayback Machine
3. Pageant News Bureau. Crowned Amid Controversy. Puerto Rico, May 29, 2002. Archived October 6, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
4. We have a new cast member... Archived 2008-08-28 at the Wayback Machine, IHTSBIH Official Website.
5. Staff writers (2018-02-15). "Denise Quiñones será directora de franquicia MUPR". WAPA-TV (Press release) (in Spanish). San Juan: Hemisphere Media Group. Retrieved 2020-05-18.
6. Denise Quiñones August: 1980—: Miss Universe Biography
7. Staff writers (2009). "La ex Miss Universo Denise Quiñones y Residente de Calle 13 se separan". Terra (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2012-09-02.
8. People Staff (2009-10-13). "Termina noviazgo entre René, de Calle 13, y Denise Quiñones". People en Español (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2018-07-25. Retrieved 2020-05-18.
9. Staff writers (2011-08-28). "Denise Quiñones plena en la música, la actuación y el amor". Primera Hora (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2018-07-05. Retrieved 2020-05-18.
10. People Staff (2010-03-26). "Denise Quiñones ya tiene nuevo novio". People en Español (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2011-10-01. Retrieved 2012-09-02.
11. Paniagua, Paola (2012-04-01). "Frank Perozo y Denise Quiñones se separan". Bureo (in Spanish). Dominican Republic. Archived from the original on 2014-04-09. Retrieved 2014-05-15.
12. "Elite". Vocero.com. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
13. "La Soga". Life.com. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
14. "Party Time". Vocero.com. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
15. "Bad Boys II". Vocero.com. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
16. "Elena Santos". Vocero.com. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
17. "Aquaman". Aquamantv.com. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
18. "Smallville". Mania.com. Archived from the original on October 7, 2012. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
19. "Smallville". VSombreday.blogcindario.com. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
20. "The Bedford Diaries". Epguides.com. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
21. "Freddie". Peopleenespanol.com. Archived from the original on November 10, 2010. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
22. "Freddie". Tv.yahoo.com. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
23. "Love Monkey". IMDb.com. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
24. "Pantaleón y las visitadoras". Peopleenespanol.com. Archived from the original on October 11, 2010. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
25. "Ana en el Tropico" (PDF). Repertorio.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 29, 2010. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
26. "Doña Rosita la Soltera". Theater.nytimes.com. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
27. "Doña Flor Y Sus Dos Maridos". Repertorio.org. Archived from the original on October 23, 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
28. "Zanahorias". Primerahora.com. Archived from the original on April 20, 2014. Retrieved September 9, 2012.

External links

• Denise Quiñones on IMDb

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Lara Dutta	Miss Universe 2001	Succeeded by Oxana Fedorova (Dethroned) Justine Pasek (Successor)
Preceded by Helen Lindes	Miss Photogenic Universe 2001	Succeeded by Isis Casalduc
Preceded by Zoraida Fonalledas	Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2001	Succeeded by Isis Casalduc