Best Known As: The former host of MTV Internacional
A Cuban-American bombshell, Daisy Fuentes was one of the most visible MTV stars of the mid-1990s. Born in Havana, Fuentes went to high school in New Jersey and got her start reporting the news at New York station WXTV, the local affiliate for the Latin network Univision. In 1988 she became host of MTV Internacional and then went on to host House of Style and other shows on the music network. She also co-hosted (with John Fugelsang) America's Funniest Home Videos from 1997-2000 and became a regular presenter at beauty pageants and awards shows. In the 21st century she got a fresh burst of fame by appearing in infomercials for Winsor Pilates, a yoga-type exercise system.
Scoring a rare double, Fuentes has endorsed both Revlon cosmetics and M&Ms candy.
First Major Screen Credit: America's Funniest Home Videos (1990)
Biography
Striking actress and model Daisy Fuentes can attribute at least some of her fiery allure to her Latin roots. She was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1966, though she moved with her family to Madrid, Spain, when she was only three. Four years later, the Fuentes family relocated again, this time to Harrison, NJ. Fuentes grew to an impressive 5'10" tall and began reporting the weather for WXTV Channel 41 weather while studying journalism at Bergen Community College. She was promoted to evening news anchor by the time she was 19, at which point she was spotted by the folks at MTV. They recruited her to host MTV Internacional, which later became MTV Latino. Her lovely features and effervescent personality struck a chord with viewers everywhere, and Fuentes was soon appearing on shows all over the MTV universe, even trying out her acting chops with appearances on shows like Dream On and The Larry Sanders Show. She married beefy actor Timothy Adams in 1990, though the couple parted ways in 1994.
As Fuentes grew in popularity as an on-air personality, her name began to carry great value. She began a career as a spokesmodel, eventually associating her face and name with such brands as Revlon, American Express, Miller Lite, Pantene, and M&M's. She also hosted her own work-out video, made appearances on countless awards shows, music countdowns, and talk shows, and hosted America's Funniest Home Videos for three seasons. As the 2000s rolled in, Fuentes continued to surf on her notoriety, appearing on everything from I Love the '80s to Baywatch. In addition to her work as an actor and model, Fuentes has become actively involved in charity, helping raise money for breast cancer research and St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
Fuentes was born to a Cuban father and Spanish mother.[1][2] When Fuentes was three years old, the family moved to her mother's relatives in Madrid during the five years her sister Rosana was born. Later the family emigrated to Harrison, New Jersey, four years later, living on Sussex Street. Fuentes studied communications and journalism at Bergen Community College and then was hired as the weather-girl for WNJU-TV, Channel 47, a Telemundo station. She quickly moved up the ranks, eventually becoming a news anchor and reporter for the evening news.
Hugh Hefner reportedly invited Fuentes numerous times in the early 90's to pose nude in Playboy magazine, but she has insisted that she will never do nude modeling.
Fuentes played on the World Poker Tour in the Hollywood Home games for the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital charity. She also has designed a clothing line bearing her name, sold exclusively by Kohl's Department Stores.[3] In June 2007, her clothing line came under intense scrutiny after the National Labor Committee reported that they were using a Guatemalansweatshop to produce their clothes. According to Gossip Girls, "The workers are paid only twenty-five cents to make Fuentes’ blouses which sell for $22 to $38 in the U.S."[4]
Fuentes received an award at The Wellness Community West Los Angeles Tribute to the Human Spirit Awards dinner for her commitment to spreading breast cancer awareness, particularly in the Latino community.[5]
^ Wilson, Eric and Barbaro, Michael. "Can You Be Too Fashionable?", June 17, 2007. Accessed December 3, 2007. "Today, Kohl’s offers more sophisticated layouts and merchandising, and since 2002 has introduced exclusive brands like Daisy Fuentes, Chaps, Tony Hawk and Apt. 9 that speak to different demographics, like teenagers or working moms."
