Susie Castillo
Encyclopedia
Susie Castillo is a former beauty queen
who held the Miss USA
title and competed in the Miss Teen USA
and Miss Universe
pageants. She pursued a career in the media, and as such, has made various television appearances and hosted shows such as MTV
's Total Request Live
as a VJ.
to a Dominican
father and Puerto Rican mother who were divorced when she was a child. After her father abandoned the family, her mother moved to Lawrence, Massachusetts
where she was occasionally on welfare, and worked multiple jobs in order to cover living and educational expenses for her family. She was greatly influenced by her Puerto Rican heritage, though she has stated she considers herself both Puerto Rican and Dominican.
By 1996, at the age of 16, Castillo had already become a professional teen model appearing in many teen magazines and commercial advertisements. Upon graduating from Methuen High School
, she enrolled at Endicott College
, and in 2001 earned her Bachelors Degree in Interior Architecture and Design. She was awarded the Capstone Award, an honor which was bestowed upon her in recognition of her senior thesis
.
1998. Castillo's sister titleholder, Miss Massachusetts USA 1998 Shawnae Jebbia
went on to win the Miss USA
title in February the following year.
Castillo represented her state in the Miss Teen USA
pageant held in Shreveport, Louisiana
on August 17, 1998. Although the pageant was usually broadcast live, that year's telecast was delayed due to a speech by then-President
Bill Clinton
regarding his relationship with Monica Lewinsky
. She also won the Clairol Herbal Essence Award that year. The pageant was won by Vanessa Minnillo
of South Carolina
.
In November 2002, Castillo participated in the Miss Massachusetts USA
Pageant held at Bridgewater State College
in the town of Bridgewater
and won the title. Castillo was the state's first Latina
titleholder. She went on to compete in the Miss USA 2003
pageant held in San Antonio on March 24, 2003. Castillo won the Miss USA title in the nationally televised event, becoming Massachusetts' second titleholder, and the fourth former Miss Teen USA state titleholder to win the pageant. She was the first woman with Dominican-Puerto Rican ancestry to win the title.
As Miss USA, Castillo represented the Miss Universe Organization
, making appearances for charities throughout the United States. Her "sister" 2003 titleholders were Amelia Vega
(Miss Universe
, of the Dominican Republic) and Tami Farrell
(Miss Teen USA
, of Oregon
).
pageant in May. Her national costume
was "Wonder Woman
". Castillo placed among the 15 semifinalists. She placed 13th overall, like her placement at Miss Teen USA. The pageant was won by Amelia Vega
of the Dominican Republic
This was the first time in the Miss Universe pageant history that two women of Puerto Rican heritage (Castillo and Puerto Rico's Carla Tricoli) participated at the same time representing different countries. Contrary to popular belief, it was not the first time that two Dominican women participated in the pageant's history because the contestants that represented Italy (Denny Mendez
) and the Dominican Republic in the 1997 edition were both of Dominican ancestry.
Castillo has made guest appearances on the following shows: On-Air with Ryan Seacrest
(April 5, 2004), My Wife and Kids (October 5, 2004), where she was cast as "Sharon", "Half & Half" (October 18, 2004) cast as "Shaunie". In August 2005, Castillo co-hosted the Miss Teen USA 2005
pageant alongside Passions
actor Galen Gering
. The event was won by Allie LaForce
of Ohio
.
Castillo was formerly a regular Music Television
(MTV
) VJ and host of TRL
, and helped with the launch of Mi TRL on MTV Tr3s
in September 2006. She is now pursuing acting full time. She also played the role of Mercedes Hernandez in the TBS show Tyler Perry's House of Payne
in a select number of episodes in season 5.
She also signed on as the brand ambassador for Charlotte Russe (retailer)
and Gossip Girl
stylist, Eric Daman, who is going to help her design her own line influenced by her Latino heritage.
In 2007, Castillo became a spokeswoman for Neutrogena
. Castillo's work for Neutrogena includes serving as the "virtual host" of the company's promotional web site, The Big Blush. In 2008, Castillo hosted the ABC Family
reality television
series, America's Prom Queen. With Michael Flatley, she is the co-host of the NBC
dance-competition series Superstars of Dance
in 2009.
Castillo co-hosted the 2008 Arthur Ashe
Kids’ Day. The event was on August 23 at the USTA Billie Jean King
National Tennis Canter in New York City. Nickelodeon
's Quddus
was Susie's co-host.
Castillo serves as one of the hosts of the school renovation reality series School Pride
, airing on NBC in fall 2010.
. The two met shortly after Castillo won Miss Massachusetts Teen USA, Leslie proposed to Castillo during an appearance on the talk show On-Air With Ryan Seacrest in April 2004, just prior to Castillo passing on her crown during the Miss USA 2004
pageant. During her spare time Castillo does volunteer work for HAWC (Help for Abused Women and Children), the Lawrence Girls Club and for the Latinas Against Sexual Assault.
On April 27, 2011, Castillo issued a statement attacking the USA Transportation Security Administration
(TSA), alleging that she had been groped and touched inappropriately four times during the enhanced pat-down. She released a blog post and video describing the experience, and created an online petition demanding an end to the "enhanced" pat-downs.
Beauty Queen
"Beauty Queen" is the second song from Roxy Music's second album, For Your Pleasure. The lyrics refer to Ferry's girlfriend, Valerie Leon, one-time UK beauty queen, B-movie actress and model working in the Newcastle area, circa 1973.-Musicians:...
who held the Miss USA
Miss USA 2003
The Miss USA 2003 pageant was held in San Antonio, Texas March 24, 2003, the first time it had been held in this state since 1996 when the pageant was held in South Padre Island...
title and competed in the Miss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA 1998
Miss Teen USA 1998, the 16th Miss Teen USA pageant, was televised live from Shreveport, Louisiana on 17 August 1998. At the conclusion of the final competition, Vanessa Minnillo of South Carolina was crowned by outgoing queen Shelly Moore of Tennessee....
and Miss Universe
Miss Universe 2003
Miss Universe 2003, the 52nd Miss Universe pageant, was held at Figali Convention Center, Panama City, Panama on June 3, 2003. 71 delegates from around the universe competed for the crown...
pageants. She pursued a career in the media, and as such, has made various television appearances and hosted shows such as MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's Total Request Live
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
as a VJ.
Early years
Castillo was born in Methuen, MassachusettsMethuen, Massachusetts
Methuen is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 43,789 at the 2000 census.-History:Methuen was first settled in 1642 and was officially incorporated in 1726; it is named for the British diplomat Sir Paul Methuen. Methuen was originally part of Haverhill,...
to a Dominican
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
father and Puerto Rican mother who were divorced when she was a child. After her father abandoned the family, her mother moved to Lawrence, Massachusetts
Lawrence, Massachusetts
Lawrence is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States on the Merrimack River. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a total population of 76,377. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and North Andover to the southeast. It and Salem are...
where she was occasionally on welfare, and worked multiple jobs in order to cover living and educational expenses for her family. She was greatly influenced by her Puerto Rican heritage, though she has stated she considers herself both Puerto Rican and Dominican.
By 1996, at the age of 16, Castillo had already become a professional teen model appearing in many teen magazines and commercial advertisements. Upon graduating from Methuen High School
Methuen High School
Methuen High School Supervising PrincipalJames GiucaVice PrincipalJane ObshatkinAssistant PrincipalDonald GibsonAssistant PrincipalKaren HallbauerDean of StudentsMichael DownsSchool typePublicReligious affiliationNone...
, she enrolled at Endicott College
Endicott College
- History :Endicott was founded in 1939 by Eleanor Tupper and her husband, George O. Bierkoe, as a two-year women’s college. The college was issued its first charter by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in that year and graduated its first class in 1941. In 1944, it was approved by the state for...
, and in 2001 earned her Bachelors Degree in Interior Architecture and Design. She was awarded the Capstone Award, an honor which was bestowed upon her in recognition of her senior thesis
Thesis
A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
.
Miss Massachusetts Teen USA
Castillo won her first pageant title in November 1997, when she beat over forty other contestants to become Miss Massachusetts Teen USAMiss Massachusetts Teen USA
The Miss Massachusetts Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Massachusetts in the Miss Teen USA pageant....
1998. Castillo's sister titleholder, Miss Massachusetts USA 1998 Shawnae Jebbia
Shawnae Jebbia
Shawnae Jebbia is an entertainer and former beauty queen from Mansfield, Massachusetts who won the Miss USA title in 1998....
went on to win the Miss USA
Miss USA
The Miss USA beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operates both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA...
title in February the following year.
Castillo represented her state in the Miss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA is a beauty pageant run by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 14–19. The reigning titleholder is Danielle Doty of Texas....
pageant held in Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
on August 17, 1998. Although the pageant was usually broadcast live, that year's telecast was delayed due to a speech by then-President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
regarding his relationship with Monica Lewinsky
Monica Lewinsky
Monica Samille Lewinsky is an American woman with whom United States President Bill Clinton admitted to having had an "improper relationship" while she worked at the White House in 1995 and 1996...
. She also won the Clairol Herbal Essence Award that year. The pageant was won by Vanessa Minnillo
Vanessa Minnillo
Vanessa Joy Lachey is an-American television personality, television host, model, and actress. A former Miss Teen USA, she has been a New York-based correspondent for Entertainment Tonight and a host of Total Request Live on MTV...
of South Carolina
Miss South Carolina Teen USA
The Miss South Carolina Teen USA pageant is the competition that selects the representativies for the stat of South Carolina in the Miss Teen USA pageant. The pageant has been directed by RPM Productions since its inception....
.
Miss Massachusetts USA and Miss USA
Miss Massachusetts USA
The Miss Massachusetts USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Massachusetts in the Miss USA pageant....
Pageant held at Bridgewater State College
Bridgewater State College
Bridgewater State University is a public liberal-arts college in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is the largest college in the Massachusetts state university system outside of the University of Massachusetts system. The school's mascot is the bear.-History:BSU was founded by...
in the town of Bridgewater
Bridgewater, Massachusetts
For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Bridgewater, please see the article Bridgewater , Massachusetts.The Town of Bridgewater is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, 28 miles south of Boston. At the 2000 Census, the population was 25,185...
and won the title. Castillo was the state's first Latina
Latina
Latina is the feminine form of the term Latino.Latina may also refer to:*Province of Latina, a province in Latium , Italy**Latina, Lazio, the capital of the province of Latina**Latina Nuclear Power Plant*Latina , a district of Madrid...
titleholder. She went on to compete in the Miss USA 2003
Miss USA 2003
The Miss USA 2003 pageant was held in San Antonio, Texas March 24, 2003, the first time it had been held in this state since 1996 when the pageant was held in South Padre Island...
pageant held in San Antonio on March 24, 2003. Castillo won the Miss USA title in the nationally televised event, becoming Massachusetts' second titleholder, and the fourth former Miss Teen USA state titleholder to win the pageant. She was the first woman with Dominican-Puerto Rican ancestry to win the title.
As Miss USA, Castillo represented the Miss Universe Organization
Miss Universe Organization
The Miss Universe Organization is the organization that currently owns and runs the Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA beauty contests. Based in New York, it is owned jointly by NBC Universal and Donald Trump. The current president is Paula Shugart...
, making appearances for charities throughout the United States. Her "sister" 2003 titleholders were Amelia Vega
Amelia Vega
Amelia Vega Polanco became the first and only Dominican woman to be named Miss Universe, in 2003. At the age of 18, she was the youngest winner since 1994....
(Miss Universe
Miss Universe
Miss Universe is an annual international beauty contest that is run by the Miss Universe Organization. The pageant is the most publicized beauty contest in the world with 600 million viewers....
, of the Dominican Republic) and Tami Farrell
Tami Farrell
Tami Nichole Farrell is a former Miss Teen USA from Phoenix, Oregon who placed first runner-up in Miss California 2009 and was crowned Miss California USA after Carrie Prejean was dethroned by pageant officials in 2009....
(Miss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA is a beauty pageant run by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 14–19. The reigning titleholder is Danielle Doty of Texas....
, of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
).
Miss Universe
Castillo traveled to Panama City, Panama to compete in the Miss Universe 2003Miss Universe 2003
Miss Universe 2003, the 52nd Miss Universe pageant, was held at Figali Convention Center, Panama City, Panama on June 3, 2003. 71 delegates from around the universe competed for the crown...
pageant in May. Her national costume
Costume
The term costume can refer to wardrobe and dress in general, or to the distinctive style of dress of a particular people, class, or period. Costume may also refer to the artistic arrangement of accessories in a picture, statue, poem, or play, appropriate to the time, place, or other circumstances...
was "Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
". Castillo placed among the 15 semifinalists. She placed 13th overall, like her placement at Miss Teen USA. The pageant was won by Amelia Vega
Amelia Vega
Amelia Vega Polanco became the first and only Dominican woman to be named Miss Universe, in 2003. At the age of 18, she was the youngest winner since 1994....
of the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
This was the first time in the Miss Universe pageant history that two women of Puerto Rican heritage (Castillo and Puerto Rico's Carla Tricoli) participated at the same time representing different countries. Contrary to popular belief, it was not the first time that two Dominican women participated in the pageant's history because the contestants that represented Italy (Denny Mendez
Denny Mendez
Denny Andreina Méndez de la Rosa is a former beauty queen turned model and actress who represented Italy in the 1997 Miss Universe pageant.-Early life:...
) and the Dominican Republic in the 1997 edition were both of Dominican ancestry.
Media career
Ryan Seacrest
Ryan John Seacrest is an American radio personality, television host, network producer and voice actor. He is the host of On Air with Ryan Seacrest, a nationally syndicated Top 40 radio show that airs on KIIS-FM in Los Angeles and throughout the United States and Canada on Premiere Radio Networks,...
(April 5, 2004), My Wife and Kids (October 5, 2004), where she was cast as "Sharon", "Half & Half" (October 18, 2004) cast as "Shaunie". In August 2005, Castillo co-hosted the Miss Teen USA 2005
Miss Teen USA 2005
Miss Teen USA 2005 pageant, the 23rd Miss Teen USA competition, was televised live from Baton Rouge, Louisiana on August 8, 2005. At the conclusion of the final competition, Miss Ohio Teen USA Allie LaForce was crowned by outgoing queen Shelley Hennig of Louisiana.Prior to the live telecast, the...
pageant alongside Passions
Passions
Passions is an American television soap opera which aired on NBC from July 5, 1999 to September 7, 2007 and on The 101 Network from September 17, 2007 to August 7, 2008....
actor Galen Gering
Galen Gering
Galen Laius Gering is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald on the NBC daytime soap opera Passions...
. The event was won by Allie LaForce
Allie LaForce
Alexandra Leigh "Allie" LaForce is a beauty queen from Vermilion, Ohio who held the Miss Teen USA 2005 title who now works as a broadcast sports reporter....
of Ohio
Miss Ohio Teen USA
The Miss Ohio Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Ohio in the Miss Teen USA pageant.Ohio is one of the least successful states at Miss Teen USA, and has only placed three times. Most importantly, Allie LaForce won the Miss Teen USA crown in 2005,...
.
Castillo was formerly a regular Music Television
Music television
Music television is a type of television programming which focuses predominantly on playing music videos from bands, usually on dedicated television channels broadcasting on satellite or cable. Music TVs may host their own shows charts, award prizes. Examples are VIVA, Scuzz, MTV, JBTV, MuchMusic,...
(MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
) VJ and host of TRL
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
, and helped with the launch of Mi TRL on MTV Tr3s
MTV Tr3s
Tr3s is an American cable, satellite and over-the-air network that prides itself as a bi-cultural entertainment destination. It is rooted in the fusion of Latin America and American music, cultures, and languages, bringing the biggest names in pop, urban, and rock music...
in September 2006. She is now pursuing acting full time. She also played the role of Mercedes Hernandez in the TBS show Tyler Perry's House of Payne
Tyler Perry's House of Payne
Tyler Perry's House of Payne is an American comedy-drama television series created and produced by playwright, director, and producer Tyler Perry. The show revolves around a multi-generational family living under one roof in Atlanta, Georgia led by patriarch Curtis Payne and his wife Ella...
in a select number of episodes in season 5.
She also signed on as the brand ambassador for Charlotte Russe (retailer)
Charlotte Russe (retailer)
Charlotte Russe is a specialty retail chain store in the United States dedicated to selling trendy clothing and accessories under the Charlotte Russe, refuge., and blu chic labels. The company is based in San Diego, California...
and Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl is an American young adult novel series written by Cecily von Ziegesar and published by Little, Brown and Company, a subsidiary of the Hachette Group. The series revolves around the lives and romances of the privileged teenagers at the Constance Billard School for Girls, an elite...
stylist, Eric Daman, who is going to help her design her own line influenced by her Latino heritage.
In 2007, Castillo became a spokeswoman for Neutrogena
Neutrogena
Neutrogena is an American brand of premium-priced skin care, hair care and cosmetics, that is headquartered at Los Angeles, California. According to product advertising at their website, Neutrogena products are distributed in more than 70 countries....
. Castillo's work for Neutrogena includes serving as the "virtual host" of the company's promotional web site, The Big Blush. In 2008, Castillo hosted the ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
series, America's Prom Queen. With Michael Flatley, she is the co-host of the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
dance-competition series Superstars of Dance
Superstars of Dance
Superstars of Dance was an American reality television show that debuted on January 4, 2009 on NBC. The show featured dance routines from eight different countries from six continents. It was hosted by Michael Flatley, co-creator of Riverdance and creator of Lord of the Dance, and was co-hosted...
in 2009.
Castillo co-hosted the 2008 Arthur Ashe
Arthur Ashe
Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr. was a professional tennis player, born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. During his career, he won three Grand Slam titles, putting him among the best ever from the United States...
Kids’ Day. The event was on August 23 at the USTA Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King is a former professional tennis player from the United States. She won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, 16 Grand Slam women's doubles titles, and 11 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. King has been an advocate against sexism in sports and society...
National Tennis Canter in New York City. Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
's Quddus
Quddus
Quddus is one of the 99 Names of God in the Quran, it may refer to:*Abdul Quddus, Male theophoric given name*Quddus , the VJ and sometimes host of Total Request Live-People:*Quddús, the title of the most prominent disciple of the Báb...
was Susie's co-host.
Castillo serves as one of the hosts of the school renovation reality series School Pride
School Pride
School Pride is an American reality television series which airs on NBC, from executive producers Cheryl Hines and Denise Cramsey. The 7-episode series follows the renovation of a different public school each week. The aired from October 15, 2010 to November 26, 2010...
, airing on NBC in fall 2010.
Personal life
On October 7, 2006, Castillo married Matthew Leslie in a quiet ceremony in Ipswich, MassachusettsIpswich, Massachusetts
Ipswich is a coastal town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,987 at the 2000 census. Home to Willowdale State Forest and Sandy Point State Reservation, Ipswich includes the southern part of Plum Island...
. The two met shortly after Castillo won Miss Massachusetts Teen USA, Leslie proposed to Castillo during an appearance on the talk show On-Air With Ryan Seacrest in April 2004, just prior to Castillo passing on her crown during the Miss USA 2004
Miss USA 2004
The Miss USA 2004 pageant was held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California on April 12, 2004. The winner of the beauty pageant was Shandi Finnessey, who became the first winner from the state of Missouri...
pageant. During her spare time Castillo does volunteer work for HAWC (Help for Abused Women and Children), the Lawrence Girls Club and for the Latinas Against Sexual Assault.
On April 27, 2011, Castillo issued a statement attacking the USA Transportation Security Administration
Transportation Security Administration
The Transportation Security Administration is an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that exercises authority over the safety and security of the traveling public in the United States....
(TSA), alleging that she had been groped and touched inappropriately four times during the enhanced pat-down. She released a blog post and video describing the experience, and created an online petition demanding an end to the "enhanced" pat-downs.