From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Joyce Giraud (born Joyce Marie Giraud Mojica; April 4, 1975) is a Puerto Rican actress and model. She is a two time Miss Puerto Rico and the second runner up in the 1998 Miss Universe pageant. She had previously represented Puerto Rico at Miss World 1994.
Giraud was featured in episodes of Baywatch, and in the film Dude, Where’s My Car?. More recently, she has starred in TV shows like House of Payne and Joey. She has joined the cast of the upcoming fourth season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Early life
Giraud was born in Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico. After graduating at the age of 16, Giraud began modeling and attended the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico where she finished two Bachelor of Arts degrees by the age of 19; one in Social Work and one in Special Education. After graduating she worked with underprivileged children and public residentials in Puerto Rico.[2]
Pageant participation
Giraud won the 1994 Miss World Puerto Rico and the titles of Most Beautiful Hair, Most Beautiful Smile; Most Beautiful Face and Best Runway. She later represented Puerto Rico in the Queen of the Atlantics International in Spain, and won the title Queen of the Atlantics 1995. In 1997 she represented Puerto Rico in the Miss Venus International in Jacksonville, Florida and won her hometown the title. In 1998 Giraud won the title of Miss Aguas Buenas and then was crowned Miss Universe Puerto Rico. She also won the titles of Most Beautiful Hair, Most Beautiful Face, Best Body and the Miss Photogenic Award.
Despite a scandal that almost cost her the crown due to some sexy modeling shots,[3] Giraud continued to compete in the 1998 Miss Universe Pageant in Hawaii and was the Second Runner Up. Later that year she wrote a book called “Joyce, Dreams and Realities,” based on her experiences in the Miss Universe Pageant.
In 2000 Giraud became the only undefeated model to win every episode of Star Search aka “Destination Stardom” in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Career
Giraud began modeling to help her mother pay for her university studies and became one of the top models of Puerto Rico. She has appeared in numerous national and international campaigns.
After winning the Miss Universe Puerto Rico, Giraud discovered her love of acting when director Vicente Castro cast her as the lead in his “Coralito Tiene Dos Maridos,” a remake of Sonia Braga’s Dona Flor y Sus Dos Maridos. She received such great reviews that she found another passion in life. After doing many small roles in her native Puerto Rico, Giraud moved to Miami, Florida where she continued a successful modeling career. In 2001 she decided to take the leap toward Los Angeles where she has received parts in numerous films and TV shows, most recently David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
In 2012 Giraud created the beauty pageant Queen of the Universe.
Giraud is one of the few Puerto Rican Supermodels, and has been featured on numerous magazine covers and in international campaigns.
Giraud serves as an executive producer on the 2013 television series Siberia under the name Joyce De Ohoven. She will also star in the fourth season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in 2013.
