Multi-Talented Dayarana Torres

Puerto Rican model, singer, actress, writer and beauty queen Dayarana Torres was 17 years old when she was invited to compete in the annual Miss Puerto Rico pageant representing Toa Alta. She won the pageant putting her in line to compete in the 1993 Miss Universe pageant in Mexico City and on May 21 of that year was crowned Miss Universe. Her other beauty pageant achievements include semi-finalist in the 1992 Miss International pageant and second place at the 1992 Queen of the World contest held in Vienna, Austria.

During her reign as Miss Universe, Dayarnana Torres was an ambassador for UNICEF in Asia and Latin America, a role she continued for a time after her reign had ended. She also provided scholarships for underprivileged students in Puerto Rico and the Philippines through the Dayarana Torres Foundation. Having garnered a huge fan-base in the Philippines, Torres moved there, and during her five years in the country she learned to speak the Philippine's primary language Tagalog, and appeared in ten or more movies. At the 10th PMPC Star Awards for Television in 1995, Dayarana won the Best New Female TV Personality award, becoming the first, and only, Puerto Rican Female Actress to win this prestigious Philippines annual award.

In 1994 Torres played the role of young Sara in the Puerto Rican movie Linda Sara directed by Jacobo Morales, with the role of young Alejandro played by Puerto Rican Latin pop singer and actor Chayanne. She returned to Puerto Rico in 1998 where she released her music album Antifaz which proved hugely popular in Latin America and the Philippines. The Dayarana doll released the same year sold out in both Puerto Rico and the Philippines. Her acting career included roles in the long-running soap opera The Young and the Restless and the television drama Watch Over Me.

Dayarama Torres and singer Marc Anthony were married in May 2000 and had two sons before divorcing in 2004 - an experience she documented in her book Married To Me – How Committing to Myself Led to Triumph After Divorce co-authored with her sister Jeannette Torres-Alvarez. Reportedly Dayarama's original career choice had been to train as an orthodontist. No doubt her many fans are glad that her beauty and talent set her on a career path they could share.