Raquel Castro
Encyclopedia
Raquel Castro is an American teen actress and singer
. She is best known for her role in the 2004 film Jersey Girl
as Gertie Trinké, the daughter of Ollie Trinké (Ben Affleck
) and Gertrude Steiney (Jennifer Lopez
), the role for which Castro won the Young Artist Award
for the Best Performance in a Feature Film - Young Actress Age Ten or Younger. She was a contestant in the American version of The Voice
.
to a Puerto Rican
father, Albee Castro, and Kathy, an American mother of Italian American
and Jewish descent. She has two older sisters, an older brother and a younger brother and currently lives in Long Island
, New York. Raquel was named after her mother's favorite actress, Raquel Welch
.
Castro made her acting debut in an episode of the television series, Third Watch
. She was subsequently cast as the daughter of Ben Affleck
and Jennifer Lopez
's characters in the 2004 film Jersey Girl
, directed by Kevin Smith
. She appeared in a 2005 episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
entitled "Alien" and in the independent film
, Little Fugitive
.
In 2006, she was cast as Nicole in the music video for the Ludacris
song "Runaway Love
" with Mary J. Blige
, where she plays an abused self-conscious girl who runs away. She later was featured in the 2007 independent film
, Tracks of Color. She has a role in The Ministers
(2009), starring John Leguizamo
. Raquel also spent quite a few years at a dance studio with her younger brother.
She was a contestant on the first season of The Voice
and she was selected in the Blind Audition round and was coached by Christina Aguilera
. She progressed to the first round of the Live shows before being eliminated with Lily Elise in favor of Frenchie Davis
and Beverly McClellan
.
Castro recorded a cover of Aguilera's Ain't No Other Man
and posted it on YouTube
.
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
. She is best known for her role in the 2004 film Jersey Girl
Jersey Girl (2004 film)
Jersey Girl is a 2004 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Kevin Smith. It stars Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Raquel Castro, George Carlin, Jason Biggs, Jennifer Lopez and Will Smith...
as Gertie Trinké, the daughter of Ollie Trinké (Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck
Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt , better known as Ben Affleck, is an American actor, film director, writer, and producer. He became known with his performances in Kevin Smith's films such as Mallrats and Chasing Amy...
) and Gertrude Steiney (Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
), the role for which Castro won the Young Artist Award
Young Artist Award
The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist...
for the Best Performance in a Feature Film - Young Actress Age Ten or Younger. She was a contestant in the American version of The Voice
The Voice (U.S. TV series)
The Voice is an American reality talent show that premiered on April 26, 2011 on the NBC television network. Based on the reality singing competition The Voice of Holland, the series was created by Dutch television producer John de Mol. It is part of an international series...
.
Early life
Castro, the fourth of five children, was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to a Puerto Rican
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
father, Albee Castro, and Kathy, an American mother of Italian American
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
and Jewish descent. She has two older sisters, an older brother and a younger brother and currently lives in Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, New York. Raquel was named after her mother's favorite actress, Raquel Welch
Raquel Welch
Jo Raquel Tejada , better known as Raquel Welch, is an American actress, author and sex symbol. Welch came to attention as a "new-star" on the 20th Century-Fox lot in the mid-1960s. She posed iconically in a animal skin bikini for the British-release One Million Years B.C. , for which she may be...
.
Castro made her acting debut in an episode of the television series, Third Watch
Third Watch
Third Watch is an American television drama series which first aired on NBC from 1999 to 2005 for a total of 132 episodes, broadcast in 6 seasons of 22 episodes each....
. She was subsequently cast as the daughter of Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck
Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt , better known as Ben Affleck, is an American actor, film director, writer, and producer. He became known with his performances in Kevin Smith's films such as Mallrats and Chasing Amy...
and Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
's characters in the 2004 film Jersey Girl
Jersey Girl (2004 film)
Jersey Girl is a 2004 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Kevin Smith. It stars Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Raquel Castro, George Carlin, Jason Biggs, Jennifer Lopez and Will Smith...
, directed by Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer, and director, as well as a popular comic book writer, author, comedian/raconteur, and internet radio personality best recognized by viewers as Silent Bob...
. She appeared in a 2005 episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
entitled "Alien" and in the independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
, Little Fugitive
Little Fugitive
Little Fugitive is a 1953 film written and directed by Raymond Abrashkin , Morris Engel and Ruth Orkin, that tells the story of a child alone at Coney Island....
.
In 2006, she was cast as Nicole in the music video for the Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
song "Runaway Love
Runaway Love (Ludacris song)
"Runaway Love" is the third single released from Ludacris' fifth album, Release Therapy . The song, which features Mary J. Blige on the vocals, was produced by Polow da Don and reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The song was the first single from Release Therapy in the UK and was...
" with Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
, where she plays an abused self-conscious girl who runs away. She later was featured in the 2007 independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
, Tracks of Color. She has a role in The Ministers
The Ministers (film)
The Ministers is a 2009 film starring John Leguizamo and Harvey Keitel. It premiered in the US in theaters on October 16, 2009.-Plot:Thirteen years after her father was slain and the only evidence left at the crime scene was a pamphlet for a secret shrouded religious order known as “The Ministers”,...
(2009), starring John Leguizamo
John Leguizamo
Jonathan Alberto "John" Leguizamo is an Colombian-American actor, producer, voice artist, and comedian.-Early life:...
. Raquel also spent quite a few years at a dance studio with her younger brother.
She was a contestant on the first season of The Voice
The Voice (U.S. TV series)
The Voice is an American reality talent show that premiered on April 26, 2011 on the NBC television network. Based on the reality singing competition The Voice of Holland, the series was created by Dutch television producer John de Mol. It is part of an international series...
and she was selected in the Blind Audition round and was coached by Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
. She progressed to the first round of the Live shows before being eliminated with Lily Elise in favor of Frenchie Davis
Frenchie Davis
Franchelle "Frenchie" Davis is an R&B singer and former contestant on the second season of the American reality television show American Idol. Davis performed in Rent on Broadway in 2003...
and Beverly McClellan
Beverly McClellan
Beverly McClellan is an American singer and contestant in the first season of the American The Voice reaching the final 4. She was coached by Christina Aguilera and part of her team. She finished in 3rd/4th place in the competition...
.
Castro recorded a cover of Aguilera's Ain't No Other Man
Ain't No Other Man
"Ain't No Other Man" is a song written by Christina Aguilera, Charles Roane, DJ Premier, Harold Beatty, and Kara DioGuardi for Aguilera's third studio album Back to Basics...
and posted it on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 2004 2004 in film The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol... |
Jersey Girl | Gertie Trinké | Film Debut |
| 2006 2006 in film - Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006... |
Little Fugitive Little Fugitive Little Fugitive is a 1953 film written and directed by Raymond Abrashkin , Morris Engel and Ruth Orkin, that tells the story of a child alone at Coney Island.... |
Destiny | Remake |
| 2007 2007 in film This is a list of major films released in 2007.-Top grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2007... |
Tracks of Color | Carmen | |
| 2009 2009 in film The year 2009 saw the release of many films. Seven made the top 50 list of highest-grossing films, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that as of this year, their Best Picture category would consist of ten nominees, rather than five .- Highest-grossing films :Please note... |
The Ministers The Ministers (film) The Ministers is a 2009 film starring John Leguizamo and Harvey Keitel. It premiered in the US in theaters on October 16, 2009.-Plot:Thirteen years after her father was slain and the only evidence left at the crime scene was a pamphlet for a secret shrouded religious order known as “The Ministers”,... |
Nereida | |
| America America (2009 film) America is a 2009 Lifetime Television film starring Rosie O’Donnell, Ruby Dee and Philip Johnson. It was directed by Yves Simoneau and written by Joyce Eliason. The film is based on the young adult novel America by E.R... |
Liza | ||
| 2010 2010 in film The year 2010 saw many new films released worldwide. 2010 saw a dramatic increase and prominence in the use of 3D-technology in filmmaking and film releases after the success of Avatar in the format, with releases such as Alice in Wonderland, Clash of the Titans, Jackass 3D, all animated films and... |
Brooklyn's Finest Brooklyn's Finest Brooklyn's Finest is a 2009 American crime film starring Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke, and Wesley Snipes in his first theatrical film since 2004's Blade: Trinity. The film also stars Will Patton, Ellen Barkin and Vincent D'Onofrio. It is directed by Antoine Fuqua, and written by Michael... |
Katherine | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2002 2002 in television The year 2002 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2002.For the American TV schedule, see: 2002–03 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:... |
Third Watch Third Watch Third Watch is an American television drama series which first aired on NBC from 1999 to 2005 for a total of 132 episodes, broadcast in 6 seasons of 22 episodes each.... |
Moira Kenney | *Episode: "The Greater Good" |
| 2005 2005 in television The year 2005 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2005.For the American TV schedule, see: 2005–06 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:... |
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced... |
Emma | *Episode: "Alien" |
| 2011 | The Voice The Voice (U.S. TV series) The Voice is an American reality talent show that premiered on April 26, 2011 on the NBC television network. Based on the reality singing competition The Voice of Holland, the series was created by Dutch television producer John de Mol. It is part of an international series... |
Herself, Candidate | Team of Christina Aguilera |
| 2011 | Wingin' It Wingin' It Wingin' It is a Canadian teen sitcom airing on Family; the series is produced by Temple Street Productions in association with Family. It stars Demetrius Joyette and Dylan Everett. It also includes guest-stars from other Family Channel shows such as The Latest Buzz... |
JenJen | Ep22: Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Group | Award | Result | Film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Young Artist Award Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist... |
Best Performance in a Feature Film - Young Actress Age Ten or Younger | Jersey Girl Jersey Girl (2004 film) Jersey Girl is a 2004 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Kevin Smith. It stars Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Raquel Castro, George Carlin, Jason Biggs, Jennifer Lopez and Will Smith... |
See also
- List of Puerto Ricans
- Jewish immigration to Puerto RicoJewish immigration to Puerto RicoThe Jewish immigration to Puerto Rico began in the 15th century with the arrival of the anusim who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage...
External links
- Official Website
- JoBlo interview (March 25, 2004)