The beautiful actress Zuleyka Silver May not be a household name, but her acting talent and Commanding screen presence make her stand out. Although Silver is mostly known for her work on the small screen, She has raked in a few credits in movies. Despite her shortcomings on the big screen, Zuleyka Silver’s growing television credits make her one of the fastest-rising actresses in American television.
With her screen acting career beginning in 2010, Zuleyka Silver’s career is a little over a decade old. Her return to American soap operas in 2022 has been her career’s biggest, most successful project. Here’s everything to know about Zuleyka Silver, the actress who plays Audra Charles on CBS’s The Young and the Restless.
Zuleyka Silver Was Born In Mexico
Actress and model Zuleyka Silver was born Zuleyka Lizette Silver on August 2, 1991, in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. She was the youngest child in a family of five. Silver has two older sisters, Angelica and Claudette. Growing up, Silver shared a close-knit relationship with her sisters, who almost looked the same age because of the closeness of their birth years. Zuleyka Silver spent her early years in Mexico.
Her Family Moved To The United States When She Was Almost 8
Zuleyka Silver’s father, whom she often references as an influence on her resilience, first moved to the United States when he was 18. He knew he had a young family and wanted to provide a better opportunity for them. Silver’s mother stayed back with the girls and raised them until her father was ready to bring them.
Having worked hard and obtained a green card, Silver’s father requested they join him in the United States. For a young Zuleyka Silver, the United States was like paradise. However, after emigrating to the country, she quickly realized she would struggle because of the language barrier. Not one to give up easily, Silver watched as many American TV shows as she could to learn and brush up on her English language to prepare for school.
She Was Forced To Use Her Middle Name At School
Zuleyka Silver was named after her mother’s close friend, who was a model. Silver’s mother had always loved the name. However, kids at school thought differently and often teased Silver by referring to her as “Zoo” or “Zucchini” while making animal sounds. The actress admits she used her middle name, Lizette, until sometime in High School.
Zuleyka Silver Began Her Career As A Model
Although she’s famous for her work as an actress, especially on The Young and the Restless, Zuleyka Silver started out as a model. She began appearing in TV commercials as a model while still in High School. Silver was home-schooled at some point in her life to allow her to combine modeling and school. Being a TV commercial model helped grow her interest in acting. Between her High School senior year and community college classes, Silver also took acting classes. After unintentionally falling short of a class to get her High School diploma, Silver chose to defer for two years. Although she focused on acting classes during this time, she returned to complete and obtain her High School diploma.
She Participated In Several Pageantries
While still pursuing a professional acting career, Zuleyka Silver continued to earn a living with modeling. In 2009, she auditioned for Model Latina season 2 (Model Latina: Miami) and was chosen as a participant. Although 22 years old at the time, Silver auditioned as an 18-year-old. The show originally aired on NuvoTV from August 2 to October 18, 2009. The season’s winner was to walk away with a modeling contract with Q Management, an opportunity to be an Sí TV host and a cash prize of $10,000.
Zuleyka Silver finished in third place, with 21-year-old Codie Cabral winning the season. In 2013, Zuleyka Silver also auditioned and participated in Nuestra Belleza Latina season 7. Silver represented her home country, Mexico, and finished in eighth place. Marisela Demontecristo, representing El Salvador, was season 7’s winner. Nuestra Belleza Latina 2013 originally aired on Univision from March 10 to May 19, 2013.
She Graduated From UCLA
After she moved to the United States with her mother and sister, Zuleyka Silver was forced to change schools because of her father’s job. Finding it hard to make new friends at different schools, she focused on her studies. Silver was a bright child who got good grades. After obtaining her High School diploma and wanting to focus on acting, she was challenged to pursue a formal education. Although she didn’t have the money for it, she figured out a way to apply for several scholarships to pay tuition and living expenses in UCLA, irrespective of the amount offered. Zuleyka Silver studied and graduated with a BA (cum laude) in Philosophy, with a minor in Film, Television and Digital Media in 2020.
Zuleyka Silver Made Her Film Debut In 2011
Zuleyka Silver had her feature film debut in the Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried-led cast of In Time. Silver was cast in a minor role as Pasha in Andrew Niccol’s directed science fiction action movie. She later starred as Alicia in the 2013 American comedy Cavemen and the 2014 Canadian horror slasher Girl House. Silver’s last feature film was in 2017, where she played Betty Anne in The Lay of LaLa Land.
Zuleyka Silver’s Other Television Roles
Before landing the role of Audra Charles on The Young and the Restless, Zuleyka Silver had raked in other credits on the small screen. Silver’s screen debut was as an extra (beautiful waitress) in an episode (“They’re Playing Her Song”) on The CW’s 90210. She spent that decade appearing in guest roles in several popular TV shows. Silver starred in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2012), The Bold and the Beautiful (2013), and The Mentalist (2014).
She appeared in 9 episodes of Jimmy Kimmel Live! from 2015 to 2022, playing Mrs. Guillermo, the wife of the parking lot attendant turned sidekick, Guillermo Rodriguez. Zuleyka Silver also guest-starred in Hawaii Five-0 (2016), Real Husbands of Hollywood (2016), Young Sheldon (2018, 2019), and 9-1-1 (2021). If you enjoyed reading about Zuleyka Silver, read these 6 things to know about the famed actor, Jon Seda.
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