Nadine Velazquez was born on November 20, 1978, in Chicago, Illinois. She is of Puerto Rican descent. She attended Notre Dame High School for Girls in Chicago. Velazquez earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing from Columbia College Chicago.
Velazquez began her acting career with minor roles in television and film. She gained initial recognition through commercials and modeling work.
Velazquez’s breakthrough role came in the 2003 film “Chasing Papi,” where she played one of the three lead female characters. This role significantly raised her profile in Hollywood. She further solidified her career with a recurring role as Catalina Aruca on the NBC comedy series “My Name Is Earl” (2005-2009). Her portrayal of Catalina earned her critical acclaim and broadened her audience.
She also appeared in the FX series “The League” as Sofia Ruxin, a recurring role she held for several seasons. In 2011, she starred in the TNT drama series “Memphis Beat.” More recently, she had a recurring role in the television series “Major Crimes” (2016-2018). She also appeared in the science fiction series “Six” (2017-2018).