Natalie Martinez is a Miami-born Cuban girl whose explosive success was the fruit of a mother's simple suggestion.

The girl had dabbled in modeling before she became J.Lo's "It" girl. She was 15 when she first took some photos for an ad and shot a TV spot for clothing retailer TJ Maxx. She was later featured in a Univision report about her family's barbershop business.

Natalie's mother always sensed that the girl had a special relationship with the camera lens. Sexy poses and gazes came naturally to her (which the local boys noticed as well). When Natalie was in her senior year of high school, her mother saw an ad calling for auditions for J.Lo's new clothing line. She convinced her daughter to give it a shot.

A total of 5,000 girls in six different cities auditioned for the single spot. Natalie was one of the six local finalists picked by judges from Miami. Once the pool had been narrowed down to 36, Lopez herself picked one finalist from each city and flew them all to New York for the final showdown. At a massive press conference in April of 2002, Natalie Martinez was crowned the J.Lo girl.

What followed was an onslaught of media; every press outlet wanted this fine young Cuban gracing their pages. Natalie appeared in several international editions of Maxim, Stuff and Open Your Eyes. Her most prominent exposure, however, continues to come via the billboards and magazine spreads hocking J.Lo apparel.

Natalie juggles her modeling gigs with her studies at Miami-Dade Community College. In 2003, she dated That '70s Show actor Danny Masterson.

TOP SITES: