Mayra Cormack

Mayra Cormack (2018)

Dominican Republic

Pascal Hofer

(m.2005; div.2010)

Brendan Cormack (m.2016)

**Mayra Cormack** (born **Mayra Castillo Peralta**, November 14, 1984) - is a Dominican Republic model, actress and author.

## Biography

### Early Life

Mayra Castillo Peralta was born on November 14, 1984 in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. The third and youngest child born to Francisca Peralta (born 1953) and Vicente Castillo (born 1949). Her mother worked as a choreographer and her father was an olympic long jump athlete. She is of Spanish and remote Taíno and African descent. Her first language was Spanish, but she is also fluent in English and French. Shortly after graduation from high school, she started her architecture studies at Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo, which she graduated in 2006.

### Career

#### Miss Universe

She started modeling in August 2002 taking part in Miss República Dominicana Universo competition. On August 26, 2002 she won the competition and represented country in the Miss Universe 2003 held in Caracas on June 2, 2003. She won the competition becoming first ever Miss Universe from Dominican Republic. At the time she was also the youngest woman since 1993 to win Miss Universe.

#### Modeling

After her succes in Miss Universe she signed with modeling agency in New York. Soon after on July 18, 2003 she debuted at New York Fashion Week. She made many campaigns with mostly Spanish and American brands. She was on a cover of magazines such as Charm and Belle. She also hosted Miss República Dominicana Universo from 2004 to 2008.

#### Acting

She made her big-screen debut in criminal film Secret Weapon (2009) as a supportive role. In 2010 she played in an American-Canadian romance comedy Sour Feeling. In 2011 she debuted at Broadway in Celebridad alongside other Latin American actors and actresses. In 2012 she joined cast of television series Braid as Valentina, a Spanish-American woman who worked as a tour guide and surfing instructor. She played in series until 2017. During series, she also played in films such as The Mental Rich Man (2015) and Close, even Closer (2016). In 2018 she co-wrote script for an adventure film Golden Monkey in which she later played. She also co-writed scripts for Mexican and Spanish productions. In 2020 she played in romance thriller Dark Blush.

### Personal Life

On November 20, 2001 shortly after her seventeen birthday, she wed her high school boyfriend Rosario Muñoz. Their wedding took place in his house backyard. She moved to his house. At the beginning of March 2002 she moved back to her family home simultaneously filing for divorce. Their divorce was finalized in June 2002. In August 2003 during her vacations in Italy she met Swiss golfist Pascal Hofer, nine years her senior. They started dating one month later and she moved to his residence in Zug, Switzerland. Hofer engaged to her in September 2004 and the two wed in a private ceremony held on March 14, 2005 in a banquet hall in Zürich. She decided to not adopting his surname. Couple divided time between Switzerland and United States. They announced their separation in October 2009 and their divorced in April 2010. After that she moved to Dundee, Scotland. In 2011 she announced her relationship with Scottish actor and producer Brendan Cormack. They got engaged in June 2015 and wed on December 28, 2016 on the beach near Madrid. After marriage she adopted his surname. Couple have two daughters, Antonia Isabella (born July 26, 2017) and Paola Grace (born April 20, 2019). Both their daughters have Scottish and Dominican Republic citizenship and are raising bilingual in Spanish and English. She resides in a villa in Glasgow and also has residence in Dominican Republic.