General Hospital

Ricky Martin Facts: Celebrities Who Started on Soaps

Published by

Shado Saeyang

5 years ago

Ricky Martin is not just one of the biggest pop stars ever, he’s also an incredibly talented actor. In fact, Martin was recently nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award, thanks to his work in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story.

He has won Grammys and performed all over the world, but Martin also makes time to pursue his acting career. From where he was born and raised to his incredible foundation, here are five fast facts about the star.

Who Is Ricky Martin?

Martin was born on December 24 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His parents divorced when he was young, so he spent his time between his father’s home and his grandmother’s house. He began singing and performing at a young age and started auditioning for commercials in Puerto Rico at the age of nine.

Destined For Pop Stardom
Recognizing that he had the talent to be successful, he auditioned to be a member of the Puerto Rican boy band Menudo. Though he was just 12 at the time, Martin convinced them he needed to be a part of the group. He enjoyed performing with the band, but it became incredibly grueling, so he left when he was 17. He went on to an extremely successful solo career.

Soap Beginnings
Martin moved out to Los Angeles in the 90s to try his hand at acting, which was when he was cast as Miguel Morez on General Hospital. This was a crazy time for Martin, as he was juggling his acting with his music career, but he somehow made it all work.

Always Gives Back

Martin created the Ricky Martin Foundation and gave a million dollars worth of instruments to Puerto Rican public schools. The foundation is focused on helping children who are victims of child prostitution.

Getting Personal With Ricky Martin
Martin was in an on-and-off relationship with Mexican TV host Rebecca de Alba for close to 14 years. In August 2008, he became the father of twin boys, Matteo and Valentino, who were born via a surrogate. On March 29, 2010, he came out as gay. He started dating Jwan Yosef in April 2016. The pair became engaged on November 16, 2016 and married in January 2018. They welcomed daughter, Lucia, in December 2018.