Susie Castillo (born October 27, 1979) is an American actress, television host, model and beauty pageant titleholder who held the Miss USA 2003 title. She competed in the Miss Teen USA and Miss Universe pageants. She pursued a career in the media, making various television appearances and hosting shows such as MTV's Total Request Live as a VJ.

Castillo was born in Methuen, Massachusetts, to a Dominican father and a Puerto Rican mother who were divorced when she was a child. After her father abandoned the family, her mother moved to Lawrence, Massachusetts, worked several jobs in order to defray living and educational expenses for her family.^[1] She was greatly influenced by her Puerto Rican heritage, though she has stated she considers herself both Puerto Rican and Dominican.^[2]

By 1996, at the age of 16, Castillo had already become a professional model appearing in many teen magazines and commercials. Upon graduating from Methuen High School, she enrolled at Endicott College, and in 2001 earned a bachelor's degree in Interior Architecture and Design. She received the Capstone Award in recognition of her senior thesis. She is a member of Kappa Delta sorority.^{[citation needed]}

Castillo has made guest appearances on the following shows: On-Air with Ryan Seacrest (April 5, 2004), My Wife and Kids (October 5, 2004), where she was cast as Sharon, Half & Half (October 18, 2004) cast as Shaunie. In August 2005, Castillo co-hosted the Miss Teen USA 2005 pageant alongside Passions actor Galen Gering. The event was won by Allie LaForce of Ohio.

Castillo worked as a MTV VJ and host of TRL, and helped with the launch of Mi TRL on MTV Tr3s in September 2006. She also played the role of Mercedes Hernandez in the TBS show Tyler Perry's House of Payne in a select number of episodes in season 5.

In 2008, Castillo hosted the ABC Family reality television series, America's Prom Queen.^[10] With Michael Flatley, she is the co-host of the NBC dance-competition series Superstars of Dance in 2009.^[11] Castillo co-hosted the 2008 Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day on August 23 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Canter in New York City. Nickelodeon's Quddus was Susie's co-host.^[12]

Castillo was a host of the school renovation reality series School Pride, which aired on NBC in 2010. She also appeared in the 2011 film A Holiday Engagement. In 2023, Castillo portrayed Principal Ramirez in The Really Loud House.

In 2007, Castillo became a spokeswoman for Neutrogena.^[13] Castillo's work for Neutrogena includes serving as the "virtual host" of the company's promotional web site, The Big Blush. She also signed on as the brand ambassador for Charlotte Russe (retailer) and Gossip Girl stylist, Eric Daman, who is going to help her design her own line influenced by her Latino heritage.^[14] In 2013, Castillo began appearing as 'Becky', a hand model, in Palmolive's Soft Touch dish soap commercials.

On October 7, 2006, Castillo married Matthew Leslie in a quiet ceremony in Ipswich, Massachusetts. The two met shortly after Castillo won Miss Massachusetts Teen USA,^[15] Leslie proposed to Castillo during an appearance on the talk show On-Air With Ryan Seacrest in April 2004, just prior to Castillo passing on her crown during the Miss USA 2004 pageant.^[16] During her spare time Castillo does volunteer work for HAWC (Help for Abused Women and Children), the Lawrence Girls Club and for the Latinas Against Sexual Assault.^[17]

On April 27, 2011, Castillo issued a statement attacking the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA), alleging that she had been groped and touched inappropriately four times during the enhanced pat-down. She released a blog post and video describing the experience,^[18] and created an online petition demanding an end to the "enhanced" pat-downs.^[19]

Castillo is a vegan^[20] and posed nude for a PETA anti-fur campaign, stating that she had always loved animals. Castillo urges the beauty pageant industry to stop awarding fur coats as prizes while exposing animals to unnecessary torture "in the name of fashion".^[21]

She was diagnosed with endometriosis, Castillo later discovered that her anti-Müllerian hormone levels had plummeted as a result of the procedure, Doctors informed her she had a 16% chance of conceiving even with in vitro fertilisation.^[22]

• List of Puerto Ricans
• List of people from the Dominican Republic