LaCienega Boulevardez From The Proud Family (2024)

LaCienega Boulevardez, of Latin heritage, transitions from being Penny Proud’s chief rival to an unpredictable frenemy. Blessed with beauty and affluence, she holds the title of the school’s most popular girl, as acknowledged by her classmates.

Her notoriety peaked when, out of resentment for not receiving an invitation to Penny’s party, she spread a rumor about Penny and a geeky student named Myron Lewinski.

Who Is LaCienega Boulevardez?

LaCienega Boulevardez, with her tall stature, long sleek hair, and undying love for fashion, is one of the moverlooked characters from the animated sitcom “The Proud Family.”

But what truly makes LaCienega stand out in a cast of vibrant personalities? Her combination of diva-like attributes, vulnerability, and complex relationship with the protagonist, Penny Proud, create a fascinating character profile worth delving into.

Nickname

LaCi (by relatives)
LaCienequita (as a toddler)
Boulevardez (by Nubia)
Bossy LaCi (by Michael)
Miss Bougie Boulevardez (by Ms. Hill)

Appearance

LaCienega, a 15-year-old Latina, sports shoulder-length dark brown hair, medium brown skin, and red lips. Notably, “Love Thy Neighbor” highlighted her notably large feet.

In the original series, she’s seen in a red cardigan over a pastel pink shirt, paired with capri blue jeans. Her accessories, a red flower hairclip and a bracelet, often match her outfit.

In the series revival, LaCienega’s attire evolves. She dons heels, enhancing her height and accentuating her curves. Her jacket takes on a vibrant strawberry shade, and her flower hairclip shifts to magenta. Mirroring Penny, her updated pink top reveals a hint of midriff.

Completing her look, she opts for snug, cuffed light blue jeans and toe-exposing dark red ankle boots, foregoing her signature bracelet.

Rivalry and Friendship: The Penny Dynamic

While initially introduced as Penny’s rival, LaCienega’s dynamic with her is multi-dimensional. Their love-hate relationship sees many ups and downs.

From moments of deep jealousy and competition to episodes filled with genuine camaraderie, their friendship is nothing short of a roller coaster. This unpredictability and the evolution of their relationship make viewers engrossed in their shared storyline.

Vulnerabilities Beneath the Glamour

As much as LaCienega tries to project a confident exterior, she, like many teenagers, grapples with insecurities. Whether it’s her big feet (a frequent source of humor in the show) or the occasional cracks in her self-assured facade, these vulnerabilities make her relatable.

They remind viewers that beneath the glamour and sass, LaCienega is still finding her way, much like all of us did during our adolescent years.

Personality

LaCienega Boulevardez, despite her radiant beauty, hides deep-seated insecurities stemming from bullying during her younger years. This, coupled with a naturally competitive edge from her parents, has driven her to excel in various arenas, from beauty pageants to academic debates.

But this success often masks an egoistic facade, mistaking ego for genuine confidence. While she takes immense pride in her appearance, she craves external validation.

Behind her arrogance, LaCienega is a cauldron of emotions, seeking constant affirmation from her circle to stay centered. She’s deeply family-centric, trying her best to appease them. She’s also quite responsible, undertaking chores without being prompted, like when she cooked for the Prouds in “Love Thy Neighbor.”

LaCienega & Penny

LaCienega and Penny share a complex relationship. When they first meet at Willie T. Ribbs Middle School, tension arises as they compete for the final cheerleading position.

Penny’s self-assured audition remarks are misinterpreted by LaCienega as arrogance, leading her to become confrontational. But after Penny saves LaCienega from an embarrassing prank by the Gross Sisters—a scenario LaCienega knows too well due to her cousin LaBrea’s past antics—LaCienega starts to see Penny in a different light.

Initially cautious, LaCienega gradually acknowledges Penny’s sincere warmth and notices their shared traits. This mutual recognition helps them connect deeply, sometimes without speaking. LaCienega treasures Penny’s reliability, especially against the backdrop of her own trust issues rooted in past bullying and deception.

While LaCienega grapples with opening up, their intimate conversations with Penny nurture mutual respect and forgiveness. Nevertheless, their spirited competitiveness persists, leading to light-hearted contests. LaCienega often finds solace in Penny’s presence, cherishing their shared experiences.

Michael Collins

Michael is LaCienega’s closest male friend. In the series, he once unintentionally hurt a sensitive LaCienega with a joke, not realizing her state at the time.

Despite this, LaCienega grew fond of Michael, attracted to his unique character and fashion design talents, revealing her ability to value inner qualities. Aside from Zoey, Michael is perhaps her closest confidant and their bond grew stronger over time.

At first, LaCienega often brought Michael along, mirroring Penny and Dijonay’s dynamic with Sticky Webb. Their relationship is marked by open conversations and mutual understanding, even if they occasionally tease each other. Later, Michael identified as gay, shifting the dynamics of LaCienega’s affections, but their friendship remains strong.

Dijonay Jones and LaCienega

Dijonay has known LaCienega longer than anyone in the group. Due to LaCienega’s frequent moves during childhood, their bond isn’t as deep as Dijonay’s with Penny. Dijonay recalls LaCienega being sweet and reliable as a child, but her persona evolved due to past hardships.

Surprised by this change, Dijonay had to adapt and often urges LaCienega to get along with Penny for harmony. Yet, Dijonay’s unreliable tendencies affect LaCienega and Penny, leading her to make poor choices. Penny mistakenly thinks Dijonay favors LaCienega, but it’s often the opposite.

Zoey Howzer

Zoey and LaCienega share a close bond, despite Zoey’s quirky nature. On LaCienega’s first day at Willie T. Ribbs Middle School, Zoey complimented her, boosting her confidence.

Much like Dijonay pairs with Penny, Zoey often accompanies LaCienega, even without Penny or Dijonay. Although LaCienega finds Zoey’s quirks annoying, she genuinely cares for her and encourages her self-confidence.

LaCienega often taps into her empathetic side around Zoey, nurturing her emotions and lifting her spirits through makeovers or humor. She’s protective of Zoey and quick to defend her. LaCienega, fond of red, seemingly appreciates Zoey’s red hair; they’ve even sported matching red swimsuits. Zoey’s comfort level with LaCienega allows her to correct and guide LaCienega toward kinder behavior.

Romances

Little Wiz (ex-boyfriend)
Kareem (crush/date)
Omar Phillips (date)
Michael Collins -(crush, formerly)
KG (date)
Benjamin Proud (Tween) – (date)

Family

Felix Boulevardez (father)
Sunset Boulevardez (mother)
Caesar “Papi” Boulevardez (grandfather)
Javier (cousin)
Melrose Avenúñez (aunt)
Mateo Avenúñez (uncle)
LaBrea Avenúñez (cousin)
La Lupe (dog)

Enemies

Penny Proud (formerly)
The Gross Sisters
Coach Collins
Ms. Hill (formerly)
Chester
Helga
Dr. Carver (clone)

LaCienega Boulevardez Moments Season 1

Quick Facts

Cultural Background: LaCienega is of Latin descent, and her family often showcases their rich cultural heritage in the series.

Relationship with Penny: LaCienega started as Penny Proud’s rival but over time, their relationship evolved, and they became friends, albeit with a complicated dynamic filled with both rivalry and camaraderie.

Appearance: She’s known for her shoulder-length dark brown hair, medium brown skin, and fashionable attire. Notably, she has large feet, a running joke in the series.

Family Ties: LaCienega’s mother is Sunset Boulevardez and her grandmother is Papi. Their interactions often offer comic relief in the show.

Competitive Nature: LaCienega is highly competitive, often finding herself in contests of various sorts with Penny and other characters.

Insecurities: Despite her confident exterior, LaCienega has deep-seated insecurities. These vulnerabilities stem from incidents in her past, including being bullied.

Talents: LaCienega is talented in various areas, such as cheerleading, dancing, and other school activities. Her involvement often places her in direct competition with Penny.

Personality: While she can be vain or arrogant at times, LaCienega is also shown to have moments of genuine kindness and vulnerability. Her complex character makes her one of the more multidimensional figures in the show.