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Paz Vega was born on January 2,
1976, in Seville, the Spanish town famous for Carmen and singing barbers.
The slender and athletic Paz first dreamed of being a sports star and
later took interest in politics. At age 15, all it took was a day at the
theater to cement her ambitions; a performance of La Casa de Bernarda Alba
set her sights on acting for good.
At 16, Paz left school and patiently waited for the prestigious Centro
Andaluz de Teatro acting school to accept her. After two years at the
acting school and another two studying journalism, Paz moved to Madrid,
where she sought fame. She changed her name to Paz Vega (her grandmother's
last name) and worked in bars while auditioning for every acting job she
could.
Paz's first big jobs came on TV, where she appeared in three episodes of
the Spanish series Menudo es mi padre, and in two other series, Mas que
amigos and Companeros. In 1999, Paz got her first major movie role in
Zapping, in which she played a hot sex-loving vixen who snagged another
woman's husband. That same year, she had a minor part in Sobrevivire (I
Will Survive), which got people noticing her.
Paz then returned to television with the career-making role of Laura in
the series, 7 vidas. It was this role that endeared her to all of Spain.
Filmmaker Mateo Gil liked Paz so much that he gave her a major part in his
movie Nadie conoce a nadie (Nobody Knows Anybody, 1999). As she juggled TV
and movies, she quickly learned the inner workings of the film industry.
Movie director Julio Medem saw her potential and asked Vega to leave her
TV role to dedicate herself to his new project. His film would be
provocative, steamy and sensual, so he needed just the right actress. In
2001, Lucia y el sexo (Sex and Lucia) hit theaters. It told the story, in
graphic and lurid detail, of an innocent girl who slowly discovers her
sexuality. Paz appeared nude, acting with her whole body in a gush of
sensuality. Sex and Lucia became an international hit and won Paz a Goya,
Spain's biggest movie award, for Best New Actress.
With the success of Sex and Lucia, Vega was courted by the biggest names
in the film industry. Spain's most important director, Pedro Almodovar,
gave her a part in his award-winning film Hable con ella (Talk to Her,
2002). Soon after, she was seen in the musical romantic comedy, El otro
lado de la cama (The Other Side of the Bed, 2002).
After two more movies, including a rendition of Carmen in 2003, Paz
started being coveted abroad. James L. Brooks, of The Simpsons and As Good
as It Gets, signed her for his new directing project, a comedy called
Spanglish, with Adam Sandler and Tea Leoni. This movie will no doubt raise
her profile in the U.S. and she will hopefully be seen in more American
movies. After Spanglish, Paz can be seen in 2005's Un angel en la
oscuridad in the pipeline.
Paz Vega currently lives in Madrid, Spian with husband Orson Salazar, whom
she married in 2002. Paz is currently pregnant with her first child, a
boy, due in 2007. |
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The Spirit (2009) .... Plaster
of Paris
The Six Wives of Henry Lefay (2008) .... Veronica
The Human Contract (2008) .... Michael
... aka Will Eisner's The Spirit (USA: poster title)
Masseria delle allodole, La (2007) .... Nunik
... aka Casa de las alondras, La (Spain)
... aka Mas des alouettes, Le (France)
... aka The Lark Farm (International: English title)
Teresa, el cuerpo de Cristo (2007) .... Santa Teresa de Jesús
... aka Theresa: The Body of Christ (International: English title)
Fade to Black (2006/I) .... Lea Padovani
Borgia, Los (2006) .... Caterina Sforza
... aka The Borgia (International: English title)
10 Items or Less (2006) .... Scarlet
"7 vidas" .... Laura Arteagabeitia / ... (57 episodes, 1999-2006)
- ¡Qué bello es vivir en casa de Sole! (2006) TV Episode .... Laura
- De ratones y hombres (2005) TV Episode .... Laura
- Laura y el sexo (2005) TV Episode .... Laura
- Episode dated 19 December 2001 (2001) TV Episode .... Laura
- Episode #2.26 (2000) TV Episode .... Laura Arteagabeitia
(52 more)
Spanglish (2004) .... Flor Moreno
Di que sí (2004) .... Estrella Cuevas
Carmen (2003/I) .... Carmen
Novo (2002) .... Isabelle
... aka Novo (Spain)
Otro lado de la cama, El (2002) .... Sonia
... aka The Other Side of the Bed (International: English title)
(USA)
... aka The Wrong Side of the Bed (International: English title)
Hable con ella (2002) .... Amparo
... aka Talk to Her (International: English title)
Sólo mía (2001) .... Angela
... aka Mine Alone (Hong Kong: English title)
"Compañeros" .... Luz (18 episodes, 1998-2001)
... aka Compañeros de clase
- A ver... (2001) TV Episode .... Luz
- Asentar la cabeza (1998) TV Episode .... Luz
- ¿Esto es Romeo y Julieta? (1998) TV Episode .... Luz
- A veces, sin hablar, es todo más sencillo (1998) TV Episode ....
Luz
- Quédate conmigo (1998) TV Episode .... Luz
(13 more)
Lucía y el sexo (2001) .... Lucía
... aka Sex and Lucia (International: English title) (UK)
... aka Lucia et le sexe (France)
Chico en la puerta, El (2000)
... aka Wrinkle Movie
Nadie conoce a nadie (1999) .... Ariadna
... aka Nobody Knows Anybody (International: English title)
Sobreviviré (1999) .... Azafata
... aka I Will Survive (Europe: English title: festival title)
Zapping (1999) .... Elvira
"Más que amigos" .... Olga (27 episodes, 1997-1998)
- Dos años, dos meses y un día (1998) TV Episode .... Olga
- Cuentos chinos (1998) TV Episode .... Olga
- Aterrados (1998) TV Episode .... Olga
- Congelados (1998) TV Episode .... Olga
- Perdidos (1998) TV Episode .... Olga
(22 more)
Perdón, perdón (1998) .... María |
