Paz Vega
Encyclopedia
Paz Campos Trigo better known as Paz Vega, is a Spanish
actress.
, Andalusia
, Spain
to a homemaker mother and a retired bullfighter father. Vega's younger sister has performed as a flamenco
dancer. Vega has described her family as "traditional" and Catholic
. She took her stage name from her grandmother. After attending a performance of Federico García Lorca
's La casa de Bernarda Alba at the age of 15 she was convinced that she wanted to become an actress. After completing compulsory education
at 16, she was accepted at the prestigious Centro Andaluz de Teatro stage school. After two years at the stage school and two more years studying journalism
, Vega moved to Madrid
.
. After appearing in two other series in 1997 - Mas que amigos and teen drama Compañeros - she went on to grace the silver screen in 1999 in Zapping. The same year she also had a minor role in the David Menkes movie I Will Survive (Sobreviviré) alongside Emma Suárez
, Juan Diego Botto
and a cameo from Boy George
.
Vega found success in 1999's 7 Vidas
. The series was billed as a Spanish Friends
and went on to become one of the country's best-loved domestic sitcoms. Vega played Laura, a perky Andalusia
n girl who had come to stay with David, who had recently come out of a coma
. The series was broadcast on Telecinco
and finished April 12, 2006, albeit without Vega. The 2001 film Sex and Lucia brought the actress to the attention of a larger audience. She then became much better known in the United States after appearing in a supporting role in the 2004 James L. Brooks
film Spanglish
opposite Adam Sandler
. In 2006, she co-starred with Morgan Freeman
in the independent film 10 Items or Less
. In 2008, she co-starred with Gabriel Macht
, Samuel L. Jackson
, and Scarlett Johansson
in The Spirit
. Vega is also a model; she is signed to 1/One Management in New York City
. In 2011, Paz Vega had a role in the Italian
movie The Flower of Evil by Michele Placido
. On May 2011 Paz Vega replaced Penélope Cruz
as the face for L'oreal
Spain.
husband, Orson Salazar, had their first child, son Orson, on May 2, 2007. Her second child, daughter Ava, was born on July 17, 2009. Their third child, son Lenon, was born on August 13, 2010.
Premios Unión de Actores
Fotogramas de Plata
European Awards
Cannes Festival
Imagen Foundation
Phoenix Film Critics Society
Círculo de Escritores Cinematográficos
Sant Jordi Awards
Ondas Award
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
actress.
Early life
Vega was born in SevilleSeville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
, Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
to a homemaker mother and a retired bullfighter father. Vega's younger sister has performed as a flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
dancer. Vega has described her family as "traditional" and Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
. She took her stage name from her grandmother. After attending a performance of Federico García Lorca
Federico García Lorca
Federico del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús García Lorca was a Spanish poet, dramatist and theatre director. García Lorca achieved international recognition as an emblematic member of the Generation of '27. He is believed to be one of thousands who were summarily shot by anti-communist death squads...
's La casa de Bernarda Alba at the age of 15 she was convinced that she wanted to become an actress. After completing compulsory education
Compulsory education
Compulsory education refers to a period of education that is required of all persons.-Antiquity to Medieval Era:Although Plato's The Republic is credited with having popularized the concept of compulsory education in Western intellectual thought, every parent in Judea since Moses's Covenant with...
at 16, she was accepted at the prestigious Centro Andaluz de Teatro stage school. After two years at the stage school and two more years studying journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
, Vega moved to Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
.
Screen career
Vega made her television debut in the Spanish TV series, Menudo es mi padre, which starred rumba singer El FaryEl Fary
José Luis Cantero Rada , known professionally as El Fary, was a Spanish singer and actor.The youngest of six children, José Luis Cantero was born in Madrid, close to a famous bullring. As a boy he would play truant from school, preferring to spend time partying with Gypsies imitating his idol, the...
. After appearing in two other series in 1997 - Mas que amigos and teen drama Compañeros - she went on to grace the silver screen in 1999 in Zapping. The same year she also had a minor role in the David Menkes movie I Will Survive (Sobreviviré) alongside Emma Suárez
Emma Suárez
Emma Suárez is a Spanish actress.- Biography :Suárez' debut performance was at the age of 15, with Memorias de Leticia Valle.In 1987 she appeared in Joaquín Sabina's videoclip, Así estoy yo sin ti....
, Juan Diego Botto
Juan Diego Botto
Juan Diego Botto-Rota is an Argentine-Spanish actor.Botto's father disappeared during the Argentine Dirty War when Juan Diego was only two years old...
and a cameo from Boy George
Boy George
Boy George is a British singer-songwriter who was part of the English New Romantic movement which emerged in the early 1980s. He helped give androgyny an international stage with the success of Culture Club during the 1980s. His music is often classified as blue-eyed soul, which is influenced by...
.
7 Vidas
7 Vidas is a Spanish sitcom which aired on Telecinco from 1999 to 2006. Its title translates as "7 lives" and the symbol of the sitcom is a cat, in reference to the belief that cats have 7 lives...
. The series was billed as a Spanish Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
and went on to become one of the country's best-loved domestic sitcoms. Vega played Laura, a perky Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
n girl who had come to stay with David, who had recently come out of a coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
. The series was broadcast on Telecinco
Telecinco
Telecinco is a Spanish commercial television channel operated by Mediaset España. Launched in 1990 as Tele 5, it was the fifth of the national terrestrial television channels. In 1997, Tele 5 was rebranded as Telecinco, dropping the flower logo seen in other Mediaset channel...
and finished April 12, 2006, albeit without Vega. The 2001 film Sex and Lucia brought the actress to the attention of a larger audience. She then became much better known in the United States after appearing in a supporting role in the 2004 James L. Brooks
James L. Brooks
James Lawrence Brooks is an American director, producer and screenwriter. Growing up in North Bergen, New Jersey, Brooks endured a fractured family life and passed the time by reading and writing. After dropping out of New York University, he got a job as an usher at CBS, going on to write for the...
film Spanglish
Spanglish (film)
Spanglish is a 2004 American comedy-drama film written and directed by James L. Brooks, and starring Adam Sandler, Paz Vega, and Téa Leoni. It was released in the United States on December 17, 2004 by Columbia Pictures and by Gracie Films, and in other countries over the first several months of...
opposite Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, musician, and film producer.After becoming a Saturday Night Live cast member, Sandler went on to star in several Hollywood feature films that grossed over $100 million at the box office...
. In 2006, she co-starred with Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman is an American actor, film director, aviator and narrator. He is noted for his reserved demeanor and authoritative speaking voice. Freeman has received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Street Smart, Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption and Invictus and won...
in the independent film 10 Items or Less
10 Items or Less (film)
10 Items or Less is a 2006 American comedy-drama written and directed by Brad Silberling and starring Morgan Freeman and Paz Vega. Shot in fifteen days, 10 Items or Less made its release as a digital download – the first such release via the Internet – while it was still in...
. In 2008, she co-starred with Gabriel Macht
Gabriel Macht
Gabriel S. Macht is an American actor. Macht is known for playing The Spirit in the film of the same name, and lately for his role as Harvey Specter on the USA Network series Suits.-Personal life:...
, Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
, and Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson is an American actress, model and singer.Johansson made her film debut in North and was later nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead for her performance in Manny & Lo . She rose to further prominence with her roles in The Horse Whisperer and Ghost World...
in The Spirit
The Spirit (film)
The Spirit is a 2008 American superhero noir film, written and directed by Frank Miller and starring Gabriel Macht, Eva Mendes, Sarah Paulson, Dan Lauria, Paz Vega, Jaime King, Scarlett Johansson, and Samuel L. Jackson. The film is based on the newspaper comic strip The Spirit by Will Eisner...
. Vega is also a model; she is signed to 1/One Management in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In 2011, Paz Vega had a role in the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
movie The Flower of Evil by Michele Placido
Michele Placido
Michele Placido is an internationally known Italian actor and director. He is best known for the role of Corrado Cattani in the TV series La Piovra.-Life and career:...
. On May 2011 Paz Vega replaced Penélope Cruz
Penélope Cruz
Penélope Cruz Sánchez is a Spanish actress. Signed by an agent at age 15, she made her acting debut at 16 on television and her feature film debut the following year in Jamón, jamón , to critical acclaim...
as the face for L'oreal
L'Oréal
The L'Oréal Group is the world's largest cosmetics and beauty company. With its registered office in Paris and head office in the Paris suburb of Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France, it has developed activities in the field of cosmetics...
Spain.
Personal life
Vega and her VenezuelanVenezuelan people
Venezuelan people are from a multiethnic nation in South America called Venezuela. Venezuelans are predominantly Roman Catholic and speak Spanish, and a majority of them are the result of a mixture of Europeans, Africans, and Amerindians.-Demography:...
husband, Orson Salazar, had their first child, son Orson, on May 2, 2007. Her second child, daughter Ava, was born on July 17, 2009. Their third child, son Lenon, was born on August 13, 2010.
Filmography
| Year | Movie | Role | Notes and Awards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Más allá del jardín | ||
| 1998 | Perdón, perdón | María | |
| 1999 | Zapping | Elvira | |
| Sobreviviré | Azafata | ||
| 2000 | Nadie conoce a nadie | Ariadna | |
| El chico en la puerta (short film) | |||
| 2001 | Lucía y el sexo Lucía y el sexo Sex and Lucia is an award winning 2001 Spanish drama film, written and directed by Julio Médem, and starring Paz Vega and Tristán Ulloa. As suggested by the title, there is a great deal of passionate sexual content surrounding the love story of Lucia and Lorenzo as the plot dissolves into a very... |
Lucía | |
| Sólo mía | Angela | ||
| 2002 | Hable con ella | Amparo | |
| El otro lado de la cama | Sonia | ||
| Novo Novo (film) Novo is a 2002 romantic comedy film starring Eduardo Noriega.-Storyline:Graham suffers from severe amnesia and cannot remember what he has done hours after he has done it. Consequently, he must write everything down; who he knows, where he should be, even where he works. His boss takes advantage... |
Isabelle | ||
| 2003 | Carmen Carmen (2003 film) Carmen is a 2003 film about the classical romance of the same name by Prosper Mérimée. Director Vicente Aranda bases the plot on Mérimée's original novella from 1847 , changing some details about the love story between Carmen and José... |
Carmen | |
| 2004 | Di que sí Di que sí - Plot :Víctor Martínez is a shy 36-year-old man working as an usher at a movie theater. He still lives with his mother . By some mistake, he ends up in a reality show with Estrella Cuevas , an aspiring actress. They win the contest and are sent off to spend some time together at a luxury hotel at... |
Estrella Cuevas | |
| Spanglish Spanglish (film) Spanglish is a 2004 American comedy-drama film written and directed by James L. Brooks, and starring Adam Sandler, Paz Vega, and Téa Leoni. It was released in the United States on December 17, 2004 by Columbia Pictures and by Gracie Films, and in other countries over the first several months of... |
Flor Moreno | ||
| 2006 | 10 Items or Less 10 Items or Less (film) 10 Items or Less is a 2006 American comedy-drama written and directed by Brad Silberling and starring Morgan Freeman and Paz Vega. Shot in fifteen days, 10 Items or Less made its release as a digital download – the first such release via the Internet – while it was still in... |
Scarlet | |
| Los Borgia | Caterina Sforza | ||
| Fade to Black Fade to Black (2006 film) Fade to Black is a 2006 thriller film directed by Oliver Parker and starring Danny Huston as Orson Welles.-Synopsis:The year is 1948. His Hollywood career deadlocked, Orson Welles is in need to get over his failed marriage to Rita Hayworth... |
Lea Padovani | ||
| 2007 | Teresa, el cuerpo de Cristo | Santa Teresa de Jesús Teresa of Ávila Saint Teresa of Ávila, also called Saint Teresa of Jesus, baptized as Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda y Ahumada, was a prominent Spanish mystic, Roman Catholic saint, Carmelite nun, and writer of the Counter Reformation, and theologian of contemplative life through mental prayer... |
|
| La Masseria Delle Allodole La Masseria Delle Allodole La masseria delle allodole is a 2007 Italian film directed by Taviani brothers about the Armenian Genocide. The film is also known as "The Lark Farm".-Plot:... |
Nunik | ||
| 2008 | The Human Contract The Human Contract The Human Contract is a 2008 drama film written and directed by Jada Pinkett Smith and starring Jason Clarke and Paz Vega. The DVD was released on June 30, 2009.-Plot:... |
Michael | |
| The Spirit The Spirit (film) The Spirit is a 2008 American superhero noir film, written and directed by Frank Miller and starring Gabriel Macht, Eva Mendes, Sarah Paulson, Dan Lauria, Paz Vega, Jaime King, Scarlett Johansson, and Samuel L. Jackson. The film is based on the newspaper comic strip The Spirit by Will Eisner... |
Plaster of Paris | ||
| 2009 | Not Forgotten Not Forgotten (film) Not Forgotten is a 2009 independent thriller written and directed by Dror Soref starring Simon Baker and Paz Vega. The film takes place on the Texas-Mexico border and tells the story of a kidnapping plot involving the ritualistic cult Santa Muerte... |
Amaya | |
| The Six Wives of Henry Lefay The Six Wives of Henry LeFay The Six Wives of Henry Lefay is a 2009 American comedy film starring Elisha Cuthbert and Tim Allen. A grieving daughter tries to arrange her father's funeral, while putting up with all of his ex-wives... |
Veronica | ||
| Triage Triage (film) Triage is a 2009 drama film starring Colin Farrell, Paz Vega and Christopher Lee. The film’s plot is described as a dark tale of a photojournalist who comes home after a dangerous assignment in Kurdistan during the Anfal Genocide against the Kurdish people. The film focuses on the psychological... |
Elena Morales | ||
| Burning Palms Burning Palms (film) Burning Palms is a 2010 satirical film based on Los Angeles stereotypes told through five intertwining storylines.-Premise:The film explores satires of Angeleno stereotypes, which are told through five interlacing stories. The five intertwining segments are based on popular stereotypes of West... |
Blanca Juarez | ||
| Wanted: Weapons of Fate | Araña | video game | |
| 2010 | Castro's Daughter | Alina Fernandez Alina Fernández Alina Fernández Revuelta is the daughter of Fidel Castro and an outspoken critic of the Cuban communist regime. She lived under her father’s rule from when he took power in 1959 until she fled the country in 1993 with her daughter because of dissenting political views.As an illegitimate daughter... |
|
| 2011 | The Flower of Evil | Antonella D'Agostino |
Awards and nominations
Premios Goya- 2001, Best actress in a leading roleGoya Award for Best ActressThe Goya Award for Best Actress is one of the Goya Awards, Spain's principal national film awards....
, Sólo mía, NOMINATION - 2001, Best breakthrough actress performanceGoya Award for Best New ActressThe Goya Award for Best New Actor is one of the Goya Awards, Spain's principal national film awards.In the list below the winner of the award for each year is shown first, followed by the other nominees....
, Lucía y el sexoLucía y el sexoSex and Lucia is an award winning 2001 Spanish drama film, written and directed by Julio Médem, and starring Paz Vega and Tristán Ulloa. As suggested by the title, there is a great deal of passionate sexual content surrounding the love story of Lucia and Lorenzo as the plot dissolves into a very...
, WON
Premios Unión de Actores
- 2001, Best actress in a leading role, Sólo mía, NOMINATION
- 2001, Best breakthrough actress performance, Lucía y el sexoLucía y el sexoSex and Lucia is an award winning 2001 Spanish drama film, written and directed by Julio Médem, and starring Paz Vega and Tristán Ulloa. As suggested by the title, there is a great deal of passionate sexual content surrounding the love story of Lucia and Lorenzo as the plot dissolves into a very...
, NOMINATION
Fotogramas de Plata
- 2003, Best actress, CarmenCarmen (2003 film)Carmen is a 2003 film about the classical romance of the same name by Prosper Mérimée. Director Vicente Aranda bases the plot on Mérimée's original novella from 1847 , changing some details about the love story between Carmen and José...
, NOMINATION - 2002, Best actress, El otro lado de la cama, NOMINATION
- 2001, Best actress, Lucía y el sexoLucía y el sexoSex and Lucia is an award winning 2001 Spanish drama film, written and directed by Julio Médem, and starring Paz Vega and Tristán Ulloa. As suggested by the title, there is a great deal of passionate sexual content surrounding the love story of Lucia and Lorenzo as the plot dissolves into a very...
and Sólo mía, NOMINATION
European Awards
- 2003, Viewers award best actress, CarmenCarmen (2003 film)Carmen is a 2003 film about the classical romance of the same name by Prosper Mérimée. Director Vicente Aranda bases the plot on Mérimée's original novella from 1847 , changing some details about the love story between Carmen and José...
, Nomination
Cannes Festival
- 2001, Trofeo Chopard best breakthrough performance, Lucía y el sexoLucía y el sexoSex and Lucia is an award winning 2001 Spanish drama film, written and directed by Julio Médem, and starring Paz Vega and Tristán Ulloa. As suggested by the title, there is a great deal of passionate sexual content surrounding the love story of Lucia and Lorenzo as the plot dissolves into a very...
, WON
Imagen Foundation
Imagen Foundation
The Imagen Awards are administered by the Imagen Foundation, an organization dedicated to "encouraging and recognizing the positive portrayals of Latinos in the entertainment industry"....
- 2004, Best actress, SpanglishSpanglish (film)Spanglish is a 2004 American comedy-drama film written and directed by James L. Brooks, and starring Adam Sandler, Paz Vega, and Téa Leoni. It was released in the United States on December 17, 2004 by Columbia Pictures and by Gracie Films, and in other countries over the first several months of...
, WON
Phoenix Film Critics Society
Phoenix Film Critics Society
The Phoenix Film Critics Society is an organization of film reviewers from Phoenix-based publications.In December of each year, the PFCS meets to vote on their Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards for films released in the same calendar year.Categories of awards include:* Best Actor The Phoenix...
- 2004, Best breakthrough performance, SpanglishSpanglish (film)Spanglish is a 2004 American comedy-drama film written and directed by James L. Brooks, and starring Adam Sandler, Paz Vega, and Téa Leoni. It was released in the United States on December 17, 2004 by Columbia Pictures and by Gracie Films, and in other countries over the first several months of...
, WON
Círculo de Escritores Cinematográficos
- 2001, Best actress, Sólo mía, WON
Sant Jordi Awards
- 2001, Best Spanish Act, Lucía y el sexoLucía y el sexoSex and Lucia is an award winning 2001 Spanish drama film, written and directed by Julio Médem, and starring Paz Vega and Tristán Ulloa. As suggested by the title, there is a great deal of passionate sexual content surrounding the love story of Lucia and Lorenzo as the plot dissolves into a very...
and Sólo mía, WON
Ondas Award
Premios Ondas
The Premios Ondas have been given since 1954 by Radio Barcelona, a subsidiary of Cadena SER, in recognition of professionals in the fields of radio and television broadcasting, the cinema, and the music industry.Past winners have included R.E.M., U2, The Corrs, Eric Clapton, the Red Hot Chili...
- 2001, Best actress, Lucía y el sexoLucía y el sexoSex and Lucia is an award winning 2001 Spanish drama film, written and directed by Julio Médem, and starring Paz Vega and Tristán Ulloa. As suggested by the title, there is a great deal of passionate sexual content surrounding the love story of Lucia and Lorenzo as the plot dissolves into a very...
, WON