100 grandes actrices españolas

Marta Etura was born on 28 October 1978 in Donostia-San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa, País Vasco, Spain. She is an actress and director, known for Offering to the Storm (2020), The Legacy of the Bones (2019) and The Invisible Guardian (2017).

Concha Velasco studied dancing and became an actress in a revue with Celia Gámez. In 1954 she made her film debut with roles in several minor films. At the end of the regime of dictator Francisco Franco she worked with director Pedro Olea, among others, in higher-quality films, such as Tormento (1974) and Pim, pam, pum... ¡fuego! (1975), which gave her a better reputation. One of her biggest successes was Teresa de Jesús (1984) in which she played Santa Teresa de Ávila.

Descendant of the conservative Spanish politician Antonio Maura, Carmen lead an art gallery and appeared in various roles in night- clubs. With Tigres de papel (1977) she had her first successful appearance on the movie screen and thereafter she worked at the theatre, the movies and in TV productions. Although she played dramatic roles, too, her most important genre has always been the comedy, e.g. Sal gorda (1984), Sé infiel y no mires con quién (1985) or Tata mía (1986). She has worked regularly with the Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, from the film Pepi, Luci, Bom and Other Girls Like Mom (1980) (taking in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988) for which she was awarded the European Film Award "Felix" as best actress) to, currently Volver (2006).

Amparo Rivelles was born on 11 February 1925 in Madrid, Spain. She was an actress, known for Fuenteovejuna (1947), La fe (1947) and Esquilache (1989). She died on 7 November 2013 in Madrid, Madrid, Spain.

At a young age she went to Barcelona where she studied theater in the "Instituto del Teatro" with Marta Grau. She debuted in theater in 1944 in Barcelona and in 1948 in the "Teatro Espanol de Madrid". She married a Mexican medical doctor, temporarily interrupting her career. In 1967 she came back to Spain and started working again.

Amparo Soler Leal was born on 23 August 1933 in Madrid, Madrid, Spain. She was an actress, known for La gran familia (1962), The Cuenca Crime (1980) and The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972). She was married to Alfredo Matas and Adolfo Marsillach. She died on 25 October 2013 in Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

Verónica Forqué was born on 1 December 1955 in Madrid, Madrid, Spain. She was an actress, known for What Have I Done to Deserve This? (1984), Kika (1993) and Eva y Adán, agencia matrimonial (1990). She was married to Manuel Iborra. She died on 13 December 2021 in Madrid, Madrid, Spain.

Verónica Echegui was born on 16 June 1983 in Madrid, Spain. She is an actress and director, known for Love You to Death (2025), Justicia artificial (2024) and Intimacy (2022).

Born on October 6, 1930 in Seville, popular Spanish entertainer Carmen Sevilla is better regarded as a dancer and singer than for her output of films, most of them, especially her later ones, seldom testing her abilities. Starting very young, she made her movie debut in grand style with the musical Jalisco Sings In Seville (1948) and participated in other popular films of the 1950s including Andalousie (1951), Love and Desire (1952) Imperial Violets (1952), The Beautiful One of Cadiz (1953), Don Juan (1956) and as a fiery, chest-heaving Kate in The Taming of the Shrew (1956). Her rare work in Hollywood included the role of Mary Magdalene in the epic film King of Kings (1962). She also played Octavia in Charlton Heston's version of Antony and Cleopatra (1972). She married Vicente Patuel in 1985, long after her 1968 divorce to composer and orchestra conductor Augusto Algueró, by whom she had a son, Augusto Jr. Patuel died in 2000. The recipient of many awards over the years, she became a steady presence in a stream of Spanish TV series in the 1990s after her film career ended in the late 1970s.

Spanish actress. Parents: Antonio Nile (guitar player) and Rosario del Río. She was born during an artistic tournee of her parents in Argentina. She lived in Málaga till she the age of 12. There she studied dance. When she was 12 years old, she debuted in the comedy theatre of Buenos Aires with the help of Pastora Imperio who calls her Petite Imperio. That was her artistic name during the next years, when she had a great success in several countries in southAmerica. In 1926 she came back to Spain and adopted the artistic name of Imperio Argentina, singing in the main theaters of the country. The film director Florián Rey discovered her in the Romea theater in Madrid and then she played La hermana San Sulpicio (1927).

Tina Sáinz was born on 26 February 1945 in Madrid, Spain. She is an actress and casting director, known for Estudio 1 (1965), Teatro breve (1966) and Novela (1963).

Maribel Verdú was born on October 2, 1970 in Madrid, Spain as María Isabel Verdú Rollán. She is an actress, known for Blancanieves (2012), Pan's Labyrinth (2006) and Y tu mamá también (2001). She is the older sister of twins Marina and Carlota and she has been married to Pedro Larrañaga since September 1999.

Blanca Portillo was born on 15 June 1963 in Madrid, Spain. She is an actress, known for Broken Embraces (2009), Volver (2006) and 7 vidas (1999).

Mónica Randall was born on 18 November 1942 in Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. She is an actress and director, known for Cristina Guzmán (1968), La escopeta nacional (1978) and Red Sun (1971).

Emma Penella was born on 2 March 1930 in Madrid, Spain. She was an actress, known for Fortunata y Jacinta (1970), The Executioner (1963) and Fedra, the Devil's Daughter (1956). She was married to Emiliano Piedra. She died on 27 August 2007 in Madrid, Spain.

María Luisa Ponte was born on 21 June 1918 in Medina de Rioseco, Valladolid, Castilla y León, Spain. She was an actress, known for The Executioner (1963), La colmena (1982) and Ensayo general para la muerte (1963). She was married to Luis López Rueda. She died on 2 May 1996 in Aranjuez, Madrid, Spain.

Julia Caba Alba was born on 31 July 1912 in Madrid, Spain. She was an actress, known for Maribel y la extraña familia (1960), La mies es mucha (1949) and Los ladrones somos gente honrada (1956). She was married to Manuel San Román. She died on 14 November 1988 in Madrid, Spain.

Julia Gutiérrez Caba was born on 20 October 1934 in Madrid, Spain. She is an actress, known for Nunca pasa nada (1963), Tiempo de amor (1964) and Los Serrano (2003). She was previously married to Manuel Collado.

María Isbert was born on 21 April 1917 in Madrid, Spain. She was an actress, known for Viridiana (1961), Un hombre de negocios (1945) and El C.I.D. (1990). She was married to Antonio Spitzer. She died on 25 April 2011 in Villarrobledo, Albacete, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain.

Aurora Redondo was born on 1 January 1900 in Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. She was an actress, known for Ninette y un señor de Murcia (1966), Anillos de oro (1983) and El último café (1970). She was married to Valeriano León García. She died on 10 July 1996 in Madrid, Spain.

Enriqueta Carballeira was born on 28 April 1944 in Madrid, Madrid, Spain. She is an actress, known for Tiempo de amor (1964), Aunt Tula (1964) and La frontera de Dios (1965). She was previously married to Javier Aguirre.

This Spanish actress started studying dancing. Her teacher encouraged her to participate in her first film Obsesión (1977). After that, she was chosen by the director Narciso Ibáñez Serrador to be one of the co-hostesses of the famous TV contest Un, dos, tres... responda otra vez (1972) becoming very well known all over Spain. Since 1975 she also made several films in France and Italy. In Spain, she had her first success with Girl with the Golden Panties (1980), directed by Vicente Aranda. She has won twice the Best Actress Award at the San Sebastial Film Festival for El Lute: Run for Your Life (1987) and for Nobody Will Speak of Us When We're Dead (1995). In 1991 she won the Silver Bear at Berlin Film Festival for her work in Lovers: A True Story (1991).

Pilar Bardem was born on 14 March 1939 in Seville, Seville, Andalucía, Spain. She was an actress, known for Live Flesh (1997), Nobody Will Speak of Us When We're Dead (1995) and María querida (2004). She was married to José Carlos Encinas Doussinague. She died on 17 July 2021 in Madrid, Spain.

Known outside her native country as the "Spanish enchantress," Penélope Cruz Sánchez was born in Madrid to Eduardo Cruz, a retailer, and Encarna Sánchez, a hairdresser. As a toddler, she was already a compulsive performer, re-enacting TV commercials for her family's amusement, but she decided to focus her energies on dance. After studying classical ballet for nine years at Spain's National Conservatory, she continued her training under a series of prominent dancers. At 15, however, she heeded her true calling when she bested more than 300 other girls at a talent agency audition. The resulting contract landed her several roles in Spanish TV shows and music videos, which in turn paved the way for a career on the big screen. Cruz made her movie debut in El laberinto griego (1993) (The Greek Labyrinth), then appeared briefly in the Timothy Dalton thriller Framed (1992). Her third film was the Oscar-winning Belle Epoque (1992), in which she played one of four sisters vying for the love of a handsome army deserter. The film also garnered several Goyas, the Spanish equivalent of the Academy Awards. Her resume continued to grow by three or four films each year, and soon Cruz was a leading lady of Spanish cinema. Live Flesh (1997) (Live Flesh) offered her the chance to work with renowned Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar (who would later be her ticket to international fame), and the same year she was the lead actress in the thriller/drama/mystery/sci-fi film Open Your Eyes (1997), a huge hit in Spain that earned eight Goyas (though none for Cruz). Her luck finally changed in 1998, when the movie-industry comedy The Girl of Your Dreams (1998) won her a Best Actress Goya. Cruz made a few more forays into English-language film, but her first big international hit was Almodóvar's All About My Mother (1999), in which she played an unchaste but well-meaning nun. As the film was showered with awards and accolades, Cruz suddenly found herself in demand on both sides of the Atlantic. Her next big project was Woman on Top (2000), an American comedy about a chef with bewitching culinary skills and a severe case of motion sickness. While in the US, she also signed up to star opposite Johnny Depp in the drug-trafficking drama Blow (2001) and opposite Matt Damon in Billy Bob Thornton's All the Pretty Horses (2000). Cruz says she's wary of being typecast as a beautiful young damsel, but it's hard to imagine disguising her wide-eyed charms and generous nature. Fortunately, with Cameron Crowe's Vanilla Sky (2001) (a remake of Open Your Eyes (1997)) and a John Madden collaboration looming in her future, Damsel Penelope isn't likely to disappear just yet.

She goes to South America with her family in 1939 after the Spanish Civil War. There she begins her artistic career and follows in Spain in the theater companies of Mary Carrillo, Guillermo Marín and Mercedes Prendes. She has been one of the best supporting actresses of the Spanish cinema.