Aitana Sánchez-Gijón de Angelis (born 5 November 1968) is a Spanish-Italian film actress.

Biography

She was born in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

on 5 November 1968, to a Spanish father , a history lecturer exiled from Francoism, and an Italian mother, Fiorella de Angelis, a lecturer. She was named after Aitana Alberti,

Rafael Alberti Rafael Alberti Merello (16 December 1902 – 28 October 1999) was a Spanish poet, a member of the Generation of '27. He is considered one of the greatest literary figures of the so-called ''Silver Age'' of Spanish Literature, and he won numerou ...

's daughter. The latter dedicated Aitana Sánchez-Gijón some verses upon her birth. She and her parents moved to

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

when she was 1 year old. She made her television debut as an actress at age 16 in the high school series '' Segunda enseñanza'', playing Sisi, a lesbian teenager. Her breakthrough role as Elena in the 1989 film ''

Bajarse al moro ''Going South Shopping'' ( es, Bajarse al moro, links=no) is a 1989 Spanish comedy film directed by Fernando Colomo based on the play ''Bajarse al moro'' José Luis Alonso de Santos. It Verónica Forqué alongside Antonio Banderas, Juan Echano ...

'' launched her career. Best known for her career in

Spanish cinema Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

, Sánchez-Gijón first became known internationally for her portrayal of Victoria Aragon, a pregnant and abandoned

Mexican-American Mexican Americans ( es, mexicano-estadounidenses, , or ) are Americans of full or partial Mexican heritage. In 2019, Mexican Americans comprised 11.3% of the US population and 61.5% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexica ...

winegrower's daughter who is helped by travelling salesman Paul Sutton (

Keanu Reeves Keanu Charles Reeves ( ; born September 2, 1964) is a Canadian actor. Born in Beirut and raised in Toronto, Reeves began acting in theatre productions and in television films before making his feature film debut in '' Youngblood'' (1986). ...

) in '' A Walk in the Clouds'' (1995) She has since built a reputation as an international star in films such as

Manuel Gomez Pereira Manuel may refer to: People * Manuel (name) * Manuel (Fawlty Towers), a fictional character from the sitcom ''Fawlty Towers'' * Charlie Manuel, manager of the Philadelphia Phillies * Manuel I Komnenos, emperor of the Byzantine Empire * M ...

's ''

Boca a Boca ''Mouth to Mouth'' ( es, Boca a boca, links=no) is a 1995 Spanish sex comedy film directed by Manuel Gómez Pereira. The cast, led by Javier Bardem, also features Aitana Sánchez-Gijón and Josep Maria Flotats. Plot The aspiring actor Víctor ...

'' (1996),

Bigas Luna José Juan Bigas Luna (19 March 1946 – 5 April 2013) was a Spanish film director, designer and artist. His films are typically characterised by a strong emphasis on the erotic, often related to food, something for which he admitted a strong ...

's ''

The Chambermaid on the Titanic ''The Chambermaid on the Titanic'' ( es, La camarera del Titanic, french: La Femme de chambre du Titanic, it, L'immagine del desiderio) is a 1997 French-Italian-Spanish drama film directed by Bigas Luna, starring Oliver Martinez, Romane Bohringe ...

'' (1997),

Jaime Chávarri Jaime Chávarri (born 20 March 1943) is a Spanish film director and screenwriter, best known for his films '' El desencanto'' and '' Las bicicletas son para el verano''. Life and career Chávarri comes from a prominent family. His mother Ma ...

's ''Sus Ojos Se Cerraron'' (1998),

Gabriele Salvatores Gabriele Salvatores (born 30 July 1950) is an Italian Academy Award-winning film director and screenwriter. Biography Born in Naples, Salvatores debuted as a theatre director in 1972, founding in Milan the Teatro dell'Elfo, for which he directe ...

' adaptation of the

Niccolò Ammaniti Niccolò Ammaniti () is an Italian writer, winner of the Premio Strega in 2007 for '' As God Commands'' (also published under the title ''The Crossroads''). He became noted in 2001 with the publication of ''I'm Not Scared'' (''Io non ho paura'') ...

novel ''

I'm Not Scared ''I'm Not Scared'' ( it, Io non ho paura, ''I Am Not Afraid'') is a 2003 Italian crime mystery thriller film directed by Gabriele Salvatores. Francesa Marciano and Niccolò Ammaniti wrote the script, basing it on Niccolò Ammaniti's successful ...

'' (2003) and Brad Anderson's ''

The Machinist ''The Machinist'' is a 2004 psychological thriller film directed by Brad Anderson and written by Scott Kosar. It stars Christian Bale as the title character, a machinist struggling with guilt, paranoia, and delusion after being unable to sleep ...

'' (2004). She served as the president of the

Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Spain The Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Spain ( es, Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas de España, links=no) is a professional organisation dedicated to the promotion and development of Spanish cinema. Founded in 198 ...

between 1998 and 2000.

Filmography

;Film ;Television

Accolades

References

;Informational notes ;Citations

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sanchez-Gijon, Aitana 1968 births Living people 20th-century Spanish actresses Spanish film actresses Italian emigrants to Spain Actresses from Rome 21st-century Spanish actresses Spanish stage actresses Spanish television actresses