María Isabel Verdú Rollán (; born 2 October 1970) is a Spanish actress. Some of her film credits include performances in '' Lovers'', ''

Belle Époque The Belle Époque or La Belle Époque (; French for "Beautiful Epoch") is a period of French and European history, usually considered to begin around 1871–1880 and to end with the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Occurring during the era ...

'', ''

Y tu mamá también Y, or y, is the twenty-fifth and penultimate letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. According to some authorities, it is the sixth (or sevent ...

'', ''

Pan's Labyrinth ''Pan's Labyrinth'' ( es, El laberinto del fauno, lit=The Labyrinth of the Faun, links=no) is a 2006 dark fantasy horror film written, directed and co-produced by Guillermo del Toro. A Spanish-Mexican(78% Spanish production, 22% Mexican productio ...

'', '' The Blind Sunflowers'' and ''

Snow White "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection '' Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as T ...

''.

Early life

Verdú was born in

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 ...

, Spain. She began acting at 13, appearing in various commercials. She left school at the age of 15, so that she could fully devote herself to her acting career. Verdú has appeared in more than 60 movies, since

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

, the majority of them in Spanish. She has also been in numerous TV shows.

Career

Her first work experience was as a model in ''spots'' and fashion magazines by known commercial firms. Her first television opportunity was given to her at the age of 13, featuring in the anthology series ', directed by

Vicente Aranda Vicente Aranda Ezquerra (; 9 November 1926 – 26 May 2015) was a Spanish film director, screenwriter and Film producer, producer. Due to his refined and personal style, he was one of the most renowned Spanish filmmakers. He started as a f ...

in the episode " Captain Sánchez's Crime". She made her feature film debut in ''El sueño de Tánger'' at age 14, starring alongside

Fabio Testi Fabio Testi (born 2 August 1941) is an Italian actor. After growing up witnessing film work done around Lake Garda, Testi entered the sets of the film and began work as a stuntman and a double on set, where he worked as a stuntman on ''The Good, ...

. Shot in 1985, the film underwent a

production hell Development hell, development purgatory, and development limbo are media and software industry jargon for a project, concept, or idea that remains in development for an especially long time, often moving between different crews, scripts, game engi ...

, and was not released until 1991. Her first appearance in a theatrical release was thus in the 1986 film ''El orden cómico''. '' 27 Hours'', by Montxo Armendáriz, about a girl who is a

drug addict Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use oft ...

, was one of the most powerful experiences in her life, up to that point. After this film, other more important films started coming her way, including ''

Hostages in the Barrio ''Hostages in the Barrio'' ( es, La estanquera de Vallecas, links=no) is a 1987 Spanish '' quinqui'' film directed by Eloy de la Iglesia, consisting of an adaptation of the stage play ''La estanquera de Vallecas'' by José Luis Alonso de Santos. ...

'' by

Eloy de la Iglesia Eloy de la Iglesia (1 January 1944 – 23 March 2006) was a Spanish screenwriter and film director. De la Iglesia was an outspoken gay socialist filmmaker who is relatively unknown outside Spain despite a prolific and successful career in his n ...

and ''

Year of Enlightment ''Year of Enlightment'' ( es, El año de las luces, and also released as ''The Year of the Awakening'') is a 1986 Spanish film directed by Fernando Trueba, starring Jorge Sanz and Maribel Verdú. The film is a coming of age story of a sixteen-year ...

'' (''El Año de las Luces'') by

Fernando Trueba Fernando Rodríguez Trueba (born 18 January 1955), known as Fernando Trueba, is a Spanish book editor, screenwriter, film director and producer. Between 1974 and 1979, he worked as a film critic for Spain's leading daily newspaper ''El País''. ...

. Later, Verdú said that her role in '' Lovers'' marked a turning point in her screen career and has brought about a maturity as a performer. Thereafter, she worked with such directors as José Luis Garci in '' Cradle Song'' (''Canción de cuna'');

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 pa ...

in ''

Golden Balls ''Golden Balls'' was a British daytime game show that was presented by Jasper Carrott. It was broadcast on the ITV network from 18 June 2007 to 18 December 2009. Gameplay Round 1 At the back of the studio is the "Golden Bank," a giant contra ...

'' (''Huevos de Oro''); again with Trueba in the Oscar-nominated ''

'';

Emilio Martínez-Lázaro Emilio Martínez-Lázaro Torre (born 1945) is a Spanish filmmaker known for directing box office hits such as '' The Other Side of the Bed'' (2002) and '' Spanish Affair'' (2014). Biography Emilio Martínez-Lázaro was born in Madrid in 1945. ...

in '' Carreteras Secundarias'';

Carlos Saura Carlos Saura Atarés (born 4 January 1932) is a Spanish film director, photographer and writer. Along with Luis Buñuel and Pedro Almodóvar, he is considered to be one of Spain’s most renowned filmmakers. He has a long and prolific career t ...

in ''

Goya in Bordeaux ''Goya en Burdeos'' (English: ''Goya in Bordeaux'') is a 1999 Spanish historical drama film written and directed by Carlos Saura about the life of Francisco de Goya, the influential 19th-century Spanish painter. Awards * 5 Goya Awards, includi ...

'' (''Goya en Burdeos''); and Gonzalo Suárez in '' El Portero'' and '' Oviedo Express''. On the international stage, her career hit a highpoint when she starred in ''

'' by

Alfonso Cuarón Alfonso Cuarón Orozco ( , ; born 28 November 1961) is a Mexican filmmaker. He is known for directing films in a variety of genres including the family drama ''A Little Princess'' (1995), the romantic drama ''Great Expectations'' (1998), the c ...

, followed by ''

'' by

Guillermo del Toro Guillermo del Toro Gómez (; born October 9, 1964) is a Mexican filmmaker, author, and actor. He directed the Academy Award–winning fantasy films ''Pan's Labyrinth'' (2006) and '' The Shape of Water'' (2017), winning the Academy Awards for ...

. Verdú was subsequently invited to be a part of the academy in Hollywood. In 2010, Maribel starred in a music video, named '' Lola Soledad'' (''Lola Loneliness''), by 16-time Latin Grammy Awards winner

Alejandro Sanz Alejandro Sánchez Pizarro, better known as Alejandro Sanz (; born 18 December 1968), is a Spanish musician, singer and composer. Sanz has won 22 Latin Grammy Awards and four Grammy Awards. He has received the Latin Grammy for Album of the Yea ...

. She made her theater debut in 1986, starring as the character of Julieta and has since then combined theater with cinema. She has also intertwined the two in television shows, such as '' Turno de Oficio'' and '' Segunda Enseñanza''. In March 2021, she was cast as Barry Allen/The Flash's mother Nora Allen on the upcoming DC film ''

The Flash The Flash (or simply Flash) is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date ...

'', due to be released on 4 November 2022.

Personal life

Verdú married Pedro Larrañaga on 2 September 1999. He is the son of actors Carlos Larrañaga and

María Luisa Merlo María Luisa Merlo Colomina (born 6 September 1941) is a Spanish film, theatre and television actress. Merlo, with more than 60 years of artistic career, has received the prestigious Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts from the Spanish Ministr ...

. Verdú is the stockholder of the clinic Premium in Estepona.

Filmography

Film

Television

Accolades

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Verdu, Maribel 1970 births Living people 20th-century Spanish actresses 21st-century Spanish actresses Actresses from Madrid Ariel Award winners Best Actress Goya Award winners Spanish child actresses Spanish film actresses Spanish television actresses