Maribel Verdu
Maribel Verdu is a beautiful actress who has starred in over 50 movies since 1984. Some of her best work is in Y tu Mama Tambien, Pan's Labyrinth and Teatro. Born in 1970, she began her acting career at the young age of 13 and has shown no signs of slowing down since. Her talents had been noticed internationally and she had been invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture and Sciences, which is a group of over 6,000 members who use their expert skills and talents to judge who will be nominated for Oscar awards as well as help out in several projects over the course of the year. She has won several awards and prizes including the Goya award in 2008 for her part in the Seven Billiard Tables.
Career
She began as a model in various spots and well known fashion catalogues before she got into acting at the age of 13. It was then that she appeared in the television program, El crimen del capitán Sánchez. With the success of this part, Verdu gave up her education at the age of 15 in order to follow her acting career. Her first breakthrough came with the film 27 horas, directed by Montxo Armendáriz. In this film, Maribel Verdu played the part of a drug-addict which left a lasting impression on her, but also helped to get her noticed in the world of cinema. Soon after, she was performing in films like La estanquera de Vallecas and El año de las luces.
According to Verdu herself, her role in Amantes marked a turning point in her film career, and was the point of maturity in terms of being an actress. From here on, she has worked with some of the best Spanish directors including Fernando Trueba, Carlos Saura and José Luis Garci, among many others.
She also began gaining fame on the international scene with her main role in the film Y tu mamá también, directed by Alfonso Cuarón, which was then followed by Pan's Labyrinth, directed by Guillermo del Toro. Thanks to this film in particular, Maribel Verdu was invited to form part of the Hollywood Academy.
Aside from her career in cinema and television, Verdu has also worked in theatre. Her debut on the stage came in 1986 when she played the part of Juliet from Romeo and Juliet. Since then she has split her time between the theatre and the big screen. Her latest performance was in October of 2008, when she began appearing in Un dios salvaje by Yasmina Reza alongside Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Pere Ponce and Antonio Molero; this theatrical work was met with success with both the public and the critics.
In terms of her recognition as an actress, Maribel Verdu has received a number of prizes so far. She has been nominated for a Goya award on seven different occasions, finally winning one for Best Actress in 2007 for her role in Seven Billiard Tables. Aside from the Goya, she has also won two Ondas prizes and two Fotogramas de Plata for Best Actress in the television series Canguros. Verdu has also been named as the Best Actress by the circle of cinematic Spanish writers in 1998 for La buena estrella and in 2008 for Seven Billiard Tables. Furthermore, she is the only Spanish actress (so far) to have won the Ariel prize for Best Actress in Mexico, which she won for her role in Pan's Labyrinth.
Personal Life
Maribel Verdu married her husband Pedro Larrañaga in 1999, becoming part of a family full of actors and actresses. Her parents-in-law are the actors Carlos Larrañaga and María Luisa Merlo, and her siblings-in-law are the actors Luis Merlo, Amparo Larrañaga and Kako Larrañaga. The couple hasn't had any children because, according to Maribel, she has never had that maternal instinct and hopes that people can respect her decision not to have children. She has confessed in the past that she is a big fan of the director Vicente Aranda in Spain, and on the international scene, she really likes the work of Sydney Pollack.
Maribel's Memorable work
- Teatro
- Pan's Labyrinth
- Seven Billiard Tables
- Y Tu Mama Tambien