Catalina Sandino Moreno Biography

Date of Birth: April 19, 1981

Born in Bogota, Colombia, Catalina Sandino Moreno became interested in acting at an early age. When she was in high school, she enrolled at the Ruben Di Pietro Theatre Academy in her home town, and appeared in several productions there. Although she auditioned for several commercials, she never landed a job.

Moreno went on to study advertising at a Colombian college, but dropped out when at the age of 20 she was chosen from over 800 young actresses to star in Maria Full of Grace (2004), filmed in Ecuador and New York. She almost hadn't auditioned because of her lack of success with commercials, but after her mother and friend urged her to go for it, she decided to give professional acting one last shot. Moreno received an Oscar nomination for her work in the film, as well as a Silver Berlin Bear as Best Actress at the 2004 Berlin International Film Festival and a Best Actress award at the 2004 Seattle International Film Festival.

Using her earnings from the film, she relocated to New York City to study at The Lee Strasberg Institute. Soon after, she made her New York stage debut in the Frog & Peach Theatre Company's production of Shakespeare's King John. In 2005 she won a Special Award as International Star of the Year at the ShoWest Convention.

In the years following her win at ShoWest, Moreno has starred in numerous film projects, including Fast Food Nation (2006), Love in the Time of Cholera (2007), Che (2009), Roa (2013), and A Most Violent Year (2014). She also made a name for herself on television, appearing in shows like The Bridge, Red Band Society, Falling Skies, and The Affair.

Most recently, she appeared alongside Viola Davis in the drama Custody (2016), and Aaron Eckhart in the horror thriller Incarnate (2016). She also landed a recurring role on the CBS mystery series American Gothic.

Filmography:

Incarnate (2016)
Custody (2016)
A Most Violent Year (2014)
Swelter (2014)
At the Devil's Door (2014)
Medeas (2013)
A Stranger in Paradise (2013)
Roa (2013)
Magic Magic (2013)
For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristiada (2012)
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)
Che (2009)
Love in the Time of Cholera (2007)
The Heart of the Earth (2007)
The Hottest State (2006)
Fast Food Nation (2006)
Paris, je t'aime (2006) (segment 'Loin du 16eme')
Journey to the End of the Night (2006)
Maria Full of Grace (2004)