Paz Vega Biography

Date of Birth: January 2, 1976

Birth name: Paz Campos Trigo

Born in Seville, Spain, Paz Vega is the daughter of a matador. She became interested in acting at the age of 16, after seeing a play called House of Bernarda Alba, but initially went to university to major in journalism. After two years, she dropped out to pursue an acting career and changed her surname to her grandmother's.

Paz was immediately successful. She became a regular on the TV series Más que amigos in 1997, then moved into film work and went on to win several awards for her starring role in Lucía y el sexo/Sex and Lucia (2002). She also received an Audience Award nomination at the European Film Awards for the title role in Carmen (2003).

Although Paz didn't speak English, she was hoping to work in Hollywood one day. Following a five-hour audition, she won a starring role in the big-budget American feature Spanglish (2004) opposite Adam Sandler and Téa Leoni. Although most of her lines were in Spanish, Paz had to learn to deliver them with a Mexican accent, as well as speak several lines in English. Determined to learn not only her lines but to be able to converse in English, she was able to be interviewed by American journalists by the time the film opened.

Paz lives in Madrid with her husband, Orson Salazar. In her spare time she enjoys swimming.

Filmography:

Un Ángel en la oscuridad (2005)
Spanglish (2004)
Di que sí (2004)
Carmen (2003)
Novo (2002)
El otro lado de la cama/The Other Side of the Bed (2002)
Hable con ella/Talk to Her (2002)
Sólo mía (2001)
Lucía y el sexo/Sex and Lucia (2002)
El Chico en la puerta (2000)
Zapping (1999)
Nadie conoce a nadie (1999)
Sobreviviré (1999)
Perdón, perdón (1998)