Paz Vega
Paz Vega is an actress who became internationally known as Lucía in the romantic drama Sex and Lucia (2001). She made her American big-screen debut as Flor Moreno in James L. Brooks’ Spanglish (2004).
Born as Paz Campos Trigo on January 2, 1976 in Seville, Spain, Vega took her grandmothers surname as her acting name. In English, Vega means “peace meadow.”
Her first performance was of La Casa de Bernarda Alba when she was 15. When she was 16, Vega left high school and was eventually accepted into the prestigious acting school, Centro Andaluz de Teatro. After two years of acting school and two years of studying journalism, she moved to Madrid to pursue professional acting. It was at this time that she changed her surname.
While auditioning for gigs, Vega supported herself by working in bars. She made her television debut in the Spanish TV series Menudo es mi padre. She followed this up with appearances in two other series in 1997, Mas que amigos and the teen drama Compañeros.
In 1999 she starred in her first movie, Zapping, as the sex-loving vixen who snagged another woman’s husband. The same year she landed a major part in filmmaker Mateo Gil’s movie Nadie conoce a nadie (Nobody Knows Anybody) before she returned to television acting.
In 2001, she acted in movie director Julio Medem’s provocative and steamy Lucia y el sexo (Sex and Lucia). The story was about an innocent girl who slowly discovers her sexuality and is told in graphic detail. Sex and Lucia became an international hit and won Paz a Goya, 's biggest movie award, for Best New Actress.
Vega’s successful performance in Sex and Lucia caught the attention of some of the biggest names in the film industry. In 2002 ’s most important director, Pedro Almodovar, gave her a part in his award-winning film Hable con ella (Talk to Her). Soon after that she landed a role in the musical romantic comedy El otro lado de la cama (The Other Side of the Bed, 2002).
Also in 2002 she married Venezuelan Orson Salazar whom she met while vacationing on a Spanish island.
In December 2004 Vega made her Hollywood debut, as a Mexican housekeeper, in the romantic comedy Spanglish starring Adam Sandler, Cloris Leachman and Tea Leoni. She received an “introducing” credit even though the movie was her 13th film.
She currently lives with her husband in Madrid, . The couple is expecting their first child in 2007. |
