Paz Vega: Biography

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Red-hot Spanish actress Paz Vega sizzled across the screen in "Sex and Lucia" and the passionate "Carmen" -- and now she's working her Sevillian magic in Hollywood.

Vega, the daughter of a bullfighter, was inspired to become an actress by a theatre visit when she was 15. She trained at the prestigious Centro Andaluz de Teatro and her big break came with the series "7 Vidas," a Spanish Friends-style sitcom. The show's domestic popularity saw her become one of the country's biggest television stars, and she was spotted by Mateo Gil, who gave her a leading role in his Spanish thriller, "Nadie conoce a nadie" ("Nobody knows anybody").

Vega then won the title role in Julio Medem's "Sex and Lucia," a graphic and sensual exploration of love and physical relationships. She had to leave "7 Vidas" to concentrate on the project, but the risk proved worth taking, as the film received international accolades and Vega won a Best Female Newcomer Goya (a Spanish Oscar) for her fearless performance. She was praised not only for her eye catching sensuality, but also for her portrayal of Lucia's emotional fragility and vulnerability. The same year, she was also nominated for a Best Actress for her role as a battered wife in "Solo Mia" ("Mine Alone").

Seville-born Vega returned to her hometown to film Vicente Aranda's "Carmen" (2003), where she smoldered as the legendary gypsy girl in the passionate tale of love, murder and betrayal. She made her Hollywood debut in the lukewarm romantic comedy, "Spanglish," opposite Adam Sandler, where her touching relationship with her onscreen daughter, played by Shelbie Bruce, lifted the film from its more pedestrian moments.

Vega has gone on to win more Hollywood roles, most notably as a grouchy supermarket clerk opposite Morgan Freeman in 2006's whimsical comedy, "10 Items or Less." Now based in Madrid, she is married and expecting her first child in 2007.

Select filmography:
2006 -- 10 Items Or Less
2006 -- Los Borgia
2004 -- Spanglish
2003 -- Carmen
2002 -- The Other Side of the Bed
2002 -- Talk To Her
2001 -- Solo Mia
2001 -- Sex and Lucia
1999 -- Nadie conoce a nadie

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