Elena Anaya

Elena Anaya Wiki

Birth Place: Palencia, Palencia, Castilla y León, Spain
Birth Date: July 17, 1975
Occupation: Actress, Soundtrack, Miscellaneous Crew

Elena Anaya Biography

Beautiful and very talented Spanish actress Elena Anaya became one of the most outstanding actresses of her generation after impressing both the critics and the public with her performance in Sex and Lucia (2001).Elena Anaya was born on 17 July 1975 in Palencia, Spain. She is the youngest of three children. Her childhood was marked by the separation of her parents. During her youth, her hobbies included practicing karate at the Okinawa Gymnasium, scuba diving, mountain climbing, and attending the concerts of Mecano, which is one of her favorite bands.The actress never showed much interest in academics, that's why she decided to leave Cadiz School in 1996 to study at Real Escuela Superior de Arte Dramático (RESAD). When her representative, Katrina Bayonas, looked for a young woman to star in Alfonso Ungría's África (1996), Anaya went to Madrid for a casting call. There, she shared a floor with two French girls while juggling her studies and work as an actress. She passed the entrance exam at RESAD, but was expelled after director Fernando León de Aranoa called her to participate in the comedy, Familia (1996). It was a unique opportunity. Determined to hone her skills, Anaya continued her acting studies at Juan Carlos Corazza's School of Interpretation. At the same time, she appeared in Black Tears (1998), Finisterre, donde termina el mundo (1998), and Wiped-Out Footprints (1999).In 2000, Julio Medem cast her as a young seductress in the erotic drama, Sex and Lucia (2001). Her explosive mixture of innocence and provocation attracted the audience's attention. The film earned nine nominations at the Goya Awards, earning her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress. In the same year, she acted alongside Penélope Cruz and Victoria Abril in Don't Tempt Me (2001).In 2002, one of her dreams came true; she was cast for a small role in Pedro Almodóvar's Talk to Her (2002). Afterwards she continued to impress audiences with supporting roles in Miguel Albaladejo's Rancour (2002) and Walter Doehner's The Blue Room (2002).A year later Anaya's filmography continued to grow, thanks to her role in Dos tipos duros (2003), which led her to act alongside Gary Oldman in Dead Fish (2005). At that time, the producers of Van Helsing (2004) were impressed by Anaya's performance in Sex and Lucia (2001), so they contacted her representative. Anaya traveled to London to do a screen test, and was finally selected by Stephen Sommers for the role of Aleera, one of Count Dracula's brides. Although acting in Hollywood was not a priority, Anaya was enchanted to act alongside big stars like Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale.Her latest projects included Eduardo Carrillo's Stage Kiss (2006) and Agustín Díaz Yanes's Alatriste (2006), which is a film adaptation of Arturo Pérez-Reverte's novels.Her major aspirations are to continue working as an actress and enjoy the small things in life.

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