Leonor Varela
Leonor Varela | |
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![]() Varela in 2010 | |
Born | Leonor Magdalena Varela Palma December 29, 1972 Santiago, Chile |
Occupation | Actress, spokesperson, model |
Years active | 1995–present |
Spouse(s) | Lucas Akoskin (m. 2013) |
Children | 2 |
Leonor Magdalena Varela Palma (Spanish pronunciation: [leoˈnoɾ βaˈɾela]; born December 29, 1972) is a Chilean actress and model. She played the title role in the 1999 television film Cleopatra, and vampire princess Nyssa Damaskinos in the 2002 film Blade II.
Early life[]
Varela was born in Santiago, Chile, the daughter of Leonor Palma-Keller, a massage therapist, and biologist and cognitive neuroscientist Francisco Varela García.[1][2] She has a sister, Alejandra, and two brothers, Javier and Gabriel. Her mother is of French, Hungarian, and Syrian descent.[3] When Varela was a child, her family fled Chile after the 1973 military coup d'état.[4] In the early 1980s, her parents moved back to Chile while she remained in Paris where she studied acting at the Niels Arestrup School, L'École du Passage, and Conservatoire Supérieur de Paris.
Career[]
Varela's first acting job was in 1995, playing Anette in Pony Trek, a children's film. Filming was in Iceland and Leonor was riding horses for three months. Then, referred to a French filmmaker by her dentist, she played in (1997). Varela found her popularity on the rise at home when she was cast in the Chilean soap opera Tic Tac.
After appearing in a few more television productions in the late 1990s, Varela was cast in a small role in The Man in the Iron Mask. In 1999, she played the title character in the TV movie Cleopatra.
She had roles in The Tailor of Panama and Texas Rangers (both in 2001) shortly thereafter, then played vampire princess Nyssa in the 2002 blockbuster film Blade II. After that she appeared in Paraíso B and Pas Si Grave.
Varela also had a short recurring role in the Fox Television series Arrested Development as the original Marta. She was nominated for the Ariel Award in 2005 in the category of Best Actress for Innocent Voices (2004). She also had a non-recurring role in Stargate: Atlantis.[5]
She appeared in Americano and played journalist Jordana Garcia in the film Goal II: Living the Dream.
In 2012, she appeared as Marta Del Sol on the TNT television series Dallas.[6]
Personal life[]
Varela was engaged to Billy Zane, her co-star in the 1999 television film Cleopatra, from 1999 to 2001.[7]
She began dating producer Lucas Akoskin in 2011, and they married in April 2013. In November 2012, Varela and Akoskin welcomed their first child together, a son named Matteo.[8] Their daughter, Luna Mae, was born on February 25, 2015. Matteo was diagnosed with leukodystrophy (specifically an AGS) shortly after his birth. He died at the age of 5 on November 16, 2018.[9]
Varela, a vegetarian,[10] is a marine life activist who is concerned with the welfare of whales, working with groups such as Save The Whales Again.[11]
Filmography[]
Film[]
Year | Title | Role | Director |
---|---|---|---|
1997 | Le ciel est à nous | Vanessa | Graham Guit |
1997 | Bouge ! | La danseuse | Jérôme Cornuau |
1998 | The Man in the Iron Mask | Ballroom Beauty | Randall Wallace |
1999 | Les parasites | Fidelia | Philippe de Chauveron |
1999 | Les infortunes de la beauté | Annabella | John Lvoff |
2001 | The Tailor of Panama | Marta | John Boorman |
2001 | Texas Rangers | Perdita | Steve Miner |
2002 | Blade II | Nyssa Damaskinos | Guillermo del Toro |
2002 | Paraíso B | Gloria | Nicolás Acuña |
2003 | Pas si grave | Angela | Bernard Rapp |
2003 | Tais-toi ! | Katia / Sandra | Francis Veber |
2004 | Voces inocentes | Kella | Luis Mandoki |
2005 | Americano | Adela | Kevin Nolan |
2007 | Goal II: Living the Dream | Jordana Garcia | Jaume Collet-Serra |
2007 | Where God Left His Shoes | Angela Diaz | Salvatore Stabile |
2008 | Sleep Dealer | Luz Martinez | Alex Rivera |
2008 | Hell Ride | Nada | Larry Bishop |
2008 | Hindsight | Maria | Paul Holahan |
2008 | All Inclusive | Miranda | Rodrigo Ortúzar Lynch |
2009 | Balls Out: Gary the Tennis Coach | Norma Sanchez | Danny Leiner |
2009 | Wrong Turn at Tahoe | Anna | Franck Khalfoun |
2010 | Que pena tu vida | Alma Subercaseaux | Nicolás López |
2011 | Blind Alley | La Madre | Antonio Trashorras |
2013 | Odd Thomas | Odd's Mother | Stephen Sommers |
2010 | Deseo | Muchacha | Antonio Zavala Kugler |
2014 | A Fine Step | Liliana Bolivar | Jonathan Meyers |
2014 | Ride | Danielle | Helen Hunt |
2015 | Captive | Sgt. Carmen Sandoval | Jerry Jameson |
2015 | All I Wish | Bianca | Susan Walter |
2018 | Saving Flora | Isabella | Mark Drury Taylor |
2018 | Alpha | Shaman | Albert Hughes |
Television[]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1995 | Extrême limite | Marie | "Sacrifice" |
1995 | Pony Trek | Anette | TV film |
1996 | Sous le soleil | Jeanne | "Comportement modèle" |
1997 | Le juste | Pregnant Girl | "En transit vers l'espoir" |
1997 | Tic Tac | Pola Santa María | Main role |
1997 | Inca de Oro | Flor de I'nca | TV film |
1997 | 13th Rider | Anette | TV series |
1998 | Jeremiah | Judith | TV film |
1999 | Cleopatra | Cleopatra | TV miniseries |
2003 | Arrested Development | Marta Estrella | "Bringing Up Buster", "Key Decisions" |
2004 | Stargate Atlantis | Chaya Sar | "Sanctuary" |
2005 | E-Ring | Lt. Col. Cat Rodriguez | "Pilot" |
2006 | The Curse of King Tut's Tomb | Dr. Azelia Barakat | TV film |
2007 | Como Ama una Mujer | Sofia Marquez | TV miniseries |
2010 | Feroz | Laura Palma | Recurring role |
2010 | Monsterwolf | Maria | TV film |
2010-2011 | Human Target | Maria Gallego | "Salvage & Reclamation", "A Problem Like Maria" |
2012 | Dallas | Marta Del Sol | Recurring role |
2012 | Inland Empire | Poopy | TV film |
2013 | Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | Camilla Reyes | "0-8-4" |
2015 | Murder in Mexico: The Bruce Beresford-Redman Story | Monica | TV film |
2018 | Lethal Weapon | Sofia Vasquez | TV series |
References[]
- ^ "FilmReference". Film-Reference. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 18, 2013. Retrieved July 18, 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^ ""Te amo tal cual": Actriz Leonor Varela hace pública la dura enfermedad de su hijo". BioBioChile - La Red de Prensa Más Grande de Chile. September 17, 2013.
- ^ "Interview: Leonor Varela". San Antonio Current. December 10, 2010. Archived from the original on October 19, 2013. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
- ^ "Chaya Sar - The Stargate Omnipedia". gateworld.net.
- ^ "Leonor Varela tras confirmación de "Dallas": "Tuve que pelear este papel"". El Mercurio (in Spanish). El Mercurio SAP. July 12, 2011. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
- ^ "Billy Zane - Billy Zane Refers To Girlfriend As 'Wife'". Contactmusic.com. April 6, 2012. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
- ^ "Leonor Varela Welcomes Son Matteo". People. November 20, 2012. Archived from the original on November 27, 2012. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
- ^ 13, Tele. "Leonor Varela confirma la muerte de su hijo Matteo: Buen viaje principito de mi corazón". t13.cl (in Spanish). Retrieved November 27, 2018.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
- ^ [1] Archived October 11, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Leonor varela aboga por las ballenas". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2011.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Leonor Varela. |
- 1972 births
- Chilean television actresses
- Chilean female models
- Chilean film actresses
- Chilean people of Galician descent
- Chilean people of French descent
- Chilean people of Hungarian descent
- Chilean people of Syrian descent
- Chilean people of Uruguayan descent
- Living people
- People from Santiago
- Actresses from Santiago
- 20th-century Chilean actresses
- 21st-century Chilean actresses
- Naturalized citizens of the United States