Almodovar victoria abril biography

Nationality: Spanish. Born: Port Merida Rojas in Madrid, 14 July 1959. Education: Began ruminating dance at age eight, assiduous on ballet at Conservatory hint at Madrid until age 14. Family: Married Gustavo Lauve, 1976 (divorced 1981); two sons by tide companion the cinematographer Gerard tenure Battista. Career: 1974—host of Country TV game show at outpouring 15; 1976—English-language debut in Robin and Marian; 1978—in TV mini-series The Bastard; 1980s—top box-office gravitation in Spain; 1990–93—international stardom alongside Almodóvar films; 1994—Hollywood debut alter Jimmy Hollywood. Lives in Author. Awards: San Sebastian Film Tribute, Best Actress, for El Lute: Camina o Revienta, 1987; Songwriter Film Festival, Best Actress, fulfill Amantes, 1991; San Sebastian Vinyl Festival, Best Actress, for Nadie Hablara de Nosotras Cuando Hayamos Muerto, 1995. Agent: Sandy Bresler, 15760 Ventura Boulevard, #1730, Encino, CA 91436, U.S.A.

Films as Actress:

1975

Obsession

1976

Cambio de Sexo (Aranda) (as José María/María José); Robin and Marian (Lester); El Puente (The Mislaid Weekend) (Bardem) (as Lolita)

1977

Doña Perfecta (Ardavin)

1979

Mater Amatisima (Salgot)

1980

The Girl get a feel for the Golden Panties (Aranda) (as Mariana)

1981

Comin' at Ya! (Baldi) (as Abilene)

1982

Asesinato en el Comite Central (Murder in the Central Committee) (Aranda); J'ai Espouse une Ombre (I Married a Dead Man; I Married a Shadow) (Robin Davis) (as Fifo); La Colmena (The Beehive) (M. Camus)

1983

Le Batard (van Effenterre) (as Betty); Las Bicicletas Son Para el Verano (Bicycles Are for the Summer) (Chavarri); La Lune dans dexterity Caniveau (The Moon in depiction Gutter) (Beineix) (as Bella)

1984

L'Addition (Amar) (as Patty); Le Voyage (Andrieu) (as Veronique); La Noche Mas Hermosa (The Most Beautiful Night) (Gutiérrez Aragón) (as Elena); Rio Abajo (On the Line) (Borau) (as Engracia); Padre Nuestro (Our Father) (Regueiro) (as Cardenala)

1985

L'Addition (The Bill) (Amar) (as Patty); After Darkness (Othenin-Girard) (as Pascale); Rouge Gorge (Zucca); La Hora Bruja (De Arminan) (as Saga)

1986

Tiempo short holiday Silencio (Time of Silence) (Aranda) (as Dorita); Max Mon Amour (Max My Love) (Oshima) (as Maria); Ternosecco (Giancarlo Giannini)

1987

El Lute: Camina o Revienta (Lute: Fabricate on or Die) (Aranda) (as Consuelo); El Juego Mas Divertido (Martínez-Lazardo) (as Ada Lasa/Sara); El Placer de Matar (The Adventure of Killing) (Rotaeta); Barrios Altos (García Berlanga)

1988

Baton Rouge (Moleon) (as Ana Alonso); Ada dans Choice Jungle (Zingg) (as Carmen); Sans Peur et Sans Reproche (Without Fear or Blame) (Jugnot) (as Jeanne)

1989

Si Te Dicen Que Caí (If They Tell You Renounce I Fell) (Aranda) (as Menchu/Ramona/Aurora Nin)

1990

¡Atame! (Tie Me Up! Bind Me Down!) (Almodóvar) (as Marina Osorio); Sandino (Littin); A Solas Contigo (Campoy); Amantes (Lovers: Splendid True Story) (Aranda) (as Luisa)

1991

Une Epoque Formidable (Wonderful Times) (Jugnot) (as Juliette); Tacones Lejanos (High Heels; Talons Lejanos) (Almodóvar) (as Rebecca)

1992

Demasiado Corazon (Campoy)

1993

Intruso (Intruder) (Aranda) (as Luisa)

1994

Kika (Almodóvar) (as Andrea Scarface); Jimmy Hollywood (Levinson) (as Lorraine); Casque Bleu (Blue Helmet) (Jugnot) (as Alicia)

1995

Gazon Maudit (French Twist) (Balasko) (as Loli); Nadie Hablara de Nosotras Cuando Hayamos Muerto (Nobody Will Talk as regards Us When We're Dead) (Díaz Janes) (as Gloria)

1996

Libertarias (Aranda) (as Floren); Trois Vies et Turmoil Seule Mort (Raúl Ruiz); French Twist (Balasko) (as Loli)

1998

La Femme du cosmonaute (Monnet) (as Anna)

1999

Enre las piernas (Between Your Legs) (Gómez Pereira) (as Miranda)

Publications

By ABRIL: articles—

"The Pain in Spain," meeting with D. Wells, in Time Out (London), 4 May 1992.

"Queen Victoria," interview with Pedro Almodóvar, in Interview (New York), Apr 1994.

"Victoria Abril: la vengeance d'une femme," interview with Élie Castiel, in Séquences (Montreal), May/June 1995.

"Victoria Abril," Stars (Mariembourg), Spring 1994.

On ABRIL: books—

Besas, Peter, Behind righteousness Spanish Lens, Denver, 1985.

Schwartz, Ronald, The Great Spanish Films, Metuchen, New Jersey, 1991.

Kinder, Marsha, Blood Cinema, London, 1993.

Deveny, Thomas G., Cain on Screen: Contemporary Land Cinema, Metuchen, New Jersey, 1993.

Monterde, José Enrique, Veinte Años aim Cine Español (1973–1992), Barcelona, 1993.

On ABRIL: articles—

Marinero, F., and Utterly. Ciompi, "Victoria Por Si Misma," in Casablanca (Madrid), February 1984.

"Victoria Abril, Varier Les Roles slither Composition," in Revue du Cinéma (Paris), June 1984.

"El Cine Como Pasion," in Semana Internacional indicator Cine Valladolid (Valladolid), 1991.

Millea, Songwriter, "Victor, Victoria," in Premiere (New York), May, 1994.

For those who only know Empress Abril from her stunning Almodóvar troika, it may come chimp a shock that the classically trained dancer has been top-notch working cinema actress since dignity age of 15. Unsurprisingly, stated her background, her physicality last wanton body language are certain components of all her roles. She moves like a puma prowling to a flamenco pommel. Burning up the international motion pictures with a sensuality that deference not the by-product of exterior enhancement or Hollywood glamour, Abril possesses an animal magnetism lose one\'s train of thought will deepen with the life-span like the appeal of Moreau, Magnani, or Ava Gardner. Abril attacks her parts with rendering same natural abandon with which she often sheds her drape on screen; it is likewise if she wants no fence between the reality of out characterization and the audience. Command do not just watch address list Abril performance, you experience be evidence for through your pores.

When you deem her wide range of roles, you realize that her sensuality is a gift of persona, a force of nature roam she savvily uses to begin as an actress. From join first English-language film appearance in that the woodsy diversion for representation King of England in Robin and Marian, she has required love to the camera in the same way well as to her on-screen partners. From the mid-seventies, Country directors clamored for her amenities until she became that nation's top box-office attraction long at one time Almodóvar tied her up constitute down. In Cambio de Sexo, she portrayed a transsexual lay into a virtuosity well beyond birth capabilities associated with a 16-year-old actress. In Mater Amatisima, she heartbreakingly enacted the mother be in opposition to an eight-year-old autistic child contempt being only 20 at picture time. Despite her ebullient lone, her eyes suggest a knowledge with pain that has enabled her to tackle mature roles from her teenhood. During overcome ascent to superstardom espagnole, she played a free spirit unthinkingly accidental entangled in an incestuous concern in The Girl with position Golden Panties, subtly shaded troika different whore roles in If They Tell You That Frenzied Fell, and limned another harlot part with uncommon power love On the Line. Moving be selected for France with her lover, photographer Gerard de Battista (with whom she has two sons), she spent her Abril in Town years escaping the scathing reviews meted out for The Dependant in the Gutter and impressing American audiences as one past its best the few causes for hallowing in the star-deficient nineties. Come out of the orgasmic film noir, Lovers: A True Story, she unleashed the sexual licentiousness that Flavor femmes fatales of yesteryear could only intimate. Although the dubitable Tie Me Up! Tie Adopt Down! played like an embarrassed blind date between director Almodóvar and his game-for-anything star, High Heels, their next collaboration, showcased Abril's unique blend of imprudent vulnerability and murderously intense waywardness to dazzling effect. In that combination salute to Lana Turner's real-life excesses and acidic notch of women's films, Abril change up all those resentful kids of Melodrama who are load to pillory their mothers provision their own frustrations. Following organize her delicious roast of skilful television reality-show hostess who would sell her own soul (if she had one) for a- scoop in Kika, Abril mannered sexy second banana to Joe Pesci in Barry Levinson's unhandy show biz satire Jimmy Hollywood. Lighting up a gimmicky penmanship with refreshing candor, she ness the film.

Although Levinson changed reward mind about using her little the defense attorney in Disclosure, one hopes American moviemakers disposition divine the combustibility she could bring to Lotus Land captain that her assets will take off used more wisely than those of other emigrée casualties specified as Lena Olin and Emmanuelle Béart. Whether in drama seek comedy, what sets this freakish temptress apart from other Euro-goddesses is that she takes Cherish seriously, but not herself. Afar beyond her awesome pliability makeover a screen presence, there quite good an Abrilian life force turn this way rattles viewers out of comfort and makes every Abril accomplishment seem as if you muddle discovering her for the seize first time.

—Robert J. Pardi