The magnetism Elena Anaya exerts on any stage is immediate and intense.
It’s no surprise that shortly after beginning her acting studies, she was chosen by director Alfonso Ungría to star in “África”, alongside Imanol Arias—a role that would later lead her to appear in films such as “¿De Qué se Ríen las Mujeres?” (Dir. Joaquín Oristrell), “Lágrimas Negras” (Dir. Fernando Bauluz, Ricardo Franco), ‘Finisterre: Where the World Ends’ (Dir. Javier Villaverde) and “El Invierno de las Anjanas” (Dir. Pedro Telechea).
Wider recognition would begin to come her way with “Lucia y el Sexo” (Dir. Julio Medem), a film that earned her the Best Supporting Actress award from the Spanish Actors’ Union (2001), as well as a Goya Award nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category (2001).
She began to make a name for herself in the English-speaking world by appearing in productions such as “Van Helsing: Monster Hunter” (Dir. Stephen Sommers), alongside Hugh Jackman, and ‘Dead Fish’ (Dir. Charley Stadler), sharing the screen with Gary Oldman.
Returning to European cinema, she worked under the direction of figures such as Agustín Díaz Yanes in “Bendito Infierno” and “Alatriste”; and reunited with Julio Medem to star in “The Room in Rome”, which earned her a Goya Award nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role (2010); and in Pedro Almodóvar’s ‘Talk to Her’ and starring in “The Skin I Live In”, a particularly significant film for which she won the Goya Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role (2011) and the Fotogramas de Plata Award for Best Film Actress ( 2011).
Another project that helped her continue to build her international profile was the blockbuster “Wonder Woman” (Dir. Patty Jenkins), in which we saw her alongside Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, and Robin Wright, and, for her part, “The Infiltrator” (Dir. Brad Furman), in which she appears alongside actor Bryan Cranston.
Her extensive filmography includes Mexican projects such as “La Habitación Azul” (Dir. Walter Doehner) and “Todos Están Muertos” (Dir. Beatriz Sanchíz).
