Leonor Watling

Born in Madrid to a Spanish father and a British mother, actress Leonor Watling has worked in Spanish, English, and French-language productions. She made her film debut in Pablo Llorca's fantasy drama Jardines Colgantes (Hanging Gardens, 1993). After a few roles on Spanish TV, she starred in Miguel Albaladejo's end-of-the-millennium comedy La Primera Noche de Mi Vida (The First Night of My Life, 1998), as the pregnant Palerma. She continued with lighthearted comedies for the racy feature A Mi Madre le Gustan las Mujeres (My Mother Likes Women, 2002), as a divorced mother who must come out to her daughters. She also ventured into historical costume dramas with starring roles in La Hora de los Valientes (The Time of the Brave, 1998) and Deseo (Desire, 2002). International audiences may recognize her most as the comatose ballet dancer, Alicia, in Pedro Almodóvar's critically acclaimed 2002 feature Hable con Ella (Talk to Her). The next year she appeared in Isabel Coixet's English-language drama My Life Without Me and in Patrick Alessandrin's French-language comedy Mauvais Esprit. Projects for 2004 include Pedro Almodóvar's La Mala Educacion and Sebastian Cordero's Crónicas.

~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide