Spanish cinema is experiencing a “golden moment” which is why some people call our media industry the «Hollywood of Europe».
And not only due to the large number of shootings and productions that take place every year in our country: but also because of the many names associated with the 7th Art with a Spanish ID, including big international stars such as Antonio Banderas, Penélope Cruz or Javier Bardem.
So here we have prepared a ranking of the most famous Spanish actors nowadays.
Some of them are well-known artists with prestigious careers, although we have also added a list with names of great promises with a bright future in this industry.
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List of famous Spanish actors and actresses
Antonio Banderas
Antonio Banderas, born in Malaga, is one of the most famous Spanish actors internationally.
He has been living in Los Angeles for decades, where he is a successful performer, voice actor and music producer. He became very famous in Spain in the 1980s, where he starred in several movies directed by the acclaimed filmmaker Pedro Almodovar.
Later, the big hits in Hollywood rolled out: “Philadelphia”, “Interview with the Vampire”, “El mariachi 2”, “The House of the Spirits”, “Evita”, “The Mask of the Zorro” or “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” are some of the titles that are part of his list of successes.
Javier Bardem
Javier Bardem belongs to an important saga of Spanish actors and, since his youth, he focused his career on the acting world.
His first performances were on the small screen, through television series, but he soon had his debut in the movies.
Like Antonio Banderas, he has also worked with Pedro Almodóvar.
One of his most famous movies in Spain was “Out to Sea”, where he played a life of a quadriplegic. Shortly after, he entered the North American market and made appearances in sagas such as James Bond and Pirates of the Caribbean.
He has received several Oscar nominations and in 2007 he received the award for Best Supporting Actor from the American Academy of Motion Pictures for his role in “No Country for Old Men”, directed by the Coen brothers.
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Penélope Cruz
The great “triumvirate” of famous Spanish actors is completed by Penélope Cruz, one of the actresses with the greatest international projection in recent years.
She was the first Spanish nominee for the Oscar and Golden Globe Awards, and in 2008 she became the first Spanish actress to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for the film “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” by Woody Allen.
Throughout her career, she has worked with some of the best Spanish directors, including Fernando Trueba, Alejandro Amenábar and Pedro Almodóvar. In fact, her big step into Hollywood came after the release of “All About My Mother”, winner of Best Foreign Film at the Oscars.
Some of her most famous movies are “Belle Époque”, “La niña de tus ojos”, “Vanilla Sky”, “Blow”, “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”, “Loving Pablo” or “Murder on the Orient Express”.
Jordi Mollà
The Catalan Jordi Mollà is also one of Spain’s most famous and well-known actors.
Born in Hospitalet de Llobregat, his first success was with Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz in the film “Jamón, Jamón” (1992), with whom he also worked in the film “Blow”, starring Johnny Depp.
Some of his most recognized roles have been in “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”, where he played King Philip II, or “The Consul of Sodom”, where he played the writer Jaime Gil de Biedma. As a director and screenwriter, some of his best known international works are “The Alamo”, “Call of Duty: Black Ops II”, “Riddick” and “In the Heart of the Sea”.
Luis Tosar
Luis Tosar is one of the most famous personalities in Spanish cinema.
This Galician actor has starred in many blockbusters in the last decade and has been praised by critics, winning three Goya awards.
His great breakthrough came in 2003 when he won the award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film “Los lunes al sol”. A year later, he won the award for Best Leading Actor for “Te doy mis ojos”.
Some of his most impressive performances have been in several films, including “Celda 211”, “Mientras duermes”, “Musarañas”, “Cien años de perdón”, “Quien a hierro mata”, “Ventajas de viajar en tren”, “Adú”, “Maixabel”, “Way Down” and “Código emperador”. In television, his main roles stand out in series such as “Los favoritos de Midas” by Netflix and “Star Wars: Visions” by Disney +.
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Paz Vega
Sevillian actress Paz Vega started in Spanish cinema and television, but soon her career skyrocketed to become one of the actresses with the greatest international reputation.
Her work in the film “Lucia y el Sexo” won her the Goya Award for Best New Actress in 2002. Since then, she has been working in Spain and Hollywood, where she appeared in films such as “Spanglish” and “Grace of Monaco”.
She has also worked in Italy and France, as well as in numerous European co-productions.
Blanca Suárez
Blanca Suárez is a Spanish actress well known for her work in the series “El Internado” or “Las chicas del cable”. Also for her roles in cinema, highlighting her performance in the film “La piel que habito”, by Pedro Almodóvar, which won her a Goya Award.
She worked again with Pedro Almodóvar in the comedy “Los amantes pasajeros”.
She has also acted under the command of famous directors such as Imanol Uribe, José Luis Cuerda or Álex de la Iglesia, with whom she has filmed blockbusters such as “El Bar” or “El cuarto pasajero”.
She has also performed in the RTVE series “Carlos, Rey Emperador”, where she played the role of Queen Isabel of Portugal.
Other famous Spanish actors
- Eduard Fernández.
- Maribel Verdú.
- Lluís Homar.
- José Coronado.
- Clara Lago.
- Javier Cámara.
- Antonio de la Torre.
- Dani Rovira.
- Adriana Ugarte.
- Michelle Jenner.
- Inma Cuesta.
- Ester Expósito.
- Miguel Ángel Silvertre.
- Mario Casas.
- Aron Piper.
- Eduardo Rosa.
- Asier Etxeandia.
- Alfonso Bassave.
- Miguel Herrán.
- Carlos Cuevas.
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