Top 15 Spanish Actresses

Top 15 Spanish Actresses

*Published by Joy in May 2020 and Updated by Vanessa in August 2022

Alcantara Bridge in Spain. By Dantla. Wikicommons. Mk

Spanish Cinema has become more popular over the past years and has brought forth  many masterpieces to the world of cinema. Although overshadowed by the Italian, French and German cinema, it has been able to establish itself over the course of time. Spanish Cinema is loved and respected in the film industry and here’s the list of top Spanish Actresses.

1.  Penelope Cruz

Penelope Cruz at the 2020 Goya Awards. By Pedro J Pacheco. Wikimedia Commons

She must be the most famous Spanish Actress in the world today, Penelope Cruz. Ever since her debut in the American film ‘The Hi-Lo Country’, her career just soared. With outstanding performances in the movies and an Academy Award under her belt, Cruz is definitely one of the greats of this generation.

Cruz was born in the town of Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain, to Encarna Sánchez, a hairdresser and personal manager, and Eduardo Cruz, a retailer and car mechanic. She has three siblings. She was raised as a Roman Catholic. Cruz grew up in Alcobendas, and spent long hours at her grandmother’s house.

2. Ana Fernandez

Anna Fernandez captured beautifully by Perromero . Wikimedia Commons

Ana Carlota Fernández García was born in Madrid on November 10, 1989. Also known as Ana Férnandez she is a Spanish actress. She currently plays Carlota in the Netflix series Las Chicas Del Cable.

Ana Fernandez has not appeared in very many movies so far in her career, but she has delivered impeccable performances in the few that she has. She has long been a darling for indie directors in Spain, featuring in some of the greatest Spanish Films. Fernandez is most famous for acting in Benito Zambrano’s Solas in 1999 and in the 2002’s masterpiece Talk to Her.

She began doing dramatic art when she was fourteen years old and embarked on her first role when she was only four years old in the miniseries El Joven Picasso, directed by Juan Antonio Bardem. Helena de Troya was her most famous appearance in the theatre. She started a degree in Advertising and Public Relations, but she didn’t complete it.

3. Belen Rueda

Belen Rueda at the 2020 Goya Awards by Pedro J Pacheco. Wikimedia Commons

María Belén Rueda García-Porrero, born 16 March 1965, is one of the best Spanish Actresses. Belen Rueda has played the lead in some of the best Spanish Films. She acted the main role in the Spanish Horror film ‘The Orphanage’ which is now considered a classic world-wide. Besides that, Rueda has been praised for her work in films such as Julia’s Eyes and The Sea Inside, for which she won a Goya Award.

4. Lola Duenas

Lona Duenas. Photo by Georges Biard. Wikimedia Commons

María Dolores Dueñas Navarro was born on 6 October 1971 and is better known as Lola Dueñas. She is a Spanish actress who has worked closely with the director Pedro Almodóvar. She is the daughter of Nicolás Dueñas and studied in the Teatro de La Abadía of Madrid.

Lola Duenas is to Pedro Almodovar what Uma Thurman is to Quentin Tarantino, his muse. Ever since the start of 2002, the pairing of Duenas and Almodovar has been remarkable and the former has been a gem for the latter. Duenas has featured in a number of films including Volver, The Sea Inside, Me Too, and Alleluia.

5. Ana De Armas

Ana de Armas. Photo by
Gage Skidmore. Wikimedia Commons

Technically, she’s a Cuban, but because she has lived over half of her life in Spain, and she got her breakthrough there, Ana De Armas makes it to the list. She is currently the Spanish actress making the biggest buzz, and Armas’  resume is impressive. She has starred alongside Hollywood elites such as Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Jonah Hill and Keanu Reeves. Her appearance in the 2017 masterpiece Blade Runner 2049 shows her star power and rank in the film industry.

6. Paz Vega

Paz Vega. By Milton Martínez. Wikimedia Commons

She moved to Los Angeles in 2008 in search of greener pastures, but Paz Vega’s filmography from her homeland remains extremely impressive. She has been bold with her career choices and with performances such as ‘Sex and Lucia’, Vega has proven to be more than just a sex symbol.

7. Maribel Verdu

Maribel at the 32nd Goya Awards. Photo by Carlos Delgado. Wikimedia Commons

Maribel Verdu has worked with some of the most incredible directors, in some of their best productions. Most famous for her roles in Alfonso Cuaron‘s ‘Y Tu Mama Tambien’ and Guillermo Del Toro‘s Pan Labyrinth, Verdu has a resume that outshines most. Apart from her popular roles, she has also delivered stunning performances in films like Snow White, Lovers and Belle Epoque.

8. Elena Anaya

Actress Elena Anaya at the MiamiFim Festival. Photo by The Miami Film Festival. Wikimedia Commons

If you are a Marvel fan, you’ll recognize her as ‘Doctor Poison’ from Wonder Woman. Elena Anaya’s career has been more than being ‘Doctor Poison’ though. Anaya initially for international attention in 2001 for her role in the sexually explicit drama Sex and Lucia. After playing supporting roles in international films such as Savage Grace and Cairo Time, Anaya’s career took off with films like Room in Rome, The Skin I Live In and Wonder Woman.

9. Aitana Sanchez Gijon

Aitana at the 2017 Goya Awards. By Ruben Ortega. Wikimedia Commons

Aitana Sanchez Gijon is one of the Spanish stars who successfully moved to Hollywood and established a successful career acting in Hollywood films. Gijon’s first big breakthrough was acting alongside Keanu Reeves in the 1995 film A Walk in the Clouds. Since then, she has been in a number of international films, including Boca a Boca, I’m Not Scared and The Machinist alongside Christian Bale.

10. Pilar Lopez De Ayala

Pilar Lopez De Ayala made her debut in 2000 in Besos Para Todos and was even nominated for the Goya Awards for Best New Actress. This made her a huge success and star. She starred in Juana La Loca the following year and sealed her destiny in Spanish Cinema. Ayala also won the Goya Awards for best actress for the film. She has since acted in well-received films such as SideWalls, The Strange Case of Angelica and Intruders alongside Clive Owen.

11. Clara Lago

Clara Lago by Pedro J Pacheco from Wikimedia Commons

Clara Lago Grau is a stage, screen, and television actress best known for her work in the film Eight Basque Surnames. She has received numerous honours, including a nomination for the Goya. She made her acting debut on the big screen as a 10-year-old girl in the film Terca Vida.

Both in films and television programs, her career is very long. The most notable television shows in her career are Compaeros, Los hombres de Paco, and Hospital Central. As for movies, The Hidden Face, I Want You, and of course “Eight Basque Surnames,” the highest-grossing Spanish film ever, as well as its follow-up, 8 Catalan Surnames, are also excellent choices.

12. Susana Abaitua

Susana Gómez Abaitua is a well-known actress who has been in a number of television shows, including Isabel and The Secret of Old Bridge, among others. The actress Susana Abaitua, who was born on October 5, 1990, in Vitoria (Basque Country), is an outlier when it comes to education.

Susana has worked on shows like “I know who you are” or “Tell me how it happened,” and she has wanderlust and a love of adventure. She is one of the world’s and Spain’s hottest actresses.

13. Macarena García

Macarena García by Ruben Ortega from Wikimedia Commons

Her charm, smile, and amazing talent are believed to go together with her natural beauty, making her the most beautiful actress in our country’s Spanish cinema at the moment. Her career has been fantastic ever since she won the Goya for best new actress in 2012 for Blancanieves.

She has acted in many hit films, including “The Call” and the most recent “Despite everything,” from Netflix, as well as popular television shows including “Central Hospital,” “The Internship,” and “The Ministry of Time.”

14. Andrea Duro

Andrea Duro by Carlos Delgado from Wikimedia Commons

One of the “Physics or Chemistry” actresses, who has remained one of Spain’s most attractive women, even gets better with age.

She has been a part of numerous programs and motion pictures in just over ten years, many of which have enjoyed significant box office and viewer success.

15. Blanca Suarez

Blanca Suárez by Flickr from Wikimedia Commons

Blanca Suarez is well-known for her parts in the popular television programs El Barco and El Internado, where she co-starred on a set with the recently departed actress Baró.

She was a candidate for the 2012 Goya Award for Best New Actress, however, she remained outside. She has received numerous accolades for her work in the shows she has starred in, though.