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Elsa Pataky
Occupation : Actress, Model
Birth Date : July 18, 1976
Birth Place : Madrid, Spain
Nationality : Spanish
Height : 5' 4''
Sex : F
Education : Universidad de San Pablo in Madrid (majored in journalism)
Teatro Cámara de Ángel Guitiérrez in Madrid (attended acting class)
Relationship : Adrien Brody (actor; born on April 14, 1973; met in spring 2006), Michaël Youn (actor; born on December 2, 1973; engaged 2004-2005)
Father : José Francisco (Spanish)
Mother : Cristina Pataky (of Hungarian and Romanian descent)
Claim to fame : Her impressive acting and multilingual range in the French film Iznogoud (2005) and her performance as Alejandra Ninette in the Spanish comedy Ninette (2005)
A stunning, green-eyed Spanish beauty, Elsa Pataky became an internationally renowned actress after starring in the films "Ninette" (2005) and "Iznogoud" (2005). One of the most prominent actresses in her native Spain, Pataky's exotic mix of Spanish and Romanian attributes landed her on the cover of multiple magazines, including the Spanish versions of GQ, Cosmopolitan, and Marie Claire. Beginning her career on the Spanish television series "Al Salir de Clase" (1997-99), Pataky went on to appear in the popular Spanish films "El Art de Morir" (2000) and "Menos es más" (2000). A multi-lingual actress, Pataky proved she had international appeal by appearing in films in the UK and France. In 2006, Pataky made her American film debut opposite Samuel L. Jackson in the highly anticipated "Snakes on a Plane."
Born July 18, 1976 in Madrid, Spain to a Spanish father and a Romanian mother, Pataky was raised in Madrid. Her father, José Francisco, worked as a chemist and her mother, Cristina Pataky, was a publicist. Pataky attended the Universidad de San Pablo in Madrid were she majored in journalism. Enrolling in acting classes on her own time, Pataky began to study the craft, pursuing her longtime dream of becoming an actress. Honing her talents, Pataky studied with both Ángel Gutiérrez and Paco Pino before joining the theatre company Teatro Cámara de Ángel Guitiérrez in Madrid. When cast in the Spanish television series "Al Salir de Clase" (1997-99), Pataky put aside her studies in order to pursue a full-time acting career. In 1998 she joined the cast of the series "Tio Willy" (1998-99) in a recurring role. Upon the success of "Clase," Pataky was offered a number of film roles; she made her feature film debut in the popular Spanish thriller "El Art de Morir" (2000), as well as starring in the films "Menos es más" (2000), "Tatawo" (2000), and "Noche de reyes" (2001).
Fluent in Spanish, French, English and Romanian, Pataky began to broaden her international appeal by taking on roles outside of the Spanish market. In her first English-language series, Pataky portrayed Vera Hidalgo on the syndicated adventure series "Queens of Swords" (2000-01) during its only season. She went on to appear in the horror films "Beyond re-Animator" (2003) and "Romasanta" (2004) opposite Julian Sands. Branching out into the French market, Pataky co-starred in the French comedy "Iznogoud" (2005), which proved to be a success at the box office. That same year, Pataky received rave reviews for her performance as Alejandra 'Ninette' in the Spanish comedy "Ninette" (2005). Helmed by award-winning director José Luis Garci, the film earned seven Goya Award nominations and earned Pataky a Fotogramas de Plata nomination for Best Actress.
Though Pataky was one of the biggest names in Spanish cinema, she remained relatively unknown in the U.S. Gaining a modicum of notoriety in 2006 for reportedly dating Oscar-winner Adrien Brody, Pataky officially (and unknowingly, at the time) crossed over into the mainstream American market by accepting a supporting role opposite Samuel L. Jackson in the much-hyped action flick "Snakes on a Plane" (2006). Though New Line Cinema refused to hold any test screenings of "Snakes," (a likely indicator that the film would receive poor reviews) internet buzz surrounding the film boosted people's interest to the point of pre-release mania. Taking advantage of her connection to such a high profile project, as well being a tabloid fixture for her relationship with Brody, in 2006, Pataky branched out into fashion, launching her own line of clothing under the label PTKY
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