Victoria Abril

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Mérida and the second or maternal family name is Rojas.

Victoria Mérida Rojas (born 4 July 1959), better known as Victoria Abril, is a Spanish film actress and singer based in France. She is possibly best known to international audiences for her performance in the film Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! by director Pedro Almodóvar.

Victoria Abril
Abril at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival
Born	Victoria Mérida Rojas (1959-07-04) 4 July 1959 (age 66) Malaga, Spain
Occupations	Actress and singer
Years active	1974–present
Spouses	Pierre Edelman Gustavo Laube
Partner	Gérard de Battista
Awards	Silver Bear for Best Actress 1991 Amantes Goya Award for Best Actress 1995 Nobody Will Speak of Us When We're Dead

Life and career

Born in Malaga, Abril became widely known in Spain in 1976 when she appeared in the show Un, dos, tres... responda otra vez for two years. In addition to working in Spain, she has made films in France, Italy, and Iceland. She has been nominated eight times for Goya Awards in the Lead Actress category and has won once. She also won the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the 41st Berlin International Film Festival for her role in Amantes.^[1] Two years later, she was awarded with the Berlinale Camera at the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival.^[2]

Victoria Abril performing on stage in 2006.

Abril is also a singer. In 2005, she made her debut with a bossanova-jazz album called PutchEros do Brasil. She also tried to represent Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest 1979 with "Bang-Bang-Bang", but Betty Missiego was chosen instead.

Personal life

On 28 July 1977, Abril married Gustavo Laube, former footballer of the Chile national football team. The couple separated in early 1982.

Abril has two sons with the French director Gérard de Battista. She lives in France, where she has resided since 1982.^[3]

Filmography

Victoria Abril at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival.

Year	Title	Role	Director	Notes
1974	Los libros		Ramón Gómez Redondo	TV series (1 Episode)
1976	Robin and Marian	Queen Isabella	Richard Lester
	Storia di arcieri, pugni e occhi neri	Anne Birdsley	Tonino Ricci
1977	Change of Sex	José María	Vicente Aranda
	Foul Play	Lolita	Juan Antonio Bardem
	Esposa y amante	Marisa	Angelino Fons
	Doña Perfecta	Rosario	César Fernández Ardavín
	Caperucita y Roja	Caperucita	Aitor Goirocelaya & Luis Revenga
	Obsesión	Angelines	Francisco Lara Polop
1978	El hombre que supo amar	Amelia	Miguel Picazo
1979	La barraca	Roseta	León Klimovsky	TV series (9 Episodes)
1980	Girl with the Golden Panties	Mariana	Vicente Aranda (2)
	Mieux vaut être riche et bien portant que fauché et mal foutu	Mercedes	Max Pécas
	Mater amatísima	Clara	José Antonio Salgot
	Le cœur à l'envers	The hostess	Franck Apprederis
1981	Comin' at Ya!	Abilene	Ferdinando Baldi
	La batalla del porro	Violeta	Joan Minguell
1982	Murder in the Central Committee	Carmela	Vicente Aranda (3)
	La colmena	Julita	Mario Camus
	La guérilléra	Bárbara Périsson	Pierre Kast
	La casa del paraíso	Victoria	Santiago San Miguel
	Entre paréntesis	Abilene	Simó Fàbregas & Gustavo Montiel Pagés
	Estudio 1	Elena	Miguel Lluch	TV series (1 Episode)
1983	Moon in the Gutter	Bella	Jean-Jacques Beineix	Nominated – César Award for Best Supporting Actress
	No Trace of Sin	María da Luz / Lucilia	José Fonseca e Costa
	J'ai épousé une ombre	Fifo	Robin Davis
	Le bâtard	Betty	Bertrand Van Effenterre
1984	Bicycles Are for the Summer	Manolita	Jaime Chávarri
	La noche más hermosa	Elena	Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón	Sant Jordi Awards – Best Spanish Actress
	On the Line	Engracia	José Luis Borau
	L'addition	Patty	Denis Amar	Fotogramas de Plata – Best Movie Actress Nominated – César Award for Best Supporting Actress
	Le voyage	Véronique	Michel Andrieu
	Sous le signe du poisson	Antoinette	Pierre Zucca	TV movie
1985	Padre nuestro	Cardenala	Francisco Regueiro	ADIRCAE Award – Best Performer
	The Witching Hour	Saga	Jaime de Armiñán
	After Darkness	Pascale	Dominique Othenin-Girard & Sergio Guerraz
	Rouge-gorge	Marguerite	Pierre Zucca (2)
	Los pazos de Ulloa	Nucha / Manolita	Gonzalo Suárez	TV Mini-Series Nominated – Fotogramas de Plata – Best TV Performer
	La huella del crimen	María Luisa Noguerol	Vicente Aranda (4)	TV series (1 Episode: "Captain Sánchez's Crime")
1986	Tiempo de Silencio	Dorita	Vicente Aranda (5)	Nominated – Goya Award for Best Actress Nominated – Fotogramas de Plata – Best Movie Actress
	Max mon amour	Maria	Nagisa Oshima
	Nuit d'ivresse	Jugnot's wife	Bernard Nauer
1987	El Lute: Run for Your Life	Chelo	Vicente Aranda (6)	San Sebastián International Film Festival – Best Actress TP de Oro – Best Actress ADIRCAE Award – Best Performance Nominated – Goya Award for Best Actress
	Law of Desire	Girl with Juan	Pedro Almodóvar
	Ternosecco	Brigida	Giancarlo Giannini
	Uptown	Verónica	José Luis García Berlanga	Fotogramas de Plata – Best Movie Actress
1988	Without Fear or Blame	Jeanne	Gérard Jugnot
	El juego más divertido	Ada / Sara	Emilio Martínez-Lázaro	Nominated – Fotogramas de Plata – Best Movie Actress
	Baton Rouge	Ana Alonso	Rafael Monleón	Nominated – Goya Award for Best Actress
	El placer de matar	The Merche	Félix Rotaeta
	Ada dans la jungle	Carmen	Gérard Zingg
1989	If They Tell You I Fell	Ramona	Vicente Aranda (7)	Fotogramas de Plata – Best Movie Actress Cinematografia de la Generalitat de Catalunya – Best Actress Nominated – Goya Award for Best Actress
	Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!	Marina Osorio	Pedro Almodóvar (2)	Nominated – Goya Award for Best Actress Nominated – Fotogramas de Plata – Best Movie Actress
1990	Sandino (es)	Blanca Arauz	Miguel Littín	Nominated – Fotogramas de Plata – Best Movie Actress
	A solas contigo	Gloria	Eduardo Campoy
	Riders of the Dawn	Marian	Vicente Aranda (8)	TV Mini-Series Festival de Programmes Audiovisuels – Golden FIPA Nominated – TP de Oro – Best Actress
	La mujer de tu vida	Bel	Emilio Martínez-Lázaro (2)	TV series (1 Episode)
1991	Lovers	Luisa	Vicente Aranda (9)	Berlin Film Festival Award for Best Actress ADIRCAE Award – Best Actress Turia Award – Best Actress Nominated – Goya Award for Best Actress
	High Heels	Rebeca Giner	Pedro Almodóvar (3)	Nominated – Fotogramas de Plata – Best Movie Actress
	Une époque formidable...	Juliette	Gérard Jugnot (2)
1992	Demasiado corazón (Too Much Heart)	Ana & Clara Duque	Eduardo Campoy (2)
1993	Kika	Andrea Caracortada	Pedro Almodóvar (4)	Association of Latin Entertainment Critics – Best Actress
	Intruder	Luisa	Vicente Aranda (10)	Nominated – Fotogramas de Plata – Best Movie Actress
1994	Jimmy Hollywood	Lorraine de la Peña	Barry Levinson
	Casque bleu	Alicia	Gérard Jugnot (3)
1995	Nobody Will Speak of Us When We're Dead	Gloria Duque	Agustín Díaz Yanes	Goya Award for Best Actress Ondas Award for Best Actress San Sebastián International Film Festival – Best Actress Spanish Actors Union – Film : Lead Performance Nominated – Fotogramas de Plata – Best Movie Actress
	French Twist	Loli	Josiane Balasko
1996	Libertarias	Floren	Vicente Aranda (11)
1997	La femme du cosmonaute	Anna	Jacques Monnet
1999	Between Your Legs	Miranda	Manuel Gómez Pereira
	Mon père, ma mère, mes frères et mes sœurs	Anne	Charlotte de Turckheim
2000	101 Reykjavík	Lola Milagros	Baltasar Kormákur	Nominated – Edda Award for Best Leading Actor or Actress
2001	Don't Tempt Me	Lola Nevado	Agustín Díaz Yanes (2)	Nominated – European Film Award for Best European Actress Nominated – Goya Award for Best Actress Nominated – Fotogramas de Plata – Best Movie Actress Nominated – Spanish Actors Union – Film : Lead Performance
	Our Tropical Island	Sabina	Marcello Cesena
2002	Et après?	Laura	Mohamed Ismail
2003	Kaena: The Prophecy	The Queen	Chris Delaporte & Pascal Pinon
2004	The 7th Day	Luciana	Carlos Saura	Nominated – Goya Award for Best Supporting Actress Spanish Actors Union – Performance in a Minor Role, Female
	Cause toujours !	Jacinthe	Jeanne Labrune
	Incautos	Pilar	Miguel Bardem	Fantasporto – Best Actress
	Escuela de seducción	Sandra Vega	Javier Balaguer
2005	Les gens honnêtes vivent en France	Aurore Langlois	Bob Decout
	Carne de neón	Pura	Paco Cabezas	Short
2006	Tirant lo Blanc	Ines	Vicente Aranda (12)
	Les aristos	Pilar de Malaga	Charlotte de Turckheim (2)
	Summer Rain	The teacher	Antonio Banderas
2008	48 heures par jour	Anna	Catherine Castel
	Just Walking	Gloria Duque	Agustín Díaz Yanes (3)
	A Day at the Museum	Clara	Jean-Michel Ribes
	Leur morale... et la nôtre	Muriel	Florence Quentin
	Óscar. Una pasión surrealista	Ana	Lucas Fernández
	Mejor que nunca	Isabel Romero	Dolores Payás
2009	X Femmes	Her	Blanca Li	TV series (1 Episode)
	Myster Mocky présente		Jean-Pierre Mocky	TV series (1 Episode)
2010	Le grand restaurant	Client	Gérard Pullicino	TV movie
2010– 18	Clem	Caroline "Caro" Boissier	Joyce Buñuel, Eric Le Roux & Arnauld Mercadier	TV series (season 1 to 8)
2011	Hospital Central	La Polaca	José Luis García Berlanga (2)	TV series (1 Episode) Spanish Actors Union – Supporting Performance, Female
	La chanson du dimanche	Francesca	Alexandre Castagnetti	TV series (1 Episode)
	Les beaux mecs	Olga	Gilles Bannier	TV series (4 Episodes)
2012	Mince alors!	Sophie	Charlotte de Turckheim (3)
	The Woman Who Brushed Off Her Tears	Helena	Teona Strugar Mitevska
2014–15	Sin identidad	Fernanda Duque	Joan Noguera, Kiko Ruiz & Jorge Torregrossa	TV series (10 Episodes) Spanish Actors Union – Supporting Performance, Female Nominated – Atv Awards – Best Actress
2016	Joséphine s'arrondit	Gilles's mother	Marilou Berry
	Nacida para ganar	Victoria	Vicente Villanueva
	Madres Libres	Candela	Auriane Lacince & Viktoria Videnina	Short
	Capitaine Marleau	Mother Louise	Josée Dayan	TV series (1 Episode)