Biography
Who is Carmen Maura?
Early life and education
Maria del Carmen Garcia Maura was born in Madrid on September 15, 1945. Her parents were Salvador Garcia y Santa-Cruz and Carmen Maura y Arenzana. She comes from a family with historical ties to the Spanish aristocracy and arts. Her great-grandfather was the Count of Fuente Nueva de Arenzana, who lived in the Palace of Arenzana in Madrid, which is now the embassy of France. Her great-grandfather on her mother's side was the artist Bartolome Maura y Montaner, who was the brother of the statesman Antonio Maura. For her education, she studied philosophy and literature at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris.
Career beginnings and film work
Carmen Maura began her professional life as a cabaret singer. Her film career started in 1970 with an appearance in the film The Man in Hiding. She gained further attention in 1977 with a major role in the film Tigres de papel. While capable of dramatic performances, she became well-known for comedic roles in films like Sal gorda, Se infiel y no mires con quien, and Tata mia.
In 1980, she appeared in the first film directed by Pedro Almodovar titled Pepi, Luci, Bom y otras chicas del monton. Throughout the 1980s, she collaborated with Almodovar on five additional projects, including the 1988 film Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.
Major achievements and awards
Carmen Maura holds the record for the most Goya Awards for Best Actress, having won the award four times. She has received numerous other honors for her cinematographic career. In 2006, the female cast of the film Volver, directed by Almodovar, won a collective prize for Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival. She also received the Locarno Excellence Award in 2007 for the entirety of her career.
Her filmography includes work with well-known directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, Carlos Saura, and Alex de la Iglesia. Also, she was cited as a gay icon for her role as a transgender person in the 1987 film Law of Desire, which strengthened her image as a strong woman who is not afraid to break through boundaries.
Personal life and honors
From 1964 to 1970, Carmen Maura was married to a lawyer named Francisco Forteza Pujol. They have two children together named Carmen and Pablo. Later, she had a long relationship with Antonio Moreno Rubio, but the partnership ended in 1995. This split occurred after she discovered that he had defrauded her, which caused her to face bankruptcy.
Over her career, she has received significant recognitions from different governments. In 1996, France named her a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters. In 2015, Spain awarded her the Dame Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise.
Birthday and age
Carmen Maura was born on September 15, 1945, which makes Carmen 81 years old today. That birthday falls under the Virgo sign. Carmen shares the date with 60 other famous people.
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