Biography
Who is Karla Sofía Gascón?
Early life and education
Karla Sofía Gascón was born in Alcobendas, Spain, on March 31, 1972. During her childhood, she enjoyed playacting with her brother. At the age of sixteen, she decided to pursue an acting career and later earned an acting degree from the School of Cinematography and Audiovisual of the Community of Madrid.
Early in her professional path, she worked in London on a British Broadcasting Corporation series dedicated to Spanish-language learning. She also traveled to Milan, where she provided voice work for children puppet shows.
Early acting career in Spain and Mexico
Before completing her gender transition, Gascón performed under her birth name and portrayed male characters in various productions. She appeared in Spanish daily soap operas such as El super, where she played a flight attendant, as well as Calle nueva and El pasado es manana.
Her early film appearances included Se buscan fulmontis, Me da igual, Box 507, and Say I Do. Encouraged by a Mexican filmmaker, she relocated to Mexico to expand her career and secured roles in telenovelas like Corazon salvaje. She also featured in the box office comedy hit The Noble Family and the narcoseries El Senor de los Cielos.
Transition and Emilia Perez
In 2018, having completed most of her gender transition, Gascón published a magical realist memoir titled Karsia, Una historia extraordinaria. The book publication doubled as a public announcement of her new identity.
She portrayed Lourdes Buendia in the teen drama series Rebelde. In 2024, she starred in Jacques Audiard's musical crime film Emilia Pérez, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. For this role, she jointly won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress with her three female co-stars, becoming the first openly transgender actress to win the prize. She also won the European Film Award for Best Actress and received an Academy Award nomination.
Family and personal life
Gascón considers herself Mexican by adoption after living and working in the country for many years. She practices Nichiren Buddhism. As of 2025, she resides in her hometown of Alcobendas, Spain.
She is married to Marisa Gutiérrez, whom she met when she was nineteen years old at a nightclub in her hometown. The couple shares a daughter who was born in 2011.
Birthday and age
Karla Sofía Gascón was born on March 31, 1972, which makes Karla 54 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aries sign. Karla shares the date with 49 other famous people.
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