Who is Elena Anaya? 6 Important Facts You Should Know About the Actress 

Quick Facts

Sex and Lucia, The Skin I Live In, Van Helsing and Wonder Woman… if you’ve seen these films then you definitely know who Elena Anaya is, a veteran actress who hails from Spain. She has been active in the film industry since the mid-1990s. Her role as the female villain Isabel Maru aka Dr. Poison in Wonder Woman (2017) was met with positive reviews and thus, renewed many people’s interest in her, causing many to ask who Elena Anaya really is. Follow us as we unveil 6 important facts you should know about the actress.

Who is Elena Anaya? – 6 Facts You Should Know

1. Her interest in acting began when she was 17 years old

Born on the 17th of July 1975 in Palencia, Spain, Elena was highly energetic as a child. As a result, she picked up interests in karate and mountain climbing and excelled greatly at both. For 15 years of her life, she practised Shotokan karate. However, as she grew, she developed an interest in acting and decided to channel her energy to pursuing a career in show business.

By the age of 17, Elena began taking drama classes in a school in her locale which was owned by actor Manuel Moron. Subsequently, she relocated to Madrid and began attending the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in Madrid. With the help of her acting coach Moron, Elena was able to learn about a role in África (1996) for which she successfully auditioned for, beginning her professional acting career.

2. Her first ever big break came in the 2001 Spanish film Sex and Lucia

Elena Anaya’s break didn’t quite come rapidly, however, as the years went by, she got closer to her breakthrough. For the rest of the 90s, she played the supporting role in many films including Fernando Leon de Aranoa’s Familia and Las huellas borradas (1999).

2001 saw her performance in the sexually explicit Sex and Lucia aka Lucía y el Sexo that awed critics. The role earned her the first ever award in her career – a Spanish Actors Union for Best Supporting Performance in a film. She also earned a Goya Awards nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Elena then made her foray into Holywood in 2004, appearing as Dracula’s seductive wife in Van Helsing. Thanks to her prior endeavours and her performance in Van Helsing, Elena was named in European Film Promotion’s list of European films’ Shooting Stars. Her next big hit would come in 2010’s erotic film Room in Rome. She starred opposite Antonio Banderas in The Skin I Live In (2011).

3. She appeared in Justin Timberlake’s music video for Sexy Back

Elena is known for oozing incredible sex appeal and nailing intense love scenes in the film she acts. These qualities are what made her the perfect model for music video for his song Sexy Back where she portrayed the role of a spy. The video was shot for 4 days in Barcelona, Spain and the outcome was a highly critically acclaimed video that was constantly played in music video channels.

4. She has been in two longterm relationships with a couple of fellow celebrities.

Yeah! Elena Anaya is the dream girl of many men and she has fulfilled the dreams of a couple of them including Spanish actor, Gustavo Salmerón who is known for his roles in Desaliñada (2001), and Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle (2017).

5. Elena is bisexual.

From the roles she loves to play, one cannot help but speculate that Elena is a highly sexually active individual, so it came as no surprise when word got out that she is bisexual. Her role as a lesbian in 2010’s Room in Rome gave fans a lot to speculate about her sexuality.

Her first lesbian relationship to come to light was with film director, Beatriz Sanchís. Photos of them kissing were published in Spanish tabloid magazine Cuore in August 2011. Word later got out that the two had become an item since 2008. Their relationship lasted until 2013 when they called it quits.

Up next was costume designer Tina Afugu Cordero. News that Elena was pregnant with their child surfaced in the news in August 2016. Elena carried the pregnancy (pictured above) which was conceived via artificial insemination. She gave birth to their son Lorenzo in August 2017.

6. She has a sister who is also into entertainment

Elena has a sister Marina who is a painter and sculptor. She has served as the art and costume director in a couple of films. Elena is the youngest child in a family of three.

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