Carmen Maura is true Spanish acting royalty. In a career that has now spanned over half a century, she has appeared in some of the most enduring Spanish cinema of the era, with her award-winning roles including Pepa Marcos in 1988’s Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (Women on the Edge of a Nervous Breakdown), which became the most successful Spanish film of all-time, both at home and in the United States. Maura herself can claim to be one of the most successful Spanish actresses ever, having won more Goya Awards than anyone else in a total of 44 awards that she won for her work. Her recent successes include a role in the much-talked-about miniseries, Alguien tiene que morir (Someone Has to Die).

Maura’s career began in singing, but after working in cabaret, she made her screen debut in 1969, working in both film and television. One of her earliest successes was 1977’s Tigres de papel (Paper Tigers), which won various awards. It is, however, her collaborations with celebrated director Pedro Alomovar that have helped to seal her reputation. As well as the astronomical success of Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios, there other collaborations include 2006’s Volver, in which she co-starred with Penelope Cruz and which won her a host of awards, including Best Actress at that year’s Cannes Film Festival. She has also worked with the seminal likes of Francis Ford Coppola and Carlos Saura.

Much loved in her country for the enduring nature of her films and her enduring success, Maura was made a Dame Grand Cross in 2015.