Laia Manzanares

Laia Manzanares Tomàs (born 30 March 1994) is a Spanish actress best known for her role as the cheerleader and love interest in Tame Impala's 2015 music video for "The Less I Know the Better", which became a sleeper hit and cult classic in the late 2010s. She is also known for playing the role of Ukrainian student Oksana Casanoves in the Spanish television series Merlí.

Early life Laia Manzanares Tomàs was born on 30 March 1994 in Barcelona, to a Valencian father and Catalan mother. She was educated at the Institut Públic XXV Olimpiada high school and the Col·legi de Teatre, for two years, in Barcelona.

Manzanares was inspired to act professionally after watching Uma Thurman as Beatrix "The Bride" Kiddo in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill: Volume 1 and being impressed by the character's strength of personality.

Career In the music video for "The Less I Know the Better", the surrealist Tame Impala music video, she is a cheerleader and the lover of a high school basketball player who is seduced by the gorilla mascot "Trevor".

In television roles she has appeared in series such as Merlí, , El día de mañana, Ray, and Matar al Padre. In theatre roles, she has portrayed Amanda Todd (a Canadian teen who committed suicide due to cyberbullying and revenge pornography) in a dramatization called Amanda T. for TNC's youth theatre.

Filmography

Year Title Role Director Notes 2016 Waste Alejo Levis and Laura Sisteró Short film 2017 Sol creixent Laia Guillem Manzanares Short film 2018 Proyecto tiempo Eva Isabel Coixet Film for Naturgy 2019La Tierra llamando a AnaAnaFernando BonelliShort film with 43 award wins 2021 Alegría Yael Violeta Salama 2023 La desconocida Carolina 2025 Lo que queda de ti Sara

Television Year Title Role Notes 2016 Cites Laia Farràs 1 episode 2016–2018 Merlí Oksana Casanoves 27 episodes 2018 Matar al padre Ruth 1 episode 2018 El día de mañana Party guest (uncredited) 1 episode 2018 Vilafranca Eva Television film 2019 Estoy vivo Carlota Limited series 2019 Hache Sisilia Netflix series 2022 La noche más larga Sara Netflix series 2025 Asuntos internos Clara Montesinos La 1 series

Theatre Year Title Role Director Venue 2014 Malnascuts Txiki Blasi Sala Beckett 2014 Esquerdes Txiki Blasi Nau Ivanow 2016–2017 Odisseus Quimet Pla y Oriol Pla Sala Beckett 2018 Temps salvatge Ivana Josep Maria Miró Teatre Nacional de Catalunya 2019 Amanda T Amanda Todd Àlex Mañas Teatre Nacional de Catalunya

Awards

Fugaz Awards Year Category Short film Result 2019 Best Actress La Tierra llamando a Ana

International Film Festival of Wales Year Category Short film Result 2020 Best Actress La Tierra llamando a Ana