Leonor Watling

Leonor Elizabeth Ceballos Watling (born 28 July 1975) is a Spanish film actress and singer.

Early life Leonor Watling was born on 28 July 1975 in Madrid, to a Spanish father from Cádiz and an English mother, the youngest of four siblings (two brothers and two sisters). Her first vocation was that of dancer, but a knee injury made this impossible.

Career

Watling began her acting career in theatre. She earned her feature film debut with a performance in Pablo Llorca's Jardines colgantes (1993). After that she participated in several TV series, such as Hermanos de leche, Farmacia de guardia or Querido maestro, but her most successful role was in the series Raquel busca su sitio with Cayetana Guillén Cuervo. In 1998, she was nominated for a Goya award for her role in La hora de los valientes, and was named as one of European film's 'Shooting Stars' by European Film Promotion in 1999. In 2002, she was nominated again for a Goya for her role in My Mother Likes Women. The same year, she notably starred as Alicia Roncero in Pedro Almodovar’s chef-d’oeuvre Hable con ella (Talk to her).

Watling dubbed Anne Hathaway as the voice of "Red Pucket" (Little Red Riding Hood) in Hoodwinked (2005). She also took part in The Oxford Murders, alongside Elijah Wood and John Hurt.

In 2006, Watling starred in the Paris, Je T'aime segment "Bastille" as Marie Christine. The anthology film was directed by many famous directors who each had to produce a five-minute film set in Paris, the city of love. Spanish writer-director Isabel Coixet wrote and directed the segment "Bastille", and Watling starred alongside Sergio Castellitto and Miranda Richardson as Sergio's younger lover, with whom he plans to run away after ending his relationship with his wife Miranda.

She combines film performances with her work with the band Marlango, in which she is the vocalist and sings mostly in English.

She appeared in the TV series Pulsaciones.

Personal life

Watling is in a relationship with the Uruguayan musician Jorge Drexler, with whom she has a son, Luca, born in January 2009, and a daughter, Lea, born in July 2011.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1993 Jardines colgantes (Hanging Gardens) 1997 Beatriz 1998 Grandes ocasiones (Great Occasions) Bárbara 1998 La primera noche de mi vida (The First Night of My Life) Paloma 1998 La hora de los valientes (A Time for Defiance) Carmen 1999 No respires (el amor está en el aire) (Do Not Breathe, Love is in the Air) Muriel 2000 (God's Back) 2002 Son de mar (Sound of the Sea) Martina 2002 A mi madre le gustan las mujeres (My Mother Likes Women) Elvira 2002 Hable con ella (Talk to Her) Alicia Roncero 2002 Deseo (Desire) Elvira 2002 My Life Without Me The other Ann 2003 En la ciudad (In the City) Cristina 2003 El elefante del rey (The Elephant King) 2003 Carmen 2004 La mala educación (Bad Education) Mónica 2004 Crónicas (Chronicles) 2004 Inconscientes (Unconscious) Alma 2005 The Secret Life of Words 2005 Malas temporadas (Hard Times) Laura 2005 Tirante el Blanco (White Tie) 2006 Paris, je t'aime 2006 Salvador (Puig Antich) (Salvador) Cuca 2006 (Carnival of Sodom) 2007 Teresa, el cuerpo de Cristo (Theresa: The Body of Christ) Doña Guiomar de Ulloa 2008 The Oxford Murders Lorna 2009 Unmade Beds 2010 (Magic Journey to Africa) Hada ('fairy') 2010 Lope (Lope: The Outlaw) Isabel 2011 Lo mejor de Eva (Dark Impulse) Eva 2012 If I Were You Lucy 2013 2016 Risen 2017 Muse The Solar System (El sistema solar)Inés 2022 No mires a los ojos (Staring at Strangers) Lucía Chinas (Chinas, a Second Generation Story) Sol Anatema (Anathema) Sor Juana

Television Year Title Role

Leading role. Younger version of the character performed by Carla Campra

Joana

Video games Year Title Role 2004 Prince of Persia: Warrior Within Kaileena (voice)

Other "Somos Anormales", music video by Residente (2017)

Discography

With Marlango Marlango (2004) Automatic Imperfection (2005) The Electrical Morning (2007) Life in the Treehouse (2010) Un Día Extraordinario (2012) El Porvenir (2014) Technicolor (2018)

Collaborations Miguel Bosé – Duet in "Este mundo va" from the album Papito Jorge Drexler – Backing vocals in "El otro engranaje" from the album 12 segundos de oscuridad – Backing vocals in "La vida mata" from the album Los abismos cotidianos Fito Páez – Duet in "Pétalo de sal" and "Creo" from the album No sé si es Baires o Madrid Jorge Drexler – Duet in "Toque de queda" from the album Amar la trama

Accolades

Year Award Category Work Result 1999 13th Goya Awards Best Leading Actress A Time for Defiance 2003 17th Goya Awards Best Leading Actress My Mother Likes Women 53rd Fotogramas de Plata Best Actress (film) 12th Actors and Actresses Union Awards Best Film Actress in a Leading Role 2004 59th CEC Medals Best Supporting Actress My Life Without Me 13th Actors and Actresses Union Awards Best Actress in a Minor Role (film) Best Actress Lope 2020 24th Actors and Actresses Union Awards Best Television Actress in a Minor Role Unauthorized Living 2023 Best Supporting Actress in a TV Series I Don't Like Driving Best Supporting Actress in a Series La vida breve 34th Actors and Actresses Union Awards Best Television Actress in a Secondary Role