Martha Higareda

Martha Elba Guadalupe Higareda Cervantes (born August 24, 1983) is a Mexican actress, producer and screenwriter.

Life and career Higareda was born in Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico, the daughter of actress Martha Cervantes and artist and therapist Jose Luis Higareda, and sister of actress Miriam Higareda. She began acting on the stage at a very early age, along with dancing jazz, flamenco, tap and folklore. At 14, she moved to Mexico City from her native Tabasco to pursue an acting career.

Being an advanced student, she entered College several years early at the age of 15; studying Communications at El Tecnologico de Monterrey. She would attend college in the mornings while going to acting school in the evenings and performing in theater on the weekends. A year later her mother and sister moved to Mexico City and attended acting school with her.

Alfonso Cuaron came to Mexico City auditioning for Y Tu Mamá También, Martha got the part of Cecilia Huerta, Gael Garcia's girlfriend in the film, but being underage and due to the full on nudity in the movie she was not able to do the role. Cuaron encouraged her to keep pursuing her acting career. Soon after, she changed her major from Communications to the Performing Arts.

The movie quickly became a box office hit and launched Martha's career giving her the nickname "The Mexican Sweetheart".

In 2003, she was offered the lead in a Mexican TV show Enamórate on TV Azteca, next to Yahir, where she also shared credits with María Inés Guerra, Martha Cristiana, Fernando Sarfati, and Amara Villafuerte. But Higareda's passion was in making movies. Higareda returned with the movie Siete Días next to Jaime Camil, in which she played a girl whose dream is to make U2 come to the city of Monterrey in less than a week.

She worked with Carlos Carrera (El crimen del Padre Amaro) in Sexo, amor y otras perversiones winning another Silver Goddess Award. And that same year she was nominated as best supporting actress for the Mexican Academy Awards for her role in Fuera del Cielo, In 2007, she came with her latest production Niñas Mal, directed by Fernando Sariñana where she shared credits with Camila Sodi and Ximena Sariñana.

She booked her first American movie in 2007 Borderland where she shared credits with Brian Presley and Beto Cuevas produced by Lionsgate. The movie was screening in the American Film Market when an Agent approached her, he introduced Martha to Craig Shapiro, whom to this day represents Higareda at ICM Partners. Shapiro convinced Martha to move to LA.

She went back to her country with three finished scripts and at the age of 25 she wrote and produced her first independent film, Te presento a Laura. The movie was in the top ten films in box-office for 10 consecutive weeks. She shot the prequel to the crime/action film Smokin' Aces, Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball, as a deadly female assassin with poisonous lips. In 2012, she appeared in Hello Herman with Norman Reedus as an American reporter.

In Lies in Plain Sight she played the lead role, as a visually impaired woman trying to solve the murder of her sister.

In 2014, she also wrote, produced and starred in "Casese Quien Pueda" (Marry whoever can) directed by Marco Polo Constandse and produced by Martha and Miri Higareda and Alejandra Cardenas. The movie quickly became the second biggest box office record of its time. This caught the attention of the American Studios. "I wanted not only to be in movies, but to know the guts of the industry. Making movies it's all a team effort, so if you surround yourself with the best people you learn from them and then if you can also give an opportunity to those whom you believe in their talent, magical things happen"

She won the Mayahuel Award at the Guadalajara International Film Festival for the movie Mariachi Gringo, and that same year she played Amparo in the miniseries Carlos. She worked in the Disney movie McFarland, USA with director Nikki Caro.

In 2016, she produced and starred in No manches Frida, with Edward Allen and Mauricio Arguelles. From Pantelion, Lionsgate, Videocine and Constantin Film, No Manches Frida was another box office hit, where Higareda plays shy yet passionate Miss Lucy who falls in love with a criminal (Omar Chaparro). Martha pitched Chaparro for the role. Made for $2.5 million, the film made 23 million dollars in the box office.

Higareda produced with Miguel Mier, Jimena Rodriguez, Bernardo Rugama the box office success and Mexican adaptation of 3 idiots, a story about following your true passion.

In 2018, Higareda starred in Netflix's Altered Carbon, a hard-boiled tech noir television series based on the book by Richard K. Morgan, as detective Kristin Ortega.

In 2019, she played the lead role of Marisol in Hulu's American horror anthology television series, Into the Dark, episode "Culture Shock".

Personal life From 2016 to 2020, Higareda was married to American actor Cory Brusseau.

In June 2021, Higareda began dating American podcaster and former football player Lewis Howes. The couple got engaged in September 2023 during a live podcast recording in Ohio. In 2024, she underwent laparoscopic surgery to remove uterine fibroids.

In February 2025, Higareda and Howes married in Playa del Carmen. The couple welcomed twin girls in November 2025.

Filmography

Film roles Year Title Roles Notes 2002 Amar te duele Renata 2003 Casa de los Babys Celia Mujer dormida Marina Short film El sueño de Elías María, At Age 18 2004 Al otro lado Eréndira 2005 Volver, volver Mónica Short film 7 días Gloria 2006 Sexo, amor y otras perversiones María Segment: "María in the Elevator" Fuera del cielo Elisa Así del precipicio Cristina 2007 Niñas mal Adela León Borderland Valeria La leyenda de la Nahuala Xochitl Voice role Hasta el viento tiene miedo Claudia 2008 All Inclusive Camila Street Kings Grace García 2010 Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball Ariella Martinez Sin memoria Mónica Te presento a Laura Laura Also as writer and producer 2011 Malaventura Mitzy 2012 Mariachi Gringo Lilia Hello Herman Isa Cruz 2013 Go for Sisters Zeidy 2014 Cásese quien pueda Ana Also as writer and producer 2015 McFarland Lupe Una última y nos vamos Flor Also as producer 2016 No manches Frida Lucy Also as producer Vive por mí Ana 2017 3 idiotas Mariana Also as writer and producer 2018 Deadtectives Abril 2019 No manches Frida 2 Lucy Also as producer Tod@s caen Mia Also as writer and producer 2023 Fuga de Reinas Paty Also as writer and producer

Television roles Year Title Roles Notes 2003 Enamórate Celeste Main role; 125 episodes 2004 Gitanas Young Jovanka Sanchez 2004–2005 Las Juanas Juana Carolina 2008 Tiempo final Flor Episode: "La entrega" 2008 Skip Tracer Jennifer Orellana Television film 2010 Carlos Amparo Episode: "Première partie" 2010 Lies in Plain Sight Sofía Delgado Television film 2011 CSI: Miami Luisa Romero Episode: "Stiff" 2013 Hawaii Five-0 Flora Episode: "Aloha Ke Kahi I Ke Kahi" 2013 The List María Television film 2014 El Mariachi Celeste Sandoval 2014 Royal Pains Viviana Torres 8 episodes 2017 Steven Universe Topaz Voice role, episode: "Stuck Together" 2018 Altered Carbon Kristin Ortega 10 episodes 2018–2019 Queen of the South Castel Fieto 8 episodes 2019 Into the Dark Marisol Episode: "Culture Shock" 2022 Monarch Catt Phoenix Main cast