Aitana Sánchez-Gijón

Info

Full Name: Aitana Sánchez-Gijón
Date of birth: November 5, 1968 (57 years old)
Location: Rome
Country: Italy
Height: 1,66m
Redes sociales: Instagram

Aitana Sánchez-Gijón has been active for 39 years, participating in 29 movies that average a 5.9/10 score.

Videos eCartelera

Tráiler en VOSE de 'Harry Potter' T1

Biography

Aitana Sánchez-Gijón was born on 5 November 1968 in Rome, the daughter of a Spanish historian exiled from Francoism and an Italian mother. Her name is a tribute to Aitana Alberti: the poet Rafael Alberti, her godfather, dedicated some verses to her at birth. The family moved to Madrid when she was one year old, and she made her television debut at just sixteen in the series 'Segunda enseñanza', before forging a reputation as a solid and respected stage actress.

The grande dame of 1990s Spanish cinema

After promising early roles in 'Rowing with the Wind' (1988), in which she played Teresa Guiccioli, and in 'Going South Shopping' (1989), her real breakthrough came in the 1990s. She was unforgettable as the tormented Ana Ozores in the acclaimed television adaptation of 'La Regenta', strung together hits such as 'Boca a boca' and 'The Chambermaid on the Titanic', and made the leap to Hollywood alongside Keanu Reeves in 'A Walk in the Clouds' (1995). She closed the decade in style with 'Jealousy' (1999) and, above all, with her Duchess of Alba in 'Volavérunt' (1999), which won her the Best Actress award at the San Sebastián Film Festival.

From Christian Bale to Almodóvar

Her career went on alternating registers and borders with uncommon elegance. She starred in the unsettling international thriller 'The Machinist' (2004), opposite Christian Bale, the drama 'The Nautical Chart' (2007) and the comedy 'Thi Mai' (2017). She reached a new peak of prestige under the direction of Pedro Almodóvar as Teresa in 'Parallel Mothers' (2021), a role that earned her a Goya nomination, before reuniting with the Manchegan director on 'Amarga Navidad' (2026). Along the way came titles such as 'Let No One Sleep' (2023), 'La jefa' (2022) and 'Tierra baja' (2025).

The small screen has treated her wonderfully too: she was the elegant Doña Blanca of the hit series 'Velvet' (2013) and its sequel 'Velvet Colección' (2017), passed through the fantasy 'Estoy vivo' (2017) and led the Netflix medical drama 'Respira' (2024).

Far more than a performer

Beyond the spotlight, Aitana has been a key figure in the industry: she presided over the Spanish Film Academy between 1998 and 2001, one of the youngest people ever to do so. A cousin of the multi-talented Pablo Carbonell, of Spanish-Italian roots and a deeply theatrical training, she keeps an elegant discretion about her private life. Few Spanish actresses have moved so naturally between auteur cinema, the literary classic and the big-budget blockbuster. Isn't that unfussy versatility the true hallmark of the greats?