Elsa Pataky
Biography
Pataky was born as Elsa Lafuente Medianu in Madrid, Spain, the daughter of Cristina Pataky, a publicist with Romanian-Hungarian ancestry, and José Francisco, a chemist. Pataky attended the Universidad de San Pablo and studied journalism. During this time, Pataky also enrolled in acting classes. She was also a member of the Madrid theatre company, Teatro Cámara de Ángel Gutiérrez. Eventually, she left school when she was cast in the television series Al salir de clase.
Hollywood better look out. The Spanish invasion that began years ago with Penélope Cruz and Paz Vega is now heading into hyper-drive thanks to the ambitious efforts of Elsa Pataky. The stunning Madrid native worked with Samuel L. Jackson to make her first splash in Tinseltown with 2006's skin-crawling cult thriller, Snakes on a Plane.
Personal life
Pataky enjoys rollerblading, snowboarding, and horseback riding. She was in a relationship with French actor Michaël Youn (her co-star in Iznogoud), currently she is dating American actor Adrien Brody. She is the face on Nestlé ice cream stands in Spain. She is said to be getting married to Adrien Brody, as reported in Star Magazine.
Although the popcorn flick might have marked Elsa’s debut on these shores, she is no stranger to the industry. The Universidad San Pablo grad began her career in 1997 with recurring roles in the popular Spanish television series Al salir de clase (1997-99) and Tio Willy (1998).
Her well received performances in the shows led to roles in a succession of films, including Menos es más (2000), Tatawo (2000) and the box office sensation El Arte de morir (2000). Since then, Elsa has showcased her impressive acting and multilingual range in the French film Iznogoud (2005) and she was signed to appear in Astérix aux jeux olympiques (2007). The star-studded film also features Gérard Depardieu, David Beckham and Michael Schumacher.
Elsa’s high profile on the silver screen has naturally led to a number of modeling opportunities. To date, the sizzling senorita has appeared on the covers of Glamour, GQ, Woman, Marie Claire, In Style, and Telva.
