Elena Anaya | |
|---|---|
Anaya in 2026 | |
| Born | Elena Anaya Gutiérrez (1975-07-17)17 July 1975 (age 50) Palencia, Spain |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Partner | Tina Afugu Cordero |
| Children | 1 |
Elena Anaya Gutiérrez (born 17 July 1975) is a Spanish actress. She garnered public recognition inSpain for her performance inSex and Lucia (2001),[1] which also earned her a nomination to theGoya Award for Best Supporting Actress. She starred inThe Skin I Live In (2011), for which she won theGoya Award for Best Actress.[2][3] She is also known for her roles as one ofDracula'sbrides inVan Helsing (2004), the Spanish tourist inRoom in Rome (2010) andDoctor Poison inWonder Woman (2017).
Anaya was born inPalencia, Spain.[2] She is the youngest of three children. Her mother, Elena (Nena), is a housewife who later owned a boarding house in Palencia. Her father, Juan José Anaya Gómez (1934–2011), was an industrial engineer.[4]
Anaya moved toCádiz to train as an actress, after which she landed roles inÁfrica (her film debut) andFamilia.[5][6]
She first received international attention in 2001 for her role in the sexually explicit dramaSex and Lucia.[7] She also had a small part the year after in Almodóvar'sTalk to Her.[8]
Her best-known Hollywood film role was as Aleera, one ofDracula's brides in 2004'sVan Helsing.[9] That same year, Anaya was named as one of European films'Shooting Stars byEuropean Film Promotion.[10]
In 2006, Anaya appeared inJustin Timberlake's music video for his single, "SexyBack".[11]

She played supporting roles in international films such asSavage Grace (2007) andCairo Time (2009), and then starring roles in 2010'sRoom in Rome and Almodóvar's 2011The Skin I Live In.
In 2017, Anaya appeared asDoctor Poison in the superhero blockbuster film,Wonder Woman.[12]
Anaya is a lesbian. Anaya and directorBeatriz Sanchís [es] were reportedly in a relationship from 2008 to 2013.[13][14]
In November 2016, it was announced that Anaya was expecting her first child with her partner, Tina Afugu Cordero, a costume designer.[15][16][17] In February 2017, Anaya gave birth to their son.[18]
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | África | África | [19] | |
| 1997 | Familia | Luna | [20] | |
| 1998 | Grandes ocasiones | Susy | [21] | |
| Lágrimas negras (Black Tears) | Alicia | [22] | ||
| Finisterre, donde termina el mundo | Laura | [23] | ||
| 1999 | Las huellas borradas (Fading Memories) | Rosa | [24] | |
| 2000 | El árbol del penitente | Sonsoles | ||
| El invierno de las anjanas (The Winter of the Fairies) | Adelaida | [25] | ||
| 2001 | Lucía y el sexo (Sex and Lucia) | Belén | [26] | |
| Sin noticias de Dios (Don't Tempt Me) | Pili | |||
| 2002 | La habitación azul (The Blue Room) | Ana | [27] | |
| Hable con ella (Talk to Her) | Ángela | [28] | ||
| Rencor (Rencor) | Esther | [29] | ||
| 2003 | Dos tipos duros (Two Tough Guys) | Tatiana | ||
| 2004 | Van Helsing | Aleera second bride | [30] | |
| Ana y Manuel | Ana | |||
| 2005 | Fragile | Helen Perez | ||
| Dead Fish | Mimi | |||
| 2006 | Alatriste | Angélica de Alquézar | [31] | |
| Stage Kiss | Natalia | |||
| 2007 | Savage Grace | Blanca | ||
| Miguel & William | Leonor | |||
| In the Land of Women | Sofia Buñuel | |||
| 2008 | Sólo quiero caminar | Ana | [32] | |
| Mesrine: L'Instinct De Mort | Sofia | |||
| 2009 | Hierro | María | [33] | |
| Cairo Time | Kathryn | |||
| 2010 | Habitación en Roma (Room in Rome) | Alba | [34] | |
| Point Blank | Nadia Pierret | |||
| 2011 | La piel que habito (The Skin I Live In) | Vera Cruz | [35] | |
| 2012 | Hijos de las nubes, la última colonia (Sons of the Clouds: The Last Colony) | Narrator | ||
| 2013 | Pensé que iba a haber fiesta | Ana | ||
| 2014 | Todos están muertos (They Are All Dead) | Lupe | [36] | |
| 2015 | Lejos del mar | Marina | ||
| La memoria del agua (The Memory of Water) | Amanda | [37] | ||
| Swung | Alice | |||
| 2016 | The Infiltrator | Gloria Alcaino | [38] | |
| Zipi y Zape y la isla del capitán (Zip & Zap and the Captain's Island) | Miss Pam | |||
| 2017 | La cordillera (The Summit) | Claudia Klein | [39] | |
| Wonder Woman | Isabel Maru / Doctor Poison | [40] | ||
| 2020 | Rifkin's Festival | Jo Rojas | [41] | |
| 2022 | Jaula (The Chalk Line) | Paula | [42] | |
| 2023 | Fatum | Comisaria Costa | [43] | |
| TBA | Rosebush Pruning† | Filming | ||
| Hermanas† (Sisters) | Chelo |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Las largas sombras (Past Lies) | Rita | [46] | |
2025 | Innato (Innate) | Sara |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2002 | 16th Goya Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Sex and Lucia | Nominated | |
| 11thActors Union Awards | Best Film Performance in a Secondary Role | Won | |||
2009 | Sitges Film Festival | Best Actress | Hierro | Won | |
2011 | 25th Goya Awards | Best Actress | Room in Rome | Nominated | |
| 20th Actors and Actresses Union Awards | Best Film Actress in a Leading Role | Nominated | |||
2012 | 26th Goya Awards | Best Actress | The Skin I Live In | Won | |
| 21st Actors and Actresses Union Awards | Best Film Actress in a Leading Role | Nominated | |||
2014 | 17thMálaga Film Festival | Silver Biznaga for Best Actress | They Are All Dead | Won | |
2015 | 2nd Feroz Awards | Best Main Actress in a Film | Nominated | ||
| 29th Goya Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | |||
| 24th Actors and Actresses Union Awards | Best Film Actress in a Leading Role | Won | |||
2016 | 3rd Platino Awards | Best Actress | The Memory of Water | Nominated | |
2025 | 26th Iris Awards | Best Actress | Past Lies | Nominated |