Adriana Barraza (born March 5, 1956) is an Academy Award-nominated Mexican film and television actress and director. She has also been nominated for a Golden Globe, two Screen Actors Guild Awards and Broadcast Film Critics Association. She is best known as a veteran actress of Televisa telenovelas. Barraza is the third Mexican actress to be nominated for an Academy Award, in a year when ten Mexicans were nominated at the 79th Academy Awards.
Barraza was born in Toluca, Estado de Mexico in Central Mexico, and has lived since 1974 with her Argentine husband in Chihuahua. While her spouse taught on the philosophy faculty of the Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, she studied acting at the fine arts school, worked and raised her daughter.
In 1985, Barraza moved to Mexico City, to work as a theater director. Since 1985, Barraza has guest starred and directed the Mexican television show Mujer, Casos de la Vida Real, alongside host Silvia Pinal. She has also been a part of the telenovela ensembles of Bajo un Mismo Rostro playing Elvira, La Paloma as Madre Clara and Imperio de Cristal as Flora. In 1997 she took on the role of Nurse Clara Dominguez in Alguna Vez Tendremos Alas.
Her two most recognizable films are Amores Perros and Babel; the latter garnered her nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, an Online Film Critics Award, and a Chicago Film Critics Circle Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture. She won in this category at the San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards. This role has earned her wide acclaim and she was nominated at the 2007 Academy Awards for her powerful and breathtaking performance. She was hailed as part of the reason her segment was as powerful and heartbreaking as it was. She starred alongside Gael García Bernal in both films.
Barraza directed Locura de Amor (in which she also starred), Nunca Te Olvidare and El Manantial. She is also a professional acting coach and has worked with actors for a number of movies and television shows, including the American film Spanglish.
She currently works for Telemundo as an acting instructor. In 2007, Barraza was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 2008, barraza will star in Henry Poole is Here, alongside Luke Wilson.
2006 Academy Awards
2006 Golden Globes
2006 Screen Actors Guild Award
2007 ALMA Award
2006 Broadcast Film Critics Association
2006 Online Film Critics
2006 Chicago Film Critics Circle
2006 San Francisco Film Critics Circle
2006 Gotham Awards
2006 About.com
