Age: 57
Birthplace: Ortiz, Guarico State, Venezuela
Gabriela Elena Španić Utrera (born December 10, 1966), known simply as Gabriela Spanic, is a Venezuelan actress. She's known for her roles in several Latin telenovelas, most notably her portrayal of twins in La usurpadora (1998), one of the most popular telenovelas in the Spanish-speaking world.
Spanic has been signed to Televisa, Telemundo and is currently working with TV Azteca.
Spanic was born and raised in Ortiz, to Croatian father Casimiro Spanic and Venezuelan mother Elise Spanic. She has a sister, Daniela Spanic, two younger sisters, Kristen, Patricia, and a younger brother, Antonio. She studied Psychopedagogy in Caracas for a year but left university to pursue an acting career.
Spanic's career started in 1992 when she joined the Miss Venezuela contest, representing her home state, Guárico, which served as a platform to launch her acting career, with appearances in Venezuelan soap operas such as Morena Clara, where she portrayed the villain Linda Prado.
In 1994, Spanic had her first leading role in the telenovela Como Tu Ninguna, which aired for two years and became one of the largest novelas of the country and had an enormous success, including internationally.
After playing Amaranta in Todo por tu Amor (1997), Spanic moved to Mexico, where she acted in La usurpadora (1998), portraying twins Paola and Paulina, which came to worldwide success when the novela was transmitted to more than 160 countries around the world and became one of the most popular telenovelas in the Spanish-speaking world. La Usurpadora was the first novela to win more than 20 points in the grid of the TV American audience.
Spanic acted in other Televisa productions such as Por Tu Amor (1999), and La intrusa (2001), before signing with Telemundo, starring in La venganza (2002), Prisionera (2004) and Tierra de pasiones (2006).
Spanic won the Orquidea Award in 2005 for her trajectory as an actress, as well as the prestigious FAMAS Award for Best Actress for her role in Tierra de Pasiones.
In 2010, Spanic worked with Televisa again when she played the antagonist of Soy tu Dueña. As of 2011, Spanic is signed to TV Azteca, and has worked in Emperatriz (2011), La otra cara del alma (2012) and Siempre tuya Acapulco (2014).
Spanic was married to actor Miguel de León from 1998 to 2002. She and a former boyfriend have a son, Gabriel de Jesús (born 2008).
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1998 | Más allá de la usurpadora | Paulina Bracho | Television film |
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1991 | Mundo de fieras | Television debut | |
1992 | La loba herida | Uncredited | |
1992 | Divina obsesión | Uncredited | |
1993 | Rosangélica | Carla | Supporting role |
1994 | María Celeste | Carla | Supporting role |
1994 | Como tú, ninguna | Gilda Barreto / Rakel Sandoval | Protagonist / antagonist |
1995 | Morena Clara | Linda Prado | Antagonist |
1996 | Quirpa de tres mujeres | Emiliana Echeverría Salazar | Co-protagonist |
1997 | Todo por tu amor | Petra Josefina Marcano alias Amaranta Rey | Antagonist |
1998 | La usurpadora | Paulina Martínez / Paola Montaner de Bracho | Protagonist / antagonist |
1998 | Más alla de la usurpadora | Paulina Martínez de Bracho | Protagonist |
1999 | Por tu amor | Aurora de Montalvo / María del Cielo Montalvo de Durán | Protagonist |
2001 | La intrusa | Virginia Martínez Roldán de Junquera Brito / Vanessa Martínez Roldán de Junquera Brito | Protagonist |
2002-03 | La venganza | Valentina Díaz / Helena Fontana | Protagonist |
2004 | Prisionera | Guadalupe Santos | Protagonist |
2005-07 | Decisiones | Daniela / Mariela | Episode: "Un amor verdadero" Episode: "A la tercera va la vencida" |
2006 | Tierra de Pasiones | Valeria San Román | Protagonist |
2010 | Soy tu dueña | Ivana Dorantes Rangel | Antagonist |
2011 | Emperatriz | Emperatriz Jurado | Protagonist |
2012 | La otra cara del alma | Alma Hernández | Protagonist / antagonist |
2014 | Siempre tuya Acapulco | Fiscal Fernanda Montenegro | Special participation |
Charities
Gabriela Spanic supports the following charitable cause: Red Cross.