Childhood & Early Life
Valverde was born on March 24, 1987, in Carabanchel, the south western suburbs of Madrid, Spain. Not much is known about her parents. Reportedly, she was raised by foster parents, along with an older brother and a younger sister.
At around 6 years of age, she developed an interest in acting. Realizing this, her mother enrolled her at a theater school. Valverde also joined her school drama group. She studied acting at the ‘Cristina Rota School of Dramatic Arts.’
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Career
At the age of 16, Valverde appeared for an audition along with about 3,000 other candidates and won a major role in director Manuel Martin Cuenca’s 2003 film ‘La Flaqueza del Bolchevique’ (or ‘The Weakness of the Bolshevik’). Her performance in her debut film earned her the ‘Best New Actress Award’ at the 18th ‘Goya Awards.’
Following this, she worked in the Spanish films ‘Body Confusion’ (2004) and ‘Vorvik’ (2005). In 2005, she essayed the lead role of ‘Melissa Panarello’ in the erotic drama ‘Melissa P.’ This Luca Guadagnino-directed film was based on the semi-autobiographical novel ‘One Hundred Strokes of the Brush before Bed’ by Melissa Panarello.
In the 2006 Spanish–Italian film ‘Los Borgia’ (or ‘The Borgia’), directed by Antonio Hernandez, she portrayed ‘Lucrezia Borgia,’ opposite Paz Vega. In the Spanish thriller ‘The King of the Mountain’ (2007), Valverde appeared as ‘Bea,’ opposite Argentine actor Leonardo Sbaraglia, under the direction of Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego.
During this period, Valverde also appeared as ‘Sara’ in ‘Thieves’ (2007), ‘Lola’ in ‘The Sandman’ (2007), and ‘Manuela’ in ‘The Anarchist’s Wife’ (2008). She also worked in a few Spanish short films.
In 2009, Valverde started working in English-language and Hollywood films. She made her English film debut with the 2009 British indie psychological thriller drama ‘Cracks.’ Working alongside Eva Green, she played ‘Fiamma Coronna’ in this film. Ridley Scott worked as an executive producer for this film. It was directed by Scott’s daughter, Jordan Scott.
In 2010, Valverde played the lead role of ‘Babi’ in the hit Spanish movie ‘Tres Metros Sobre el Cielo’ (or ‘Three Steps above Heaven’). She starred opposite Mario Casas in this Fernando Gonzalez Molina-directed movie. The sequel of this film, ‘Tengo Ganas de Ti,’ was released in 2012. It had her reprising the role of ‘Babi.’ However, the sequel was not as successful as the first film.
Valverde played a young journalism student, ‘Angela,’ in the 2011 Spanish drama film ‘Madrid, 1987.’ This David Trueba-directed film premiered at the 2011 ‘San Sebastian International Film Festival.’ Following this, she performed various roles, such as those of ‘Inés’ in ‘A Puerta Fria’ (2012), ‘Conchi’ in ‘La Mula’ (or ‘The Mule’), and ‘Maria Bolivar’(aka ‘Maria Teresa Rodríguez del Toro’) in the Spanish–Venezuelan historical drama ‘Libertador’ (2013).
Valverde made her TV debut in 2012, with the role of ‘Anna Serra’ in the series ‘La Fuga.’ She appeared in 12 episodes of the series. The following year, she appeared as ‘Virginia Rodriguez’ in six episodes of the TV series ‘Hermanos’ (2014).
The 2014 epic biblical film ‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’ featured Valverde in the role of ‘Zipporah.’ This international co-production, involving the US, the UK, and Spain, was produced and directed by Ridley Scott. It also featured Christian Bale, Ben Kingsley, and Sigourney Weaver.
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Valverde was seen in the lead role of ‘Vittoria’ in the 2015 mystery–thriller film ‘Broken Horses,’ which was directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. In 2016, she appeared in four major films: as ‘Nino Kipiani’ in the British war film ‘Ali and Nino,’ as ‘Teresa’ in the Spanish–American war romance ‘Guernica,’ as ‘Aveline Ortega’ in British horror–mystery film ‘The Limehouse Golem,’ and as ‘Elisa’ in the Spanish film ‘La Carga.’
The French drama ‘Back to Burgundy’ (2017) featured her as ‘Alicia.’ The Canadian–Chinese film ‘400 Boys’ (2018) featured Valverde in the role of ‘Paiva.’ She appeared as ‘Paz Aguilera’ in the Melanie Laurent-directed ‘Plonger’ (2017). Her latest release was a Chilean thriller titled ‘Spider’ (2019), which featured her as ‘Young Ines.’ Her forthcoming projects include ‘Fever Dream’ and ‘Across the River and into the Trees.’
Valverde has also endorsed brands such as ‘Nina Ricci’ and ‘Purificacion Garcia.’
Family & Personal Life
Valverde was in a relationship with her co-star Mario Casas from 2009 to 2014. However, they separated later.
On February 9, 2017, Valverde secretly married Venezuelan conductor and violinist Gustavo Dudamel in Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada. He is the conductor for the ‘Orquesta Sinfonica Simon Bolivar’ and the ‘Los Angeles Philharmonic.’
Facts About María Valverde
María Valverde has a passion for painting and often posts her artwork on social media for her fans to see.
In addition to acting, María Valverde is also an accomplished equestrian and enjoys horseback riding in her free time.
María Valverde is a strong advocate for animal rights and frequently partners with organizations to raise awareness about animal welfare issues.
Despite her busy acting schedule, María Valverde makes time to volunteer at local charities and is dedicated to giving back to her community.
María Valverde is fluent in multiple languages, including English, French, and Italian, which allows her to work on a variety of international projects.
