# Adriana Barraza

Adriana Barraza González (born 5 March 1956) is a Mexican actress. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Babel (2006).

## Early life

Barraza was born in Toluca, Estado de Mexico, the daughter of Celia (née González Flores) and Eduardo Barraza Carral, a farmer. Her mother died when she was ten years old from myocarditis, a heart condition. Barraza herself has experienced two heart attacks. She has a sister named María Eugenia Barraza and three brothers, Eduardo, Porfirio and José.

## Career

In 1999 director Alejandro González Iñárritu cast her as the mother of Gael García Bernal's character in Amores perros, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In 2006, she collaborated with Iñárritu again in Babel, for which she received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Barraza is known in Mexico as Master Barraza from her partnership with Mexican director Sergio Jiménez, known as El Profe. They created the Actors Workshop in Mexico City, teaching and developing their own version of Method acting. Barraza began her career directing telenovela episodes, the actors in which she would also coach. In the 1990s she decided to step in front of the camera.
She currently operates her own acting school located in Miami, Florida titled Adriana Barraza's Black Box. Instructors at the school include her husband Arnaldo and daughter Carolina.
In 1985, Barraza moved to Mexico City, to work as a theatre 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.
Barraza directed Locura de Amor (in which she also starred), Nunca Te Olvidare and El Manantial.
Barraza appeared in the films Henry Poole Is Here, Drag Me to Hell, And Soon the Darkness. In 2011, Barraza's latest films included From Prada to Nada and Thor (in which her part was cut down). She had a recurring role as Guadalupe Elizalde, on the FX television series The Strain. In 2014 she starred in the film Cake opposite Jennifer Aniston.
She is also a professional acting coach and has worked with actors for a number of films and television shows, including the American film Spanglish. Barraza worked for Telemundo as an acting instructor, teaching accents to actors and actresses from all over Latin America, giving them a more Mexican lilt and sound appropriate for their character.

## Personal life

She became pregnant at age 18 with her daughter, actress Carolina Valsagna (b. 1975). The father of her daughter is not known, as he abandoned her. Her first husband was Carlos Valsagna, whom she married in 1978, and he adopted her daughter and gave her his name. Her second husband is Arnaldo Pipke. Barraza studied acting through the Fine Arts School at Autonomous University of Chihuahua.

## Filmography

List of film and television credits :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1993 | Los cosas simples | | TV movie |
| 1994-1995 | Imperio de Cristal | Flora | Telenovela, antagonist |
| 1995 | Bajo un mismo rostro | Elvira | Telenovela, supporting role |
| 1995 | La paloma | Madre Clara | Telenovela, supporting role |
| 1996 | La culpa | Trabajadora Social | Telenovela, special appearance |
| 1997 | Alguna vez tendremos alas | Clara Domínguez | Telenovela, antagonist |
| 1998 | Vivo por Elena | Hilda 'La Machín' | Telenovela, antagonist |
| 1998 | The First Night | Bruno's mother | Film |
| 1999 | La paloma de Marsella | | Film |
| 2000 | Locura de amor | Soledad Retana | Telenovela, supporting role |
| 2000 | Amores perros | Octavio's mother | Film |
| 2001 | La segunda noche | Lulú and Laura's mother | Film |
| 1985–2003 | Mujer, Casos de la Vida Real | Lupe | Appeared in 8 episodes from 1985 to 2006 |
| 2003 | Clase 406 | Mabel | Telenovela, special appearance |
| 2006 | Babel | Amelia | Film |
| 2007 | ...Y solo humo | Toña | Short film |
| 2007 | ER | Dolores Salazar | Episode: "Skye's the Limit" |
| 2008 | Henry Poole Is Here | Esperanza Martinez | Film |
| 2008 | Tiempo Final | | Episode: "Reality Show" |
| 2008 | CSI: Miami | Carmen Delko | Episode: "The DeLuca Motel" |
| 2009 | Rage | Anita de Los Ángeles | Film |
| 2009 | Drag Me to Hell | Shaun San Dena | Film |
| 2009 | Tres piezas de amor en un fin de semana | Sofía | Film |
| 2010 | Revolución | Chayo | Film |
| 2010 | And Soon the Darkness | Rosamaría | Film |
| 2010 | Sucedió en un día | Madre | Film |
| 2010 | Burning Palms | Louisa Álvarez | Film |
| 2010 | Cerro Bayo | Marta | Film |
| 2010 | Te presento a Laura | Conchita | Film |
| 2011 | From Prada to Nada | Aurelia Jimenez | Film |
| 2011 | Thor | Isabella Álvarez | Film, deleted scenes |
| 2012 | El Cartel de los Sapos | La abuela | Film |
| 2012 | Mariachi Gringo | Magdalena | Film |
| 2013 | Buen Día, Ramón | Esperanza | Film |
| 2014 | The Strain | Guadalupe Elizalde | Recurring role |
| 2014 | Cake | Silvana | Film |
| 2015 | Dueños del paraíso (Owners of Paradise) | Irene Medrano | Telenovela, co-protagonist |
| 2015 | Wild Horses | Mrs. Davis | Film |
| 2016 | Todo lo Demás (Everything Else) | Doña Flor | Film, protagonist |
| 2016-2017 | Silvana sin lana (Silvana Without Money) | Trinidad "Trini" Altamirano de Rivapalacios | Telenovela, supporting role |
| 2018 | Al otro lado del muro (On The Other Side Of The Wall) | Carmen Rosales de Romero | Telenovela, supporting role |
| 2018 | The Inmate | Guadelupe Mendoza | Television |
| 2019 | Dora and the Lost City of Gold | Abuelita Valerie | Film |
| 2019 | Coyote Lake | Teresa | Film |
| 2019 | Rambo: Last Blood | Maria Beltran | Film |
| 2020 | Penny Dreadful: City of Angels | Maria Vega | Television |
| 2020 | We Can Be Heroes | Anita Moreno | Film |
| 2021 | Bingo Hell | Lupita | TV movie, protagonist |
| 2021 | Koati | Amaya | Voice role |
| 2022 | Diario de un gigoló | Minou | Television |
| 2022 | Monica | Leticia | Film |
| 2023 | Dark Obsession | Camila | Film |
| 2023 | Blue Beetle | Nana | Film |
| 2023 | Where the Tracks End | Teacher Georgina | Film |
| 2024 | My Penguin Friend | Maria | Film |
| TBA | El Gato | Alma | Television |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
| 2006 | About.com | Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | Babel | Won |
| 2006 | Academy Award | Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role | Babel | Nominated |
| 2006 | Broadcast Film Critics Association | Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | Babel | Nominated |
| 2006 | Chicago Film Critics Association | Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | Babel | Nominated |
| 2006 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | Babel | Nominated |
| 2006 | Gotham Awards | Best Ensemble Cast | Babel | Won |
| 2006 | Imagen Awards | Imagen Award for Best Supporting Actress | Babel | Nominated |
| 2006 | Online Film Critics Society | Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | Babel | Nominated |
| 2006 | Palm Springs International Film Festival | Palm Springs International Film Festival Award for Best Ensemble Cast | Babel | Won |
| 2006 | San Francisco Film Critics Circle | Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | Babel | Won |
| 2006 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role | Babel | Nominated |
| 2006 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Babel | Nominated |
| 2007 | ALMA Award | Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture | Babel | Won |
| 2011 | Imagen Awards | Imagen Award for Best Supporting Actress | From Prada to Nada | Nominated |
| 2017 | Ariel Awards | Best Actress | Todo lo Demás | Nominated |