# Carmen Maura

María del Carmen García Maura (born 15 September 1945) is a Spanish actress. In a career that has spanned six decades, she has starred in films such as Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, ¡Ay Carmela!, Common Wealth, and Volver. With three wins, she holds the record for most Goya Awards for Best Actress (for a total of four wins). She also won a Cesar Award in 2012 and a Cannes Film Festival Award in 2006.

## Early life

Carmen García Maura was born in Madrid on 15 September 1945 to Salvador García y Santa-Cruz and Carmen Maura y Arenzana. Her great-grandfather was the Count of Fuente Nueva de Arenzana, who lived in the Palace of Arenzana in Madrid, currently the embassy of France. Her great grandfather from her mother's side was artist Bartolomé Maura y Montaner [es], brother of statesman Antonio Maura.
Maura studied philosophy and literature at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. From 1964 to 1970, she was married to lawyer Francisco Forteza, with whom she has two children, Carmen and Pablo. Later she had a long relationship with Antonio Moreno Rubio, that ended in 1995 when she discovered he had defrauded her, causing bankruptcy.

## Career

Maura began her career as a cabaret singer. Maura's film career was launched in 1970 with an appearance in the film The Man in Hiding. This was followed by a major role in the 1977 film Tigres de papel. Although Maura has played dramatic roles, she is often noted for her comedic roles in films like Sal gorda (1984), Sé infiel y no mires con quién (1985) or Tata mía (1986).
Maura appeared in the first film by Pedro Almodóvar, Pepi, Luci, Bom y otras chicas del montón, in 1980. They went on to collaborate on five additional films in the 1980s, the last of which was Women on The Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988), for which she was awarded the European Film Award "Felix" for best actress.
Maura and Almodóvar appeared to have had a falling out after Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. They did not work together for over a decade, but joined forces again in 2006 for Volver. 'Volver' means 'Return' in Spanish, and one of the many returns the title alludes to is Maura's return to Almodovar's movies. The female cast of "Volver" won a collective prize for Best Actress at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival.
Maura also appeared in 800 Bullets where she played the mother of the boy who is the main character of the story. Kevin Severson is her son.
Maura is cited as a gay icon for the role of a transgender person that she played in Almodóvar's Law of Desire, strengthening her image as a strong woman who is not afraid to break through boundaries.
Maura has won more Goya Awards for Best Leading Actress than any other actress in the history of Spanish film. She won the "Locarno Excellence Award" in 2007 for the entirety of her cinematographic career.
Maura has worked with major directors like Almodovar, Francis Ford Coppola, Amos Gitai, Yasmina Reza, Alejandro Agresti, Carlos Saura, Étienne Chatiliez and Álex de la Iglesia.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Film | Role | Director | Other notes |
| 1969 | El espíritu | Billy | Juan Tamariz | (Short) |
| 1971 | El hombre oculto | Belén | Alfonso Ungría | billed as Carmen G. Maura |
| 1971 | Mantis | | Luis Mamerto López-Tapia | (Short) |
| 1973 | Un casto varón español | Profesora de Música | Jaime de Armiñán | |
| 1973 | El asesino está entre los trece | | Javier Aguirre | |
| 1974 | Tanata | | Luis Mamerto López-Tapia | |
| 1975 | Leonor | | Juan Luis Buñuel | |
| 1975 | El love feroz | María José | José Luis García Sánchez | (billed as Carmen G. Maura) |
| 1975 | La encadenada (A Diary of a Murderess) | Nun | Manuel Mur Oti | |
| 1975 | Vida íntima de un seductor cínico | Mujer de Jorge | Javier Aguirre | |
| 1976 | El libro de buen amor II | Virtuosa | Jaime Bayarri | |
| 1976 | La mujer es cosa de hombres | Manolita | Jesús Yagüe | |
| 1976 | Una pareja como las demás | | Miguel Ángel Díez | (Short) |
| 1976 | Ir por lana | | Miguel Ángel Díez | (Short) |
| 1976 | Pomporrutas imperiales | | Fernando Colomo | (Short) |
| 1976 | La petición | Chica que se insinua a Julián | Pilar Miró | |
| 1977 | Tigres de papel | Carmen - ex-mujer de Juan | Fernando Colomo | |
| 1978 | Los ojos vendados (Blindfolded Eyes) | Nurse | Carlos Saura | |
| 1978 | De fresa, limón y menta | | Miguel Ángel Díez | |
| 1978 | Folle... folle... fólleme Tim! | | Pedro Almodóvar | |
| 1978 | Mi blanca Varsovia | | Javier Quintana | (Short) |
| 1978 | What's a Girl Like You Doing in a Place Like This? | Rosa | Fernando Colomo | |
| 1978 | Menos mi madre y mi hermana | | Jaime Villate | (Short) |
| 1979 | Café, amor y estereofonía | | | (Short) |
| 1979 | Tal vez mañana... | | | (Short) |
| 1980 | Gary Cooper, que estás en los cielos | Begoña | Pilar Miró | With Mercedes Sampietro |
| 1980 | El hombre de moda | Rosa | Fernando Méndez Leite | |
| 1980 | Pepi, Luci, Bom | Pepi | Pedro Almodóvar | |
| 1982 | Femenino singular | Luisa Matas | Juanjo López | |
| 1983 | El Cid cabreador | Jimena | Angelino Fons | |
| 1983 | Dark Habits | Sor Perdida | Pedro Almodóvar | With Marisa Paredes, Chus Lampreave and Julieta Serrano |
| 1984 | What Have I Done to Deserve This? | Gloria | Pedro Almodóvar | With Ángel de Andrés López, Kiti Manver and Chus Lampreave |
| 1984 | Sal gorda | Presentadora T.V. | Fernando Trueba | |
| 1985 | Sé infiel y no mires con quién | Carmen | Fernando Trueba | With Ana Belén, Santiago Ramos, Antonio Resines, Verónica Forqué and Chus Lampreave |
| 1985 | Extramuros | Sor Ana | Miguel Picazo | |
| 1986 | Tata mía | Elvira | José Luis Borau | With Imperio Argentina, Alfredo Landa and Miguel Rellán |
| 1986 | Delirios de amor | Carmen | Cristina Andreu, Luis Eduardo Aute, Antonio González-Vigil and Félix Rotaeta | (segment "Delirio 3",uncredited) |
| 1986 | Matador | Julia | Pedro Almodóvar | With Assumpta Serna and Antonio Banderas |
| 1987 | Law of Desire | Tina Quintero | Pedro Almodóvar | With Eusebio Poncela and Antonio Banderas |
| 1988 | Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown | Pepa | Pedro Almodóvar | (Goya Award winning) with Antonio Banderas, Julieta Serrano and María Barranco |
| 1988 | 2.30 A.M. | | | (Short) |
| 1989 | Bâton Rouge | Isabel Harris | Rafael Moleón | With Victoria Abril and Antonio Banderas |
| 1990 | ¡Ay, Carmela! | Carmela | Carlos Saura | (Goya Award winning) with Andrés Pajares and Gabino Diego |
| 1991 | Chatarra | Zabú | Félix Roteta | |
| 1991 | How to Be a Woman and Not Die in the Attempt | Carmen | Ana Belén | With Antonio Resines |
| 1992 | La reina anónima | Ana Luz | Gonzalo Suárez | With Marisa Paredes |
| 1992 | Sur la terre comme au ciel | Maria Garcia | Marion Hänsel | aka Between Heaven and Earth |
| 1993 | Sombras en una batalla | Ana | Mario Camus | Goya Award Nominated with Tito Valverde |
| 1993 | Louis, enfant roi | Anne d'Autriche | Roger Planchon | |
| 1994 | Cómo ser infeliz y disfrutarlo | Carmen | Enrique Urbizu | |
| 1995 | Happiness Is in the Field | Dolores Thivart | Étienne Chatiliez | French title Le bonheur est dans le pré |
| 1995 | El palomo cojo | Tía Victoria | Jaime de Armiñán | aka The Lame Pigeon |
| 1995 | Pareja de tres | Ana | Antoni Verdaguer | With Rosa María Sardá |
| 1995 | El rey del río | Carmen | Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón | |
| 1996 | Amores que matan | Consuelo | Juan Manuel Chumilla | With Juanjo Puigcorbé |
| 1997 | Elles | Linda | Luís Galvao Teles | |
| 1997 | Alliance cherche doigt | Geneviève Lechat | Jean-Pierre Mocky | |
| 1997 | Tortilla y cinema | Carmen Maura, the movie star | Martin Provost | |
| 1997 | Vivir después | | Carlos Galettini | |
| 1998 | Alice y Martin | Jeanine | André Téchiné | |
| 1999 | Lisbon | Berta | Antonio Hernández | Goya Award Nominated, with Sergi López and Federico Luppi |
| 2000 | La comunidad | Julia | Alex de la Iglesia | Goya Award and Silver Seashell Award-winning |
| 2001 | El palo | Maite | Eva Lesmes | aka The Hold-Up, with Adriana Ozores, Maribel Verdú and Malena Alterio |
| 2002 | 800 balas | Laura | Alex de la Iglesia | With Sancho Gracia and Terele Pávez |
| 2002 | Valentín | Abuela | Alejandro Agresti | |
| 2003 | The Pact of Silence | Mother Emmanuelle | Graham Guit | |
| 2003 | Le ventre de Juliette | Julia | | |
| 2004 | Entre vivir y soñar | Ana | David Albacente and Alfonso Menkes | aka Searching for Love |
| 2004 | Al otro lado | Esperanza | Gustavo Loza | |
| 2004 | La promesa | Celia | | With Ana Fernández |
| 2005 | Free Zone | Mrs. Breitberg | Amos Gitai | With Natalie Portman |
| 2005 | Reinas | Magda | Manuel Gómez Pereira | With Marisa Paredes, Verónica Forqué and Mercedes Sampietro |
| 2006 | Volver | Irene | Pedro Almodóvar | |
| 2007 | Que parezca un accidente | Pilar | Guillermo de la Guardia | |
| 2007 | El menor de los males | Julia | Antonio Hernández | |
| 2008 | La Virgen Negra | Sra. Isabel | Ignacio Castillo | |
| 2008 | The Garden of Eden | Madame Aurol | John Irvin | |
| 2009 | Tetro | Alone | Francis Ford Coppola | |
| 2010 | Le Mac | La mère | Pascal Bourdiaux | |
| 2010 | Chicas | Pilar | Yasmina Reza | |
| 2011 | Let My People Go! | Rachel | Mikael Buch | |
| 2012 | Paulette | Maria | Jérôme Enrico | |
| 2013 | Las brujas de Zugarramurdi | Graciana | Alex de la Iglesia | |
| 2015 | Vanity (La Vanité) | Esperanza | Lionel Baier | |
| 2019 | Gente que viene y bah | Ángela | Patricia Font | |
| 2020 | Chasing Wonders | Maribel | Paul Meins | |
| 2021 | Veneza | Gringa | Miguel Falabella | |

### Television

| Year | Work | Role | Other notes |
| 1966–78 | Novela | | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 1972 | Las doce caras de Eva | Carmen / Camarera / Leonor | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 1972 | Aventuras y desventuras de Mateo | Gabriela | TV series, 1 episode (billed as Carmen García Maura) |
| 1972–73 | Tres eran tres | Srta. Cecilia / Sra. de Luzuriaga | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 1973 | Historias de Juan Español | Nuria | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1973–82 | Estudio 1 | Julia / Manola / Flor | TV series, 5 episodes |
| 1974 | Suspiros de España | Almudena / Luisa Boronat | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 1974 | Juan y Manuela | Patricia Roca | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1974 | Don Juan | Doña Inés | TV special by Antonio Mercero |
| 1974–77 | Los libros | Elisa & Tessa (1974) Melibea (1974) Dª Garoza (1974) La Dama Encinta (1976) Eugenia Grandet (1977) | TV series, 5 episodes |
| 1975 | El quinto jinete | Sara | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1975 | Cuentos y leyendas | Casilda | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1975–76 | El teatro | Cristina / Leonor | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1976 | Este señor de negro | Pilar | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1978 | Curro Jiménez | Misterios | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1980 | Teatro breve | | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1981 | Cervantes | Constanza | TV series, 5 episodes (uncredited) |
| 1981–82 | Esta noche [es] | Herself | TV series, 10 episodes |
| 1984 | Paisaje con figuras | La Calderona | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1985 | La huella del crimen | Higinia Balaguer | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1989 | Mieux vaut courir | Anna | TV movie |
| 1990 | La mujer de tu vida | Marisa Novoa | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1996 | Une mère en colère | Rosa | TV movie |
| 1998–99 | A las once en casa | Olga | TV series, 65 episodes |
| 1999 | Famosos y familia | Sara Luján | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 2003 | Arroz y tartana | Doña Manuela de Fora | TV miniseries |
| 2006 | Mentir un peu | Mme Jacquet | TV movie |
| 2007 | Círculo rojo | Victoria Villalobos | TV series, 12 episodes |
| 2009 | A Saint's War | La révérende mère | TV movie |
| 2010 | Las Chicas de Oro | Rosa | TV series, 26 episodes Spanish version of The Golden Girls in the role of Rose Nylund |
| 2012 | Stamos okupa2 | Lucía Piqueras | TV series, 13 episodes |
| 2012 | Carta a Eva | Paca | TV Mini-Series, 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Y'a pas d'âge | Hélène | TV series, 25 episodes |
| 2015 | Águila Roja | Olivia, duquesa de Fournier | TV series, 2 episodes (uncredited) |
| 2018 | Asesinato en el Hormiguero Express | Herself | (TV Short) |
| 2020 | Someone Has to Die | Amparo Falcón | Limited series, 3 episodes |
| 2021 | Deudas | Pepa Carranza | |
| 2024 | Land of Women | Julia | TV series |

## Awards and nominations
### Cannes Film Festival

| Year | Nominated work | Category | Result |
| 2006 | Volver | Best Actress | Won |

### César Award

| Year | Nominated work | Category | Result |
| 1996 | Happiness Is in the Field | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated |
| 2012 | The Women on the 6th Floor | Best Supporting Actress | Won |

### European Film Awards

| Year | Nominated work | Category | Result |
| 1988 | Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown | Best Actress | Won |
| 1990 | ¡Ay Carmela! | Best Actress | Won |
| 2018 | Lifetime Achievement Award | Lifetime Achievement Award | Won |

### Goya Awards

| Year | Nominated work | Category | Result |
| 1989 | Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown | Best Actress | Won |
| 1991 | ¡Ay Carmela! | Best Actress | Won |
| 1994 | Shadows in a Conflict | Best Actress | Nominated |
| 2000 | Lisbon | Best Actress | Nominated |
| 2001 | Common Wealth | Best Actress | Won |
| 2007 | Volver | Best Supporting Actress | Won |

### Locarno Festival

| Year | Category | Result |
| 2007 | Locarno Excellence Award | Won |

### San Sebastián International Film Festival

| Year | Nominated work | Category | Result |
| 2000 | Common Wealth | Best Actress | Won |

### Silver Condor Awards

| Year | Nominated work | Category | Result | Ref. |
| 2004 | Valentín | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | |

### Fotogramas de Plata

* 2007-Nominated: Best Movie Actress for Volver (2006)
* 2001-Won: Best Movie Actress for La comunidad (2000).
* 1999-Won: Best TV Actress for A las once en casa (1998).
* 1994-Nominated: Best Movie Actress for Sombras en una batalla (1993)
* 1993-Nominated: Best Movie Actress for "La reina anónima" and also Entre el cielo y la tierra (1992)
* 1991-Won: Best Movie Actress for ¡Ay Carmela! (1990)
* 1991-Nominated: Best TV Actress for La mujer de tu vida (1990)
* 1989-Won: Best Movie Actress for Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (1988)
* 1988-Nominated: Best Movie Actress for La ley del deseo (1987)
* 1987-Nominated: Best Movie Actress for Tata mía (1986) and also Matador (1986)
* 1986-Nominated: Best Movie Actress for Sé infiel y no mires con quién (1985) and Extramuros (1985)
* 1985-Won: Best Movie Actress for ¿Qué he hecho yo para merecer esto? (1984)
* 1982-Won: Best Performance in a Television series for Esta noche (1981)

### Honours

* France: Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters (1996).
* Spain: Dame Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise (09/10/2015).