# Leonor Varela

Leonor Magdalena Varela Palma (Spanish pronunciation:; born 29 December 1972) is a Chilean born actress. She played the title role in the 1999 television film Cleopatra, and vampire princess Nyssa Damaskinos in the 2002 Marvel Comics film Blade II.

## Early life

Varela was born in Santiago, Chile, the daughter of Leonor Palma-Keller, a massage therapist, and biologist and cognitive neuroscientist Francisco Varela García. She has a sister, Alejandra, and two brothers, Javier and Gabriel. When Varela was a child, her family fled Chile after the 1973 military coup d'état.

## Career

Varela also had a short recurring role in the Fox Television series Arrested Development as the original Marta. She was nominated for the Ariel Award in 2005 in the category of Best Actress for Innocent Voices (2004). She also had a non-recurring role in Stargate: Atlantis.
In 2012, she appeared as Marta Del Sol on the TNT television series Dallas.

## Personal life

Varela was engaged to Billy Zane, her co-star in the 1999 miniseries Cleopatra, (aired in 1999, released to video in 2001).
She began dating producer Lucas Akoskin in 2011, and they married in April 2013. In November 2012, Varela and Akoskin welcomed their first child together, a son named Matteo. Their daughter, Luna Mae, was born on 25 February 2015. Matteo was diagnosed with leukodystrophy (specifically an AGS) shortly after his birth. He died at the age of 5 on 16 November 2018.
Varela, a vegetarian, is a marine life activist who is concerned with the welfare of whales, working with groups such as Save The Whales Again.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Director |
| 1997 | Le ciel est à nous | Vanessa | Graham Guit |
| 1997 | Bouge ! | La danseuse | Jérôme Cornuau |
| 1998 | The Man in the Iron Mask | Ballroom Beauty | Randall Wallace |
| 1999 | Les parasites | Fidelia | Philippe de Chauveron |
| 1999 | Les infortunes de la beauté | Annabella | John Lvoff |
| 2001 | The Tailor of Panama | Marta | John Boorman |
| 2001 | Texas Rangers | Perdita | Steve Miner |
| 2002 | Blade II | Nyssa Damaskinos | Guillermo del Toro |
| 2002 | Paraíso B | Gloria | Nicolás Acuña |
| 2003 | Pas si grave | Angela | Bernard Rapp |
| 2003 | Tais-toi ! | Katia / Sandra | Francis Veber |
| 2004 | Voces inocentes | Kella | Luis Mandoki |
| 2005 | Americano | Adela | Kevin Nolan |
| 2007 | Goal II: Living the Dream | Jordana Garcia | Jaume Collet-Serra |
| 2007 | Where God Left His Shoes | Angela Diaz | Salvatore Stabile |
| 2008 | Sleep Dealer | Luz Martinez | Alex Rivera |
| 2008 | Hell Ride | Nada | Larry Bishop |
| 2008 | Hindsight | Maria | Paul Holahan |
| 2008 | All Inclusive | Miranda | Rodrigo Ortúzar Lynch |
| 2009 | Balls Out: Gary the Tennis Coach | Norma Sanchez | Danny Leiner |
| 2009 | Wrong Turn at Tahoe | Anna | Franck Khalfoun |
| 2010 | Que pena tu vida | Alma Subercaseaux | Nicolás López |
| 2011 | Blind Alley | La Madre | Antonio Trashorras |
| 2013 | Odd Thomas | Odd's Mother | Stephen Sommers |
| 2013 | Deseo | Muchacha | Antonio Zavala Kugler |
| 2014 | A Fine Step | Liliana Bolivar | Jonathan Meyers |
| 2014 | Ride | Danielle | Helen Hunt |
| 2015 | Captive | Sgt. Carmen Sandoval | Jerry Jameson |
| 2015 | All I Wish | Bianca | Susan Walter |
| 2018 | Saving Flora | Isabella | Mark Drury Taylor |
| 2018 | Alpha | Shaman | Albert Hughes |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1995 | Extrême limite | Marie | "Sacrifice" |
| 1995 | Pony Trek | Anette | TV film |
| 1996 | Sous le soleil | Jeanne | "Comportement modèle" |
| 1997 | Le juste | Pregnant Girl | "En transit vers l'espoir" |
| 1997 | Tic Tac | Pola Santa María | Main role |
| 1997 | Inca de Oro | Flor de I'nca | TV film |
| 1997 | 13th Rider | Anette | TV series |
| 1998 | Jeremiah | Judith | TV film |
| 1999 | Cleopatra | Cleopatra | TV miniseries |
| 2003 | Arrested Development | Marta Estrella | "Bringing Up Buster", "Key Decisions" |
| 2004 | Stargate Atlantis | Chaya Sar | "Sanctuary" |
| 2005 | E-Ring | Lt. Col. Cat Rodriguez | "Pilot" |
| 2006 | The Curse of King Tut's Tomb | Dr. Azelia Barakat | TV film |
| 2007 | Como Ama una Mujer | Sofia Marquez | TV miniseries |
| 2010 | Feroz | Laura Palma | Recurring role |
| 2010 | Monsterwolf | Maria | TV film |
| 2010-2011 | Human Target | Maria Gallego | "Salvage & Reclamation", "A Problem Like Maria" |
| 2012 | Dallas | Marta Del Sol | Recurring role |
| 2012 | Inland Empire | Poopy | TV film |
| 2013 | Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | Camilla Reyes | "0-8-4" |
| 2015 | Murder in Mexico: The Bruce Beresford-Redman Story | Monica | TV film |
| 2018 | Lethal Weapon | Sofia Vasquez | TV series |