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Rossy de Palma

Born: 1964

Biography

Described by many as a Picasso come-to-life, de Palma broke the rules of beauty in 1988 when she starred in Pedro Almodóvar’s Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and became a model and muse for designers like Jean-Paul Gaultier, Thierry Mugler, and Sybilla. Her status as an iconic fashion character was further cemented with her role in Robert Altman’s 1994 satirical fashion film Prêt-à-Porter. Today, she is a theater actress, charity spokesperson for the Ghanian Charity OrphanAid Africa, and the face of luxury ad campaigns. Born in Palma de Mallorca, she was originally a singer and dancer for the band Peor Imposible before being discovered by filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar at a café in Madrid in 1986. He cast her in roles based on her unique, Picassoesque appearance. She is best known for her roles in Almodóvar films like La ley del deseo (Law of Desire), Kika, Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown) and La flor de mi secreto (The Flower of My Secret). She acts in France and does modeling. She appeared in Robert Altman's Prêt-à-Porter as Pilar. In 2007, she released a perfume line under her name through the French cosmetics company Etat libre d'Orange. In 2009, she posed nude in an information campaign on breast cancer for the magazine Marie Claire. She currently lives in France with her two sons. She was selected to be on the jury for the main competition section of the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.
Known For Acting
Gender Female
Place of Birth Palma, Balearic Islands, Spain

Resources

Movies

Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!

Camello en Vespa in Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!

Prêt-à-Porter

Pilar in Prêt-à-Porter

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Marisa in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

The Flower of My Secret

Rosa in The Flower of My Secret

Broken Embraces

Julieta in Broken Embraces

Kika

Juana in Kika

Jean Paul Gaultier fait son show

Self in Jean Paul Gaultier fait son show

El refugio

in El refugio

No Pasaran

Inès in No Pasaran

The Loss of Sexual Innocence

Blind Woman in The Loss of Sexual Innocence

Miss Tacuarembo

Patricia Peinado in Miss Tacuarembo

Dead Weight

Pauline Reggio in Dead Weight

My Friends

La mère de Marie in My Friends

Chicken Park

Necrophilia in Chicken Park

Leave Your Hands on My Hips

Myriam Bardem in Leave Your Hands on My Hips

Les Aristos

La duchesse Maria de Malaga i Benidorm in Les Aristos

Talk of Angels

Elena in Talk of Angels

Don Juan, My Dear Ghost

Viuda de Prodini in Don Juan, My Dear Ghost

Madonna: Truth or Dare

Self in Madonna: Truth or Dare

Rose rosse per una squillo

Juliette in Rose rosse per una squillo

Apaches: Gang of Paris

Sarah Bernardt in Apaches: Gang of Paris

Pastas Ardilla

Rossy in Pastas Ardilla

Peggio di così si muore

Myrna in Peggio di così si muore

The House

Brigida in The House

Rainbow

in Rainbow

Le vieux juif Blonde

Voyante in Le vieux juif Blonde

Second to Nun

Madame Laduree in Second to Nun

Aquí, el que no corre... vuela

in Aquí, el que no corre... vuela

Three Many Weddings

Madre de Ruth in Three Many Weddings

Foul Play

Concepcion Alibera in Foul Play

A Body in the Woods

Teniente Cifuentes in A Body in the Woods

&Me

Edurne's Mother in &Me

El viaje de Julieta

Self in El viaje de Julieta

I Don't Know Whether to Slit My Wrists or Leave Them Long

Lola in I Don't Know Whether to Slit My Wrists or Leave Them Long

10 Years with Bebe

self in 10 Years with Bebe

Dear Paris

Dolorès in Dear Paris

Just a Little Chemistry

Bárbara Sullivan in Just a Little Chemistry

Airbag

Carmiña, mujer de Pazos en una fotografía in Airbag

Mutant Action

Invitada de lujo in Mutant Action

Spy Time

Madre de Katia in Spy Time

Do Not Disturb

Maria in Do Not Disturb

Double zéro

Le Monocle in Double zéro

3 Days Max

Alba Suarez in 3 Days Max

Nag la Bombe

Leïla in Nag la Bombe

Julieta

Marian in Julieta

The Family Jewels

Donatella in The Family Jewels

Franchesca Page

Veronica in Franchesca Page

La Femme du cosmonaute

Catherine in La Femme du cosmonaute

L'origine du monde

The Sphynx in L'origine du monde

Do you know Claudia?

Aldo's Claudia in Do you know Claudia?

The Opera!

Moire in The Opera!

The Damned Rib

Margarita in The Damned Rib

Stranded

Mercè in Stranded

Graziella

Graziella in Graziella

Untied! Reflections on Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!

Self in Untied! Reflections on Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!

People - Jet set 2

Pilar in People - Jet set 2

The Material Boy

Self in The Material Boy

French Cinema Mon Amour

Self in French Cinema Mon Amour

Día de caza

in Día de caza

Run a way

La benemérita in Run a way

Lord, Give Me Patience

María Ramos in Lord, Give Me Patience

En tu cabeza

Milagros (Vecina) in En tu cabeza

The Exchange

Dómina in The Exchange

Toc Toc

Ana María in Toc Toc

Madame

Maria in Madame

The Blue Collar Worker and the Hairdresser in a Whirl of Sex and Politics

in The Blue Collar Worker and the Hairdresser in a Whirl of Sex and Politics

The Mule

La Colombienne in The Mule

Brillantissime

Charline in Brillantissime

Gigola

Dominique in Gigola

Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart

Luna (voice) in Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote

in The Man Who Killed Don Quixote

Law of Desire

Locutora tele in Law of Desire

Love of My Loves

Carmina in Love of My Loves

In The Rose Garden

Rosy in In The Rose Garden

¡Ay, Carmen!

Self - Actress in ¡Ay, Carmen!

À cause des filles…?

Artémis in À cause des filles…?

Almodóvar, todo sobre ellas

Self in Almodóvar, todo sobre ellas

Despite Everything

Inés in Despite Everything

My Brother Chases Dinosaurs

Auntie Rock / Zia Dolores in My Brother Chases Dinosaurs

I Miss You

Rosaura in I Miss You

The Rodriguez and the Beyond

Doctora Pilar in The Rodriguez and the Beyond

A Mermaid in Paris

Rossy in A Mermaid in Paris

Carmen

Masilda in Carmen

The Naked Target

Dama 2 in The Naked Target

20 Centimeters

La Frío in 20 Centimeters

Jean Paul Gaultier : Freak & Chic

Self in Jean Paul Gaultier : Freak & Chic

What's It All About

Librarian in What's It All About

Parallel Mothers

Elena in Parallel Mothers

Do You Do You Saint-Tropez

Carmen in Do You Do You Saint-Tropez

Black Is Beltza

Ruth Abramson (voice) in Black Is Beltza

Sam's Enough

Chichi in Sam's Enough

Lune de miel avec ma mère

in Lune de miel avec ma mère

Inside The Dream: Mugler

Self in Inside The Dream: Mugler

The Sweet Taste of Success

Rossy de Palma in The Sweet Taste of Success

TV Shows