Catalina Sandino Moreno facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Catalina Sandino Moreno
Sandino Moreno in 2022
Born	(1981-04-19) 19 April 1981 (age 44) Bogotá, Colombia
Alma mater	Pontifical Xavierian University Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2004–present
Spouse(s)	David Elwell ​ (m. 2006)​
Children	1

Catalina Sandino Moreno (born on April 19, 1981) is a talented actress from Colombia. She is best known for her amazing acting in the movie Maria Full of Grace (2004). For this role, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. She also won the Silver Bear award, which she shared with Charlize Theron.

Catalina has appeared in many other films and TV shows. Some of these include Fast Food Nation (2006), Love in the Time of Cholera (2007), and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010). More recently, she has been in From (2022) and Silent Night (2023).

Early Life and Education

Catalina Sandino Moreno was born in Bogotá, the capital city of Colombia. She grew up in a regular family. Her dad is a veterinarian, and her mom is a pathologist.

She went to Saint George's School in Bogotá. Before she became an actress, Catalina studied advertising at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá.

Her Acting Career

Starting Out: Maria Full of Grace

In 2003, Catalina was chosen for the main role in the movie Maria Full of Grace. She was picked from over 900 girls who auditioned! She even left college to start this movie project.

In the film, Catalina played María Álvarez, a young Colombian girl who works on a flower farm. Her acting in this movie was highly praised by critics and audiences. This role made her the first Colombian actress to be nominated for an Academy Award. She also won the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Moving to New York and New Roles

In 2005, Catalina moved to New York City to study acting even more. She was also invited to join AMPAS, which is the group that gives out the Academy Awards.

In 2006, she acted in independent films like Fast Food Nation. She also appeared in Paris, je t'aime, where she played a young immigrant mother. In 2007, she starred in Love in the Time of Cholera. This movie was based on a famous book by Gabriel García Márquez.

Later Roles and TV Shows

In 2008, Catalina worked with Benicio del Toro in Steven Soderbergh's movie Che. She played Aleida March, the second wife of Che Guevara. This film was very popular with critics.

In 2010, she had a small role as a female Vampire named Maria in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. This movie was based on the popular book series by Stephenie Meyer.

After a short break, Catalina returned to acting in 2013. She appeared in films like Roa (2013) and A Most Violent Year (2014). She also joined the TV series Falling Skies in 2014.

In 2016, she was in the TV series American Gothic. That same year, she starred in the movie Custody alongside Viola Davis.

More recently, in 2022, Catalina joined the cast of the TV series From. In 2023, she played Saya Godluck in the action movie Silent Night. She is also set to appear in the John Wick spin-off film Ballerina.

Personal Life

In 2005, People magazine named Catalina Sandino Moreno one of the "50 Most Beautiful People."

Catalina met David Elwell, who works with movie lighting, while they were making Maria Full of Grace. They got married on April 15, 2006, in a small ceremony in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.

Film and TV Roles

Here are some of the movies and TV shows Catalina Sandino Moreno has been in:

Music Performance

• "Que Linda Manita" – 2006 (from the Paris, je t'aime Soundtrack)

Awards and Nominations

See Also

In Spanish: Catalina Sandino para niños

• List of actors with Academy Award nominations