Catalina Saavedra

Catalina Saavedra
Saavedra at the Guadalajara International Film Festival in Mexico, March 2009
Born	Catalina Saavedra Pérez (1968-01-08) January 8, 1968 Valparaíso, Chile
Occupation(s)	Film, Stage and Television actress.
Years active	1991–present

Catalina Saavedra Pérez (born January 8, 1968) is a Chilean film, stage and television actress. She is better known to international audiences as the title character in the 2009 film The Maid, for which she received several awards and nominations.

Career

Saavedra started acting lessons at the age of ten, prompted by her mother's hiring of a private theater arts teacher in Valparaíso, Chile. Years later, her love for acting led her to deepen her studies at the "Escuela de Teatro Imagen" in Santiago, Chile, and later in Barcelona, when she began to study experimental theatre.

Saavedra's first professional theatre performances were in roles in plays such as "El Despertar" (1991–1997), "Pervertimientos y Otros Gestos Para Nada" (1993) and "La noche de la Iguana" (The Night of the Iguana) (1994), and in a Café-chantant called "TV cable 90" (1992). On film, Saavedra's first appearances were in short films, such as "El Bidón" and "Volando Voy" (directed by Miguel Littin). Saavedra's has performed various roles in a several soap operas, sitcoms and TV shows on Chilean and German television.

International recognition for Saavedra came in 2009, for her leading role as Raquel in the 2009 Chilean film The Maid (2009 film). It was released on August 13, 2009 in Chile and October 16, 2009 in the United States, grossing over $400,000 in the first few weeks in theaters with only 18 copies circulating, turning into one of the most successful Chilean films in the United States. The film ended its theatrical run in the United States with a gross of $576,608. Her role was praised by specialized press and critics around the world, bestowing her many acting awards, including Best Actress at the Sundance Film Festival, Torino Film Festival, Huelva Film Festival, Biarritz Film Festival, Cartagena Film Festival and Miami Film Festival, a breakthrough award at the Gotham Independent Film Awards and a Satellite Awards nomination. In late 2009, she appeared as a possible nominee for the most important film awards, Academy Awards and Golden Globes Awards along with the film The Maid for International Movie.

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1997	El Bidón		Short film
	Volando Voy	Luchita	Short film directed by Miguel Littín, director nominated twice for an Academy Award.
1999	Salmón a lo Pobre		Short film
2002	La Perra
2007	Normal con Alas
	La Vida me Mata
2008	31 Minutos, La Película	Cachirula (voice)	Havana Film Festival Award-winning for Best Animated Film
	Chile Puede	Magda	Supported by the National Council For Arts & Culture, Chile
	Ausente
	Mami Te Amo
	Secretos
2009	The Dancer and the Thief	Madre Ángel	Short appearance. Directed by Fernando Trueba, Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film with Belle Époque.
	The Maid	Raquel	Sundance Film Festival Award-winning. Nominated for "The 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards" consideration honoring 2009 achievements.
2011	Old Cats
2014	The Quispe Girls	Lucía Quispe	Directed by Sebastián Sepúlveda.
2018	Marilyn
2019	Ema		Filming

Awards and nominations

Theatre

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result
2008	Altazor Awards	Best Actress in a Play	Las Brutas	Won

Film

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result
2007	SANFIC	Special Mention for Acting	La vida me mata	Won
2009	Guadalajara International Film Festival	Best Actress in a leading role	The Maid	Won
	Iberoamerican Huelva Film Festival			Won
	Turin Film Festival			Won
	Biarritz Film Festival			Won
	Cartagena International Film Festival			Won
	Miami International Film Festival			Won
	Havana Film Festival			Won
	Sundance Film Festival Awards	World Cinema Special Jury Prize for Acting		Won
	Gotham Film Awards	Breakthrough Actor/Actress		Won
	Satellite Awards 2009	Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama		Nominated
2010	Dorian Awards	Film performance of the year		Nominated
	Altazor Awards	Best actress		Won
	Pedro Sienna Awards	Best Actress in a leading role		Won
	People en Español Awards	Best Actress in a leading role		Nominated

Work in TV & Stage

Television credits (sitcoms and series)

• Jaguar Yu (1992).
• Amor a domicilio, la comedia (1996) as Brígida.
• Geografía del deseo (2004), as Marisa.
• Los Galindo (2005), season 1, episode 1.
• Loco por ti (2005), season 4, episode 2.
• Los simuladores (2005), season 1, episodes 1, 3, 4 and 8.
• La Nany (2005), season 1, episodes 8 and 76.
• La otra cara del espejo (2006), season 1, episode 1.
• Urgencias (2006), season 2, episode 9.
• Huaiquimán y Tolosa (2006), season 1, episode 8.
• Los Venegas (2006 - 2011) as Josefina.

Television credits (soap operas)

• Hasta en las mejores familias (1994) as Jessica.
• Amor a Domicilio (1995) as Brígida.
• Adrenalina (1996) as Raquel Trujillo.
• Playa Salvaje (1997) as Susana.
• Fuera de Control (1999) as Pamela Duarte.
• Sabor a Ti (2000) as Virginia Solano.
• Piel Canela (2001) as Talula Vargas.
• Buen Partido (2002) as Rita.
• Fortunato (2007), as Dulcinea.

Stage credits

• El Despertar (1991–1997).
• Pervertimientos y Otros Gestos Para Nada (1993).
• La noche de la Iguana (1994).
• Muerte de un Funcionario Público (1995).
• Telarañas (1996, 1998).
• Sht (2000).
• Ojos Rotos (2001–2002) (permormed in Chile and at the International Hispanic Theatre Festival of Miami).
• Firmas para el Amor (2001–2002), Assistant director.
• Circulando (2003).
• Ni Ahí (2004).
• Inocencia (2004).
• En La Sangre (2004).
• Putas Errantes (2005–2006).
• El lugar de la misericordia (2006), Assistant director.
• Las Gallinas (2007).
• Las Brutas (2007) (performed in Chile and in a Tour to Europe).
• Los Mountainbikers (2008).
• Diatriba de la victoria (2009).
• Equívoca Fuga de Señorita Apretando un Pañuelo de encaje sobre su Pecho (2009).

External links

• Catalina Saavedra at IMDb