Rossy de Palma
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.
Acting
Movie
Toc Toc
as Ana María
2017
Movie
The Man Who Killed Don Quixote
2018
Movie
Have You Met Claudia?
as Aldo's Claudia
2004
Movie
Parallel Mothers
as Elena
2021
Movie
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
as Marisa
1988
Movie
Julieta
as Marian
2016
Movie
Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart
as Luna (voice)
2014
Movie
Broken Embraces
as Julieta
2009
Movie
Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!
as Camello en Vespa
1990
Movie
Despite Everything
as Inés
2019
Movie
Dead Weight
as Pauline Reggio
2002
Movie
Do Not Disturb
as Maria
2014
Movie
Law of Desire
as Locutora tele
1987
Movie
Madame
as Maria
2017
Movie
Kika
as Juana
1993
Movie
Double zéro
as Le Monocle
2004
Movie
My Brother Chases Dinosaurs
as Auntie Rock / Zia Dolores
2019
TV
The White Princess
as Isabella I of Castile
2017
TV
La que se avecina
as María Luisa Romero
2007
Movie
The Flower of My Secret
as Rosa
1995
Movie
Prêt-à-Porter
as Pilar
1994
Movie
Spy Time
as Madre de Katia
2015
Movie
3 Days Max
as Alba Suarez
2023
Movie
A Mermaid in Paris
as Rossy
2020