Sonya Eleonora Smith Jacquet (, born April 23, 1972) is an American and Venezuelan actress best known for her roles in telenovelas.
Biography Smith was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, of Venezuelan actress Ileana Jacquet and Frederick Smith, who is American. Her maternal great-grandfather was French and her maternal great-grandmother was Finnish.Entrevista a Sonya Smith programa Área Restringida Parte 1 (in Spanish)Sonya Smith "yo también estoy enojada" (in Spanish) After her parents divorced, her actress mother along with Smith went back to Venezuela; Smith grew up in Venezuela and identifies herself with the Venezuelan culture. She speaks fluent Spanish, English, and German; the last learned from her mother, a German who grew up in Venezuela. She studied psychology at the Universidad Central de Venezuela.
Career Her breakthrough came in the early 1990s when she played Estrellita Montenegro, the main character in Cara Sucia, her most successful telenovela as the lead actress. Smith remains a popular actress not only in Venezuela, also in other countries where her telenovelas have shown. In 2006, she returned to telenovelas with Olvidarte Jamás, her biggest hit as the lead actress since Cara Sucia, which was shot in Miami; this is the time where Smith returned to her birth country, but this time in Miami. Later, in 2007, she reappeared in Acorralada, in which she was one of the main stars and which has been a huge success. There, she was Fedora Gaviota.
During 2005, Smith made her Hollywood debut, playing Angela La Salle in Cyxork 7, where she acted alongside Ray Wise; although Smith currently lives in the United States and appeared in a Hollywood film, she still wants to remain more in the Spanish media of the country because the Spanish media opened opportunities for her to fame.Cyxork7 "Interview with Sonya Smith" In 2007, she participated in another Hollywood film, Ladrón que roba a Ladrón, where she shared credits with actors, Fernando Colunga, Gabriel Soto, Miguel Varoni, and Saúl Lisazo among others. In 2013, she gets another protagonist role in the telenovela "Marido En Alquiler" based on the Brazilian telenovela "Fina Estampa" playing the role of Griselda Carrasco and starring with Juan Soler.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2006 Cyxork 7 Angela LaSalle 2007 La misma luna Sra. Snyder 2007 Ladrón que roba a ladrón Veronica Valdez 2008 I Didn't Know Who I Was Michelle Short film 2010 Hunted by Night Tania 2012 Unknowns DA Veronica Riley 2017 Case Unknown Claudia Smith Short film
Television roles Year Title Role Notes 1985 Cristal Maggie Supporting role 1989 Alondra Vicentina Supporting role 1990 Gardenia Margarita Supporting role 1991 El desprecio Violeta Velandró Supporting role 1992 Cara sucia Estrella Montenegro Protagonist 1993 Rosangélica Rosangélica González Hernández / Elisa Montero Protagonist 1994 María Celeste María Celeste Paniagua Protagonist 1996 Guajira Sonia Arbeláez Protagonist 1997 Destino de Mujer Mariana Oropeza Protagonist 1999 Mariú Coralia Lozada de Gálvez Co-protagonist 2000 Milagros Milagros De La Torre Vargas / Chachita Vargas Protagonist 2006 Olvidarte jamás Luisa Domínguez / Victoria Salinas Protagonist2007 Acorralada Fedora "La Gaviota" Garcés Ledezma Co-protagonistTiempo FinalClaudiaEpisode: Falso cura 2007–08 Pecados ajenos Elena Sandoval Main Antagonist 2009 Vuélveme a querer Liliana Acosta Supporting role 2010 ¿Dónde está Elisa? Dana Riggs Protagonist 2010–11 Aurora Ángela Amenábar Protagonist 2012 Corazón valiente Isabel Uriarte de Arroyo Special participationSecreteandoMarisolMain cast memberRelaciones PeligrosasLucreciaGuest appearance 2013–14 Marido en alquiler Griselda Carrasco Protagonist 2014–15 Tierra de reyes Cayetana Belmonte Vda. de Del Junco Main Antagonist / Co-protagonist 2016 Las Princesas Dolores VillanuevaAntagonistOff Script Dolores 2017 Milagros de Navidad Soledad Episode: "Adiós soledad" Protagonist 2018 Mi familia perfecta Dakota Johnson Antagonist 2018–21 Falsa identidad Fernanda Virrueta López Co-protagonist 2021–22 Si nos dejan Guest Speaker Guest; episode 83 2022 Repatriated April Supporting role20234EverPaulinaSupporting role2025Velvet: El nuevo imperioPilar Márquez
Theater Year Title RoleNotes2012 Las HijasThis is based on the novel La Casa de Bernarda Alba by Federico García Lorca Monologando 2017 Mujeres Infieles 2019 Divinas
Awards Latin Pride National Awards (for Outstanding Woman Achievement, 2008) Miami Life Award (2011) Latino Wall Street Award (Reconocimiento a la Trayectoria Artística, 2024)
References
Entrevista con Luis Olavarrieta "La vida no me dió hijos"
External links Biography
Sonya Smith official page