Leonor Magdalena Varela Palma (; born 29 December 1972) is a Chilean born actress. She played the title role in the 1999 television film Cleopatra, and vampire princess Nyssa Damaskinos in the 2002 Marvel Comics film Blade II.
Early life Varela was born in Santiago, Chile, the daughter of Leonor Palma-Keller, a massage therapist, and biologist and cognitive neuroscientist Francisco Varela García. She has a sister, Alejandra, and two brothers, Javier and Gabriel. When Varela was a child, her family fled Chile after the 1973 military coup d'état.
Career
Varela also had a short recurring role in the Fox Television series Arrested Development as the original Marta. She was nominated for the Ariel Award in 2005 in the category of Best Actress for Innocent Voices (2004). She also had a non-recurring role in Stargate: Atlantis.
In 2012, she appeared as Marta Del Sol on the TNT television series Dallas.
Personal life Varela was engaged to Billy Zane, her co-star in the 1999 miniseries Cleopatra, (aired in 1999, released to video in 2001).
She began dating producer Lucas Akoskin in 2011, and they married in April 2013. On 20 November 2012, Varela and Akoskin welcomed their first child together, a son named Matteo. Their daughter, Luna Mae, was born on 25 February 2015. Matteo was diagnosed with leukodystrophy (specifically AGS) shortly after his birth. He died at the age of 5 on 16 November 2018.
Varela, a vegetarian, is a marine life activist who is concerned with the welfare of whales, working with groups such as Save The Whales Again.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Director1997Le ciel est à nousVanessaGraham Guit1997Bouge !La danseuseJérôme Cornuau1998Ballroom BeautyRandall Wallace1999Les parasitesFideliaPhilippe de Chauveron1999Les infortunes de la beautéAnnabellaJohn Lvoff2001MartaJohn Boorman2001Texas RangersPerditaSteve Miner2002Blade IINyssa DamaskinosGuillermo del Toro2002Paraíso BGloriaNicolás Acuña2003Pas si graveAngelaBernard Rapp2003Tais-toi !Katia / SandraFrancis Veber2004Voces inocentesKellaLuis Mandoki2005AmericanoAdelaKevin Nolan2007Goal II: Living the DreamJordana GarciaJaume Collet-Serra2007Where God Left His ShoesAngela DiazSalvatore Stabile2008Sleep DealerLuz MartinezAlex Rivera2008Hell RideNadaLarry Bishop2008HindsightMariaPaul Holahan2008All InclusiveMirandaRodrigo Ortúzar Lynch2009Balls Out: Gary the Tennis CoachNorma SanchezDanny Leiner2009Wrong Turn at TahoeAnnaFranck Khalfoun2010Que pena tu vidaAlma SubercaseauxNicolás López2011Blind AlleyLa MadreAntonio Trashorras2013Odd ThomasOdd's MotherStephen Sommers2013DeseoMuchachaAntonio Zavala Kugler2014Liliana BolivarJonathan Meyers2014RideDanielleHelen Hunt2015CaptiveSgt. Carmen SandovalJerry Jameson2015All I WishBiancaSusan Walter2018Saving FloraIsabellaMark Drury Taylor2018AlphaShamanAlbert Hughes
Television Year Title Role Notes1995Extrême limiteMarie"Sacrifice"1995Pony TrekAnetteTV film1996Sous le soleilJeanne"Comportement modèle"1997Le justePregnant Girl"En transit vers l'espoir"1997Tic TacPola Santa MaríaMain role1997Inca de OroFlor de I'ncaTV film199713th RiderAnetteTV series1998JeremiahJudithTV film1999CleopatraCleopatraTV miniseries2003Arrested DevelopmentMarta Estrella"Bringing Up Buster", "Key Decisions"2004Stargate AtlantisChaya Sar"Sanctuary"2005E-RingLt. Col. Cat Rodriguez"Pilot"2006Dr. Azelia BarakatTV film2007Como Ama una MujerSofia MarquezTV miniseries2010FerozLaura PalmaRecurring role2010MonsterwolfMariaTV film2010-2011Human TargetMaria Gallego"Salvage & Reclamation", "A Problem Like Maria"2012DallasMarta Del SolRecurring role2012Inland EmpirePoopyTV film2013Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.Camilla Reyes"0-8-4"2015Murder in Mexico: The Bruce Beresford-Redman StoryMonicaTV film2018Lethal WeaponSofia VasquezTV series
References
External links