Elsa Pataky

Elsa Pataky
Pataky in 2007
Born
Elsa Lafuente Medianu

(1976-07-18) 18 July 1976 (age 47)
Madrid, Spain
Alma materUniversidad CEU San Pablo
Occupations
  • Model
  • actress
Years active1997–present
Spouse
(m. 2010)
Children3
Website[1]

Elsa Lafuente Medianu (Spanish: [ˈelsa laˈfwente meˈðjanu]; born 18 July 1976), known professionally as Elsa Pataky, is a Spanish model and actress. Pataky is known for her role as Elena Neves in the Fast & Furious franchise. She has appeared in the films Snakes on a Plane (2006), Giallo (2009) and Give 'Em Hell, Malone (2009). She also starred in the Spanish film Di Di Hollywood (2010).

Early life

Pataky was born Elsa Lafuente Medianu in Madrid, Spain, the daughter of José Francisco Lafuente, a Spanish biochemist, and Cristina Medianu Pataky, a Romanian publicist. She has a younger half-brother: Cristian Prieto Medianu, a cinematographic director. She uses the surname Pataky in homage to her Hungarian maternal grandmother Rosa Pataky.

Pataky attended the Universidad CEU San Pablo, studying journalism and taking acting classes. In addition to Spanish and Romanian, she is fluent in English, Italian, Portuguese, and French.

Career

Pataky was a member of the Madrid theatre company Teatro Cámara de Ángel Gutiérrez. Eventually, she left school when she was cast in the television series Al salir de clase. Some of her subsequent films were co-productions with the UK and France, which introduced her to working in English and French. She was in the cast of the television series Queen of Swords (2000) as Señora Vera Hidalgo, trophy wife of Gaspar Hidalgo and mistress of Captain Grisham, credited in the opening titles but appearing in only 14 of the 22 episodes. She also had a recurring role in the television series Los Serrano, playing teacher Raquel, who fell in love with her student Marcos (Fran Perea).[citation needed]

Pataky has appeared in over 10 Spanish films and co-starred in the French film Iznogoud (2004). She was also on the cover of August 2006 issue of Maxim. She was cast in 2009 in the Mexican series Mujeres Asesinas as Paula Moncada in the episode "Ana y Paula, Ultrajadas". She also starred in the action noir film Give 'Em Hell, Malone and Dario Argento's Giallo.[citation needed]

Pataky became the female face for the first collection of Time Force's jewelry line Ultimate Jewel, opposite football star Cristiano Ronaldo. She played Officer Elena Neves in the movie Fast Five, with Dwayne Johnson as her partner, Luke Hobbs. MTV Networks' NextMovie.com named her one of the Breakout Stars to Watch for in 2011. Pataky was a stand in for Natalie Portman in the post end credit scene in Thor: The Dark World.

Pataky reprised her role as Elena Neves in Fast & Furious 6 (2013), Furious 7 (2015), and The Fate of the Furious (2017), the sixth, seventh and eighth installments of Fast & Furious film series respectively.

In 2018, Pataky starred in the Australian web television series Tidelands as Adrielle Cuthbert. It was released on 14 December 2018 on Netflix.

Pataky played the lead role in Interceptor, directed by Matthew Reilly, which was released in June 2022.

Pataky co-founded a skincare brand called Purely Byron. The brand launched its first product in 2022. In March 2023, Purely Byron was placed in administration and put up for sale. At the time, BWX Group owned a 47.4 per cent stake in the company, while Ido Leffler and Lance Kalish held about 22 per cent each, and Chris Hemsworth's Byron Bay 1st Management a 3.2 per cent.

Personal life

Pataky dated French actor Michaël Youn from 2004 to 2006 and American actor Adrien Brody from 2006 to 2009. She started dating Australian actor Chris Hemsworth in early 2010 after meeting through their mutual representatives. Pataky and Hemsworth married during the Christmas holidays in 2010. They have three children together: a daughter and twin sons. In 2015, the family moved from Los Angeles to Byron Bay.

In September 2012, Pataky won €310,000 in a ruling by the Supreme Court of Spain against publishing group Ediciones Zeta. In March 2007, Interviu, a magazine owned by the Zeta, published topless photos of Pataky that had been taken with a long lens while Pataky was changing clothes during a photoshoot for Elle magazine. The Zeta group said it would appeal against the decision.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1997 Solo en la buhardilla Chica revista Short film
2000 The Art of Dying Candela
Tatawo Blanqui
Less Is More Diana
2001 Don't Tempt Me Waitress in Hell
Twelfth Night [es] Marta Cuspineda
2002 Peor imposible ¿qué puede fallar? [es] Fátima
2003 Beyond Re-Animator Laura Olney
El furgón [es] Nina
Atraco a las 3... y media [ca] Katya
2004 Romasanta: The Werewolf Hunt Barbara
Tiovivo c. 1950 Balbina
2005 Iznogoud Prehti-Ouhman
Arquitectura efímera deconstruida Vídeo 'Retorciendo palabras' Direct-to-video
Ninette Alajandra 'Ninette'
2006 Snakes on a Plane Maria
2007 Manual of Love 2 Cecilia
2008 Máncora Ximena Saavedra
Skate or Die Dany
Santos Laura Luna
2009 Giallo Celine
Give 'Em Hell, Malone Evelyn
2009 Shorts Allie Hamilton (Spanish dub)
2010 Mr. Nice Ilza Kadegis
Di Di Hollywood Di Di
2011 La importancia de llamarse Enesto Short film
Fast Five Elena Neves
Where the Road Meets the Sun Michelle
Snowflake, the White Gorilla Bruja del Norte aka Copito de nieve
2013 All Things to All Men Sophia Peters
The Wine of Summer Veronica Also producer
Fast & Furious 6 Elena Neves
2015 Furious 7
2017 The Fate of the Furious
2018 12 Strong Jean Nelson
2022 Interceptor JJ Collins
Thor: Love and Thunder Wolf Woman
Poker Face Penelope
2022 Carmen

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1997 Al salir de clase Raquel Alonso 192 episodes
1998 Tio Willy 1 episode
La vida en el aire 13 episodes
2000 Hospital Central Maribel 2 episodes
Queen of Swords Vera Hidalgo 14 episodes
2002 Clara TV movie
Paraíso Luisa Episode: "El cebo"
2003 7 vidas Cristina Episode: "La jaula de las locas"
Los Serrano Raquel Albaladejo 11 episodes
2005 Films to Keep You Awake: The Christmas Tale Ekran TV movie
2009 Mujeres asesinas Paula Moncada Episode: "Ana y Paula, ultrajadas"
2018 Tidelands Adrielle Cuthbert Main role

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