Victoria Abril

Victoria Abril (born Victoria Mérida Rojas, 4 July 1959) is a Spanish film actress. She is best known to international audiences for her performance in the movie ¡Átame! (Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!) by director Pedro Almodóvar.

Abril was born in Madrid. She became widely known in Spain in 1976 when she appeared for two years in the show Un, dos, tres... responda otra vez as secretary, although later she has frequently disowned this work and does not like to remember it in interviews. Besides working in Spain, she also made films in France, where she resides, Italy and Iceland. She has been nominated eight times for Goya Awards in the Lead Actress category and has won once. She won the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the 41st Berlin International Film Festival for her role in Amantes. Two years later, she was awarded with the Berlinale Camera at the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival.

She is also a singer; in 2005, she made her debut with a bossanova-jazz album called PutchEros do Brasil. She tried to represent Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1979 with "Bang-Bang-Bang", but came second by just one point in the national final, losing to Betty Missiego with 26 out of a maximum 29.

She has two sons (Martín and Félix) with director Gérard de Battista.