I’ve recently developed a crush on Spanish actress María Valverde. She really caught my eye in Exodus, and then I realized I’d enjoyed her when I saw Cracks and The Limehouse Golem a few years back. I’ve been watching a number of her films recently, so, enjoy her talent and beauty with me!
The Borgia (2006)
Nope, not the Showtime version or even the much-maligned Borgia: Faith & Fear, but an earlier Spanish-Italian production. Valverde plays the famous Lucrezia Borgia.
The Anarchist’s Wife (2008)
Set in the 1930s, during the Spanish Civil War.
Cracks (2009)
A psychological thriller set at an English boarding school; Valverde plays a new student from Spain who mixes things up.
The Liberator (2013)
As Maria Theresa, wife of Simón Bolívar, who led revolutions against Spanish colonialism in early 19th-century South America.
The Mule (2013)
More Spanish Civil War — a soldier tries to win a girl’s heart, and there’s a mule involved. Don’t ask me!
Exodus: Gods and King (2014)
As Zipporah, wife of Moses in this biblical saga.
Ali and Nino (2016)
Set in Azerbaijan during World War I, a Muslim and Christian fall in love.
The Limehouse Golem (2016)
Jack the Ripper-style murders and vaudeville; Valverde plays a vaudeville performer.
The Load (2016)
As a 16th-century Spanish woman living in colonial Mexico, who goes on the run up with an indigenous man.
What’s your favorite of María Valverde’s historical costume movie & TV roles?
María is beautiful in everything she does – I totally agree that she was unexpectedly stunning as a blonde in The Borgia… and any questionable costuming, she just seems to wear with pride and panache – somehow making it acceptable/forgivable in my humble opinion. I think my favourite of her roles (although smaller than a lot she’s played) is in The Limehouse Golem. She underplayed the character beautifully and did a wonderful, haughty sneer when necessary; and she didn’t half look fabulous in her trapeze artist costumes!
I just noticed that in The Load (something I haven’t seen yet, but intend to) in the black gown, she seems to have a sewn in partlet (tut, tut, tut), rather dubious trimming and there is something about the sleeves that just looks slightly wrong and ‘costumey’ to me: even so she still looks gorgeous (neck up) and her hair is nice. :)
… also that hat in The Liberator, IS EVERYTHING! And she really wears that Kirsten Dunst pink, Marie Antoinette gown to perfection.
Yep, I called out that sewn-in partlet in my review!
Can you please continue the historically accurate disney princess series?
Hmmm! I think I felt like since I’d gotten through the original canon of Disney princesses, I was done! Let me look at some of the newer ones and see if I can come up with something.
Also please continue the Contemporary hairstyles series.
I definitely will, the posts are just SO MUCH WORK to write that it takes me a while to work up the energy!
I hadn’t known of her, until you reviewed The Liberator and I am now definitely a fan. I cannot wait to return to work and pick up my cancelled streaming services to watch her and finish Outlander Season 5, Peaky Blinders and the New Natalie Dormer’s Penny Dreadful: City of Angels.
She is really beautiful. I’ve only seen two of her films–Cracks and The Limehouse Golem. Both movies were good but Cracks was better. I keep getting her role confused in The Limehouse Golem with the Jessica Brown Finlay’s character in Victor Frankenstein. They both played aerialists, and their costumes semmed similar to my non-expert eyes. Two films I’d like to see are The Liberator and Ali and Nino.
She is great in Ali & Nino.