Daniela Vega
A head shot of Vega while she looks at camera
Vega at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2017
Born (1989-12-13) December 13, 1989 (age 34)
San Miguel, Santiago Province, Chile
Other namesDani Vega
Occupations
  • Actress
  • singer
Years active2011–present

Daniela Vega Hernández (born June 3, 1989) is a Chilean actress and mezzo-soprano singer.[1][2] She is best known for her critically acclaimed performance in the Academy Award-winning film A Fantastic Woman (2017).[3][4] At the 90th Academy Awards in 2018, Vega became the first transgender person in history to be a presenter at the Academy Awards ceremony. In 2018, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.[5]

Early life

Born on June 3, 1989, in San Miguel, Santiago Province, as the first child of Igor Alejandro Vega Inostroza and Sandra del Carmen Hernandez de la Cuadra.[6] Vega began studying opera with her grandmother at the age of eight.[7][8] Growing up, she attended an all-boys school where she was bullied.[9][10] It was while she was attending the all-boys school in her teens that she realized she was a girl and began to transition.[9][7] Her parents and younger brother Nicolás were supportive of her, despite the conservative nature of Chile at that time.[11][10] Vega described suffering depression for the three years of transition due to the lack of opportunities in Chile to progress her education or express herself, but Vega's parents were supportive and her father encouraged her to go to beauty school, and later theater school.[12][13][7][9]

Career

2011–2017: Early roles and breakthrough

Vega at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival in 2017.

Vega was asked by a writer and director to collaborate on a stage piece about transitioning, using her experience as a foundation.[14] Her contribution resulted in her going on to star in the eventual stage production, Martin de la Parra's 2011 play La mujer Mariposa (The Butterfly Woman). This piece, where she also had the opportunity to sing, ran for eight years in Santiago. During this time, she participated in more pieces, most notably in Migrante (Migrant), a piece about migration.[15][16] Vega's profile was elevated to a wider audience when she appeared in the music video of the famous song "Maria" by Manuel García in 2014. The song and music video were made in collaboration with a gay suicide prevention organization, to help raise awareness and prevent suicide in gay teens.[17] She made her screen debut in 2014 in a drama called The Guest (La visita), playing a trans woman at her father's wake.[18][14]

Vega at the red carpet of the Fénix Awards 2017, Mexico

The 67th Berlin International Film Festival saw the release of A Fantastic Woman (2017), directed by Sebastián Lelio, a film for which her performance was acclaimed by critics.[19][3] A Fantastic Woman tells the story of Marina (played by Vega) and Orlando (played by Francisco Reyes), an older man with whom she is in love and planning a future. After Orlando falls ill and dies, Marina is forced to face family and society, and fight again to show who she is: a fantastic woman.[20] Critic Guy Lodge in a review for Variety praising Vega's performance said: "Vega's tough, expressive, and subtly distressed performance deserves far more than political praise." He continued to note that "It’s a multi-layered, emotionally polymorphous feat of acting, nurtured with pitch-perfect sensitivity by her director, who maintains complete candor on Marina’s condition without pushing her anywhere she wouldn’t herself go."[21] Her name was strongly mentioned for an Oscar nomination as Best Actress.[22][23][24] She won an award for her performance at the Palm Springs International Film Festival for Best Actress in a Foreign Language Film.[25] A Fantastic Woman went on to win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and Vega became the first openly transgender person ever to be a presenter at the Academy Awards ceremony in 2018.[26][27][28]

In 2018, it was announced that Vega would have a recurring role in the Netflix miniseries Tales of the City.[29]

Media image

Vega became the first transgender person in history to be an Academy Awards presenter in 2018.[30] Time magazine named Vega one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2018.[5]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref(s)
2014 The Guest Elena Original title: La visita [14]
2017 A Fantastic Woman Marina Vidal Original title: Una mujer fantástica [31]
2019 The night, unsheltered Gabriela Short film
2020 † Un Domingo de Julio en Santiago Pamela Completed
TBA † Futura TBA Post-production
Key
† Denotes films that have not yet been released

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref(s)
2019 Tales of the City Ysela 3 episodes [32]
2020 The Pack Elisa Murillo Main cast [33]
2022 La rebelión Jana Main role [34]
2023 The Power Sister Maria Main role [35]
Key
† Denotes television shows that have not yet been released

Awards and nominations

Year Award Nominated work Category Result Ref(s)
2015 17èmes Rencontres du Cinéma sud-américain The Guest (La visita) Best Actress Won [36]
2017 Film Festival Lima PUCP A Fantastic Woman Best Actress Won [37]
4th Fénix Awards Best Actress Won [38]
Havana Film Festival Best Actress Won [39]
2018 Palm Springs Film Festival Best Actress in a Foreign Language Film Won [40]
Dorian Awards Best Performance of the Year – Actress Nominated [41]
Herself Rising Star Award Nominated
International Cinephile Society Awards A Fantastic Woman Best Actress Nominated [42]
Caleuche Awards Best Leading Actress Won [43]
5th Platino Awards Best Actress Won [44]

References

  1. ^ Mackelden, Amy (March 2, 2018). "Everything You Need to Know About A Fantastic Woman Star Daniela Vega". Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
  2. ^ "Chile's Oscar for 'A Fantastic Woman' Bolsters Gender Identity Bill". The New York Times. March 5, 2018. Archived from the original on March 6, 2018. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Gilbey, Ryan (February 14, 2017). "A Fantastic Woman review – timeless trans tale stands alongside Almodóvar". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 22, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  4. ^ Nevins, Jake (March 4, 2018). "A Fantastic Woman wins best foreign language film at Oscars 2018". The Guardian. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  5. ^ a b Bachelet, Michelle (April 19, 2018). "Daniela Vega by Michelle Bachelet". Time. Archived from the original on February 14, 2017. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
  6. ^ "Daniela Vega: La Historia Detras de la Verdadera Mujer Fantastica". Tele Trece. 2018. Archived from the original on March 5, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2018.
  7. ^ a b c Osenlund, Kurt (January 29, 2018). "Meet Daniela Vega, the Trans Star of the Oscar-Nominated A Fantastic Woman". out.com. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  8. ^ Sandberg, Patrick (September 15, 2017). "Meet Daniela Vega, Who Could Be the First Transgender Actress Nominated For an Oscar". W Magazine. Archived from the original on September 15, 2017. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  9. ^ a b c Aftab, Kaleem (February 28, 2018). "Meet Daniela Vega – actress, singer and the first ever transgender presenter at the Oscars". inews.co.uk. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  10. ^ a b "Daniela Vega, the transgender who conquered Hollywood". Gulf News. March 6, 2018. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  11. ^ "Meet Daniela Vega, The Transgender Chilean Woman Who Conquered Hollywood". news18.com. March 8, 2018. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  12. ^ O’Hara, Helen (February 27, 2018). "'Art saved my life': Daniela Vega on Oscar-winning 'A Fantastic Woman'". Time Out. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  13. ^ Fratti, Karen (March 4, 2018). "Who Is Daniela Vega? Meet The Star Of Oscar-Nominated Film 'A Fantastic Woman'". romper.com. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  14. ^ a b c Romney, Jonathan (February 18, 2018). "Daniela Vega: the transgender star lighting up the film industry". The Guardian. Archived from the original on April 15, 2016. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  15. ^ "Daniela Vega's Winding Path to Acting". BackStage. January 31, 2018. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
  16. ^ "ESTRENO DE DANZA EN GAM: EL CUERPO QUE MIGRA BAILANDO". RadioDemente (in Spanish). Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2018.
  17. ^ "Daniela Vega y su protagonismo en clip de Manuel García". radiozero.cl (in Spanish). Archived from the original on April 8, 2019. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
  18. ^ "10 claves de 'María', el nuevo video de Manuel García" (in Spanish). MQLTV. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved September 13, 2017.
  19. ^ "Aki Kaurismäki, Oren Moverman, Agnieszka Holland, Andres Veiel, and Sally Potter – First Films for the Competition of the Berlinale 2017". Berlinale. December 15, 2016. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
  20. ^ "A Fantastic Woman (2017) – Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  21. ^ Lodge, Guy (February 12, 2017). "Film Review: 'A Fantastic Woman' (2017)". Variety. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  22. ^ "Oscars: Why Daniela Vega's "Transformative Performance" in 'A Fantastic Woman' Deserves a Nom". The Hollywood Reporter. January 8, 2018. Archived from the original on April 15, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  23. ^ "Trans Actress Daniela Vega Drawing Oscar Buzz for 'Fantastic Woman'". BreitBart. September 14, 2017. Archived from the original on April 15, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  24. ^ "An Oscar Nomination for Daniela Vega Would Make Trans Hollywood History". Vice.com. November 22, 2017. Archived from the original on April 15, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  25. ^ "'A Fantastic Woman' (2017) | Palm Springs International Film Festival". Palm Springs International Film Society. Archived from the original on April 15, 2016. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  26. ^ "Daniela Vega as the Oscars' First Openly Transgender Presenter Is a Win for the LGBTQ and Latinx Communities". Fuse.
  27. ^ Betancourt, Manuel (February 17, 2018). "Transgender Actress Daniela Vega to Make History By Presenting at the Oscars". remezcla.com. Archived from the original on April 15, 2016. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  28. ^ Maya Oppenheim (2018). "Daniela Vega: Star of A Fantastic Woman makes Oscars history as first openly transgender presenter". The Independent. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  29. ^ Rick Porter (October 16, 2018). "Netflix's 'Tales of the City' Welcomes Back Paul Gross, Fills Out Cast". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
  30. ^ Lang, Cady (March 5, 2018). "What You Need to Know About Daniela Vega, the Star of the Oscar Winning Film A Fantastic Woman". Time. Archived from the original on March 6, 2018. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
  31. ^ Reed, Rex (February 12, 2018). "Review: Three Stars: 'A Fantastic Woman' Shows the Grim Reality of Trans Discrimination". The New York Observer. Archived from the original on February 12, 2018. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  32. ^ Dry, Jude (October 16, 2018). "'Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City': Netflix Spotlights Trans Talent As Daniela Vega & Jen Richards Join Cast". Indiewire. Archived from the original on October 16, 2018. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  33. ^ Rolfe, Pamela (November 10, 2018). "A Fantastic Woman's' Daniela Vega to Star in Drama Series 'The Pack'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 11, 2018. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  34. ^ Hopewell, John (January 14, 2022). "Pantaya, Elefantec Shoot 'La Rebelión' With 'A Fantastic Woman' Lead Daniela Vega, Aracely Arámbula (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  35. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (January 14, 2020). "John Leguizamo, Toheeb Jimoh, Ria Zmitrowicz And 4 Others Join All Female-Directed Amazon Thriller Series 'The Power' – TCA". Deadline. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  36. ^ "Le choix des jurys" [The choice of juries] (in French). JournalZibeline. March 28, 2015. Archived from the original on May 14, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  37. ^ "21 Festival de Cine de Lima 2017" (in Spanish). Festival de Lima. Archived from the original on May 14, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  38. ^ "'A Fantastic Woman,' 'A Monster Calls,' 'Devil's Freedom,' 'Narcos' Top 2017 Fénix Awards". Variety. December 7, 2017. Archived from the original on May 14, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  39. ^ "Argentine Drama "Alanis" Takes Best Film Award at the Havana Film Festival". Havana Times. December 17, 2017. Archived from the original on May 14, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  40. ^ Haring, Bruce (January 13, 2018). "29th Palm Springs Int'l Film Fest Names 'Félicité' As Best Foreign Language Film". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 14, 2016. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  41. ^ Kilday, Gregg (January 10, 2018). "'Call Me by Your Name' Leads Dorian Award Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 14, 2016. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  42. ^ Stevens, Beth (January 21, 2018). "2018 ICS Award Nominees". International Cinephile Society (ICS). Archived from the original on May 14, 2016. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  43. ^ Mostrador Braga, El (January 24, 2018). "Daniela Vega ganadora de premios Caleuche emociona con su discurso: "El arte salvó mi vida"" [Daniela Vega award winner Caleuche thrills with her speech: "Art saved my life"]. El Mostrador (in Spanish). Archived from the original on May 14, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  44. ^ "Sebastian Lelio's 'A Fantastic Woman' Sweeps 5th Platino Awards". Variety. April 30, 2018. Archived from the original on April 30, 2018. Retrieved April 30, 2018.

External links

Awards for Daniela Vega
Authority control databases
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