Karla Souza
Souza in 2017
Souza in 2017
Born
Karla Susana Olivares Souza

(1985-12-11) 11 December 1985 (age 38)
Mexico City, Mexico
Citizenship
  • Mexico
  • United States
Alma materRoyal Central School of Speech and Drama
OccupationActress
Years active1993–present
Spouse
Marshall J. Trenkmann
​
​
(m. 2014)​
Children3

Karla Susana Olivares Souza (born 11 December 1985)[1] is a Mexican actress known for her roles as Laurel Castillo on the ABC legal drama series How to Get Away with Murder and Marina Hayworth on the ABC sitcom Home Economics. She won the International Emmy Award for Best Actress in 2023 for her role as Mariel Saenz in the television movie La Caída.[2]

Early life and education

Souza was born in Mexico City, Mexico, on December 11, 1985, to a Chilean father and a Mexican mother, Mónica. Her grandmother, Elba Silva, was an assistant cook for the Rockefeller family for 20 years after immigrating to New York City from Chile in the 1960s.[3][4] Having lived in Aspen, Colorado, until she was eight years old, Souza credits her grandmother's immigration to the United States as the reason she has an American passport.[3][5] Souza studied acting at Centro de Educación Artística, an acting school run by Televisa, in Mexico City. She also attended acting school in France and was part of a professional theatre company that toured throughout that country. While still in France, Souza auditioned and was selected to participate in the French reality TV show Star Academy, however, she turned down the offer after receiving an invitation to study at London's Central School of Speech and Drama. She graduated from the school in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in acting. Near the end of her London studies, she received a CCP award,[clarification needed] traditionally presented to the most promising actress in London.[6] After being selected to go to Moscow with Anatoly Smilianski for an acting intensive, she returned to Mexico City and began acting in television and film when she was 22.[7]

Career

Souza had her television debut in 2009 on the Mexican telenovela Verano de amor.[8] She later starred in Mexican sitcoms Los Héroes del Norte and La Clínica. Her film roles include From Prada to Nada; in 2013, she was also in two Mexican box office hits, Nosotros los Nobles and Instructions Not Included.[9][10] In 2014, Souza moved to Los Angeles to pursue English-language film and television roles.[11] She was cast as a series regular in the Shonda Rhimes-produced legal drama series How to Get Away with Murder as law student Laurel Castillo, opposite Viola Davis.[12][13] In February 2015, Souza appeared on the cover of Women's Health.[14]

Since 2021, Souza has played Marina in the sitcom Home Economics.

Personal life

In December 2013, Souza became engaged to Marshall Trenkmann and the couple married in May 2014.[15] Together, they have two children; daughter Gianna (born April 2018) and son Luka (born June 2020).[16][17]

Souza is fluent in Spanish, English, and French.[citation needed]

Souza gave a TEDx talk in León, Guanajuato, on March 21, 2015, titled "Sweet are the Fruits of Adversity." It became the most-seen Spanish TEDx talk with millions of views.[18]

In February 2018, Souza appeared on Mexican journalist Carmen Aristegui's show and revealed that she had been a victim of sexual assault. Souza stated that, when she was 22, she was raped by the director of a TV show she was working in; she did not name her attacker.[19]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1993 Aspen Extreme Kimberly
2010 El efecto tequila Ana Luisa
2011 From Prada to Nada Lucy
2012 Suave patria Roxana Robledo ACE Award for Best New Actress
2013 31 días Mayra
Me Late Chocolate Moni
Nosotros los Nobles Bárbara Noble Pantalla de Cristal Film Festival Award for Best Actress
Diosas de Plata for Best Performance – Actress
Instructions Not Included Jackie
2014 El Crimen del Cácaro Gumaro Supper Burrows Manager Scene deleted
2015 Sundown Ashley Lopez
2016 ¿Qué culpa tiene el niño? Maru Premios Luminus 2017 – Best Actress, Also Producer
2017 Everybody Loves Somebody Clara Barron
2018 The Jesuit Collie
2019 Jacob's Ladder[20] Annie/Angel
2020 The Sleepover Jay
2022 Voy a pasármelo bien Layla[21]
Day Shift Audrey San Fernando [22][23]
La Caída Mariel Saenz [24]

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2008 Terminales Vanessa Episode: "Espejismos"
2009 Verano de amor Dana Villalba Duarte Telenovela, 120 episodes
2010 Persons Unknown Dosette Episode: "And Then There Was One"
2010–11 Los Héroes del Norte Prisca Series regular, 36 episodes
2011 Niño Santo Lucia Starring, 23 episodes
2012 La Clinica Maripily Rivadeneyra Series regular
2014–20 How to Get Away with Murder Laurel Castillo 78 episodes
Main (season 1–5), guest role (season 6)
2016 Whose Line is it Anyway Herself (Season 4)
2020 El Presidente Lisa Harris, alias «Rosario» Starring, 8 episodes
2021–23 Home Economics Marina Series regular

Other

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2020–2021 From Now Separatist Leader Podcast series; voice role [25]

Awards

National Hispanic Media Coalition "Outstanding Performance in a Television Series (How To Get Away with Murder)", 2017.[26]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result
2022 Premios PRODU Premio Crossover Carrera Artística Won
2022 Festival de Cine de los Cabos Premio "Mujeres Fantásticas" Reconocimiento Industria Fílmica Won
2014 Diosas de Plata Best Actress Nosotros, los Nobles Nominated
2013 Premios ACE Best Actress Revelation Suave patria Nominated
2013 Festival Pantalla de Cristal Best Actress Nosotros, los Nobles Won
2023 International Emmy Awards Best Actress La Caída Won

References

  1. ^ Mariana Rosas (December 12, 2013). "Karla Souza vive en total plenitud". Estilo DF. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
  2. ^ Roxborough, Scott (November 20, 2023). "2023 International Emmy Awards Winners Revealed". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Moreno, Carolina (September 21, 2016). "'HTGAWM' Star Karla Souza Explains Why She's A 'Spoiled American'". HuffPost. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
  4. ^ "Karla Souza: 8 preguntas obligadas". Quien.com. October 2, 2009.
  5. ^ Joanne Ostrow (July 15, 2014). "ABC explains 'How to Get Away with Murder'". The Denver Post. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  6. ^ "Karla Souza". Yahoo!. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
  7. ^ Mariana Linares Cruz (2013). "Karla Souza La mujer con el tiempo a su favor". Gente Mexico. Archived from the original on September 26, 2014. Retrieved September 26, 2014.
  8. ^ "Karla Souza agradece a Pedro Damián". Quien.com. June 18, 2009. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
  9. ^ Souza, Karla (August 10, 2013). "¿Cómo conquistar a Karla Souza? | GQ Mexico". GQ.com.mx (Interview). Interviewed by Redacción GQ. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
  10. ^ "Actor Gonzalo Vega, Karla Souza and NOSOTROS LOS NOBLES Director Interview". Cinemovie.tv. December 1, 2013. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
  11. ^ "Karla Souza nos cuenta que su anillo de compromiso lo diseñó su novio". Quien.com. February 12, 2014. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
  12. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (February 12, 2014). "UPDATE: Jeffrey Nordling & Christina Chang In ABC's 'Sea Of Fire', Trio Cast In 'Murder'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
  13. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 8, 2014). "ABC New Series Pickups: 'Selfie', 'Forever', Galavant', 'Whispers', 'How To Get Away With Murder', 'American Crime', 'Black-ish', Jeff Lowell Comedy". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
  14. ^ "Karla Souza presume cuerpazo en Revista Women's Health". Espectaculosatiempo.com. February 4, 2015. Archived from the original on February 15, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  15. ^ "EXCLUSIVA de ¡HOLA!: Karla Souza nos presenta a su prometido". Hola Revista. December 18, 2013. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
  16. ^ "How to Get Away with Murder Star Karla Souza Gives Birth to Her First Child: 'Welcome Gianna'". People. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
  17. ^ "Karla Souza and Husband Marshall Trenkmann Welcome Second Baby and It's a Boy". Expectant.ly. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  18. ^ "TEDxCalzadaDeLosHeroes". Ted.com. March 8, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  19. ^ ""Cedí a que me besara y me tocara de formas que yo no quería... Me violó": Karla Souza en CNN". AristeguiNoticias.com. February 20, 2018. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  20. ^ Hipes, Patrick (June 28, 2016). "Karla Souza Ascends 'Jacob's Ladder'; Jaime Ray Newman Joins 'Valley of the Gods'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  21. ^ Vela, Víctor (August 10, 2022). "Quién es quién en la película 'Voy a pasármelo bien'". El Norte de Castilla.
  22. ^ Kroll, Justin (April 1, 2021). "Dave Franco, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Steve Howey, More Join Jamie Foxx In Netflix's 'Day Shift'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  23. ^ Kroll, Justin (April 27, 2022). "Netflix Announces Summer Slate Including Dates For Jamie Foxx's 'Day Shift' And Kevin Hart's 'Me Time'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  24. ^ Salgado, Ivett (November 10, 2022). "Karla Souza: 'La caída', una cinta sobre el abuso sexual en el deporte". Milenio. Grupo Milenio. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  25. ^ "From Now" podcast credits
  26. ^ "ADVISORY: Latino Celebrities to be Honored at Oscar-Weekend Impact Awards Gala by National Hispanic Media Coalition, NHMC National Hispanic Media Coalition". NHMC National Hispanic Media Coalition. Retrieved August 4, 2021.

External links

International Emmy Award for Best Performance by an Actress
Authority control databases
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