Alejandro Amenábar was clear about it. Her serene gaze and intelligent beauty made Rachel Weisz the perfect candidate to play Hypatia, an atheist philosopher in 4th century Alexandria.
She wasn't wrong. Her role in Ágora has conquered the Spanish public and the Film Academy, which nominated the British actress for the Goya for best female performance.
Without entering a drama school, Rachel Weisz has become one of the most sought-after actresses of the moment. Her path had been clear since she was a child. At the age of 14, she was already offered to work with Richard Gere in a film, but her father forbade it. The first door was closed and she was in charge of opening the others.
While studying English Literature at Cambridge she founded the company Talking Tongues with which she immersed herself in experimental theatre. She began to have success on the London stage, she did several jobs for television and... Bernando Bertolucci offered her her first role on the big screen.
Her small appearance in Stolen Beauty dazzled Andrew Davis, who cast her alongside Keanu Reeves in Chain Reaction, a film for commercial purposes that was a hit at the box office and a springboard for Rachel.
The success of The Mummy
After several jobs in her native country, her big opportunity came: The Mummy, directed by Stephen Sommers. It was a blockbuster that put her at the feet of Hollywood. Her fame was strengthened with blockbusters such as Enemy at the Gates and The Return of the Mummy.
In 2006, Fernando Mierelles' committed film The Constant Gardener elevated Weisz to the top. She won an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA nomination, much deserved by the way, for her brave portrayal of Tessa, a rebellious activist capable of anything to unmask the atrocities of pharmaceutical companies in Africa.
The honeys of success do not dazzle Rachel, she never tires of saying that she only wants to embark on interesting projects. She even allowed herself the luxury of rejecting the third part of The Mummy to dedicate herself to more modest films like Sunshine.
