Talisa Soto (born March 27, 1967) is an American actress and model. She is known for portraying Bond girl Lupe Lamora in the 1989 James Bond film Licence to Kill, and as Kitana in the 1995 fantasy action film Mortal Kombat and its 1997 sequel Mortal Kombat Annihilation. Prior to her acting career, Soto worked as a model, appearing in magazines such as Mademoiselle, Glamour and Elle.
Talisa Soto | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Miriam Soto March 27, 1967[1][2] New York City, U.S.[3] |
| Other names | Desiree More |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Known for | Lupe Lamora – Licence to Kill Princess Kitana – Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat Annihilation |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2 |
Early life
editSoto was born in Brooklyn, New York City,[4] the youngest of four children of parents who moved to New York from Puerto Rico.[5] During her early childhood, her parents moved to Northampton, Massachusetts, where Soto and her siblings were raised and educated in public schools.[6]
Career
editModeling
editAt age 15, Soto signed with Click Model Management and began modeling during summer vacations. Weeks after being signed, she traveled to Paris where she appeared in a layout for Vogue shot by Bruce Weber. Soto returned to Northampton after the summer to resume her schooling. She modeled only on occasion until after she graduated from high school.[6]
She later was featured on the covers of American and British Vogue, British Elle, Mademoiselle, Glamour and Self magazines. Soto has also been featured in advertising campaigns for Calvin Klein, Cartier, Clarins, Revlon, Salvatore Ferragamo, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Versace.[7]
Soto appeared in her first music video with former boyfriend Nick Kamen, behind Madonna's song "Each Time You Break My Heart", directed by Tony Viramontes.[6] Soto and Kamen were often used as models by Ray Petri, the late fashion stylist and creator of the 1980s London "Buffalo Boy" look.[8]
Acting
editIn 1988, when Soto returned to the United States, she auditioned and landed the role of "India" in her feature debut, Spike of Bensonhurst, a comedy starring Sasha Mitchell and Ernest Borgnine. In 1988, Soto was cast as Lupe Lamora, in the James Bond film Licence to Kill, starring Timothy Dalton, and as Maria Rivera in The Mambo Kings.
Soto appeared in more than twenty films, including Mortal Kombat (1995) as Kitana; Island of the Dead as Melissa O'Keefe; Piñero (2001) as Sugar, starring Benjamin Bratt; and Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever (2002) as Ryne alongside Lucy Liu and Antonio Banderas. Soto also made two guest appearances on the television series C-16: FBI.
In 1995, she played the role of Doña Julia, Johnny Depp's first love interest in the tongue-in-cheek romantic comedy Don Juan DeMarco, Depp playing the title role. She also made an appearance in Marc Anthony's music video for "I Need to Know". In 1996, Soto played the title role in the campy film Vampirella based on the comic book character. Her last major film appearance was in Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever before retiring from acting after marrying Benjamin Bratt.[9]
She made one more film, La Mission (2009), which was directed by her brother-in-law Peter Bratt.[9]
Public image
editIn 1990, Soto was chosen by People as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World.[10] In 1995, she was featured in the Sports Illustrated "Swimsuit Issue".[7] She was ranked #58 on the Maxim Hot 100 Women of 2002.[11]
Personal life
editIn 1997, Soto married actor Costas Mandylor. They divorced in 2000.[9]
In 2002, she began dating actor Benjamin Bratt; they married on April 13 in San Francisco. The two had met ten years earlier during a casting audition. During the filming of Piñero (2001) they began to develop a relationship. They married in April 2002 and their first child, daughter Sophia Rosalinda Bratt, was born on December 6, 2002; their second child, son Mateo Bravery Bratt, was born on October 3, 2005.[12][13]
It was revealed in 2022 that Soto was diagnosed with breast cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic, but that she has since been deemed "cancer-free".[14]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | The Pope of Greenwich Village | Studio Dancer | Uncredited |
| 1988 | The French as Seen by... | French Girl | Episode: "The Cowboy and the Frenchman" |
| 1988 | Spike of Bensonhurst | India | |
| 1989 | Licence to Kill | Lupe Lamora | |
| 1990 | Silhouette | Marianna Herrera | Television film |
| 1991 | Prison Stories: Women on the Inside | Rosina | Television film |
| 1992 | The Mambo Kings | Maria Rivera | |
| 1992 | Hostage | Joanna | |
| 1993–1994 | Harts of the West | Cassie | 15 episodes |
| 1994 | Don Juan DeMarco | Doña Julia | |
| 1995 | Mortal Kombat | Princess Kitana | |
| 1996 | Spy Hard | Seductress In Hotel Room | Credited as Desiree More |
| 1996 | The Sunchaser | Navajo Woman | |
| 1996 | Vampirella | Vampirella | Direct-to-video |
| 1997 | Flypaper | Amanda | |
| 1997 | The Corporate Ladder | Susan Taylor | |
| 1997 | Mortal Kombat Annihilation | Princess Kitana | |
| 1998 | C-16: FBI | Rosemary Vargas | 2 episodes |
| 2000 | That Summer in L.A. | Marisabel | |
| 2000 | Flight of Fancy | Mercedes Marquez | Alternative titles: Facing Fear Flight |
| 2000 | Island of the Dead | Melissa O'Keefe | Television film |
| 2001 | Piñero | 'Sugar' | |
| 2002 | Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever | Rayne Ecks / Vinn Gant | |
| 2009 | La Mission | Ana | Credited as Talisa Soto Bratt |
| 2013 | Elysium | Tisha | Uncredited |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Result | Category | Film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | ShoWest Convention | Won | Female Star of Tomorrow | -
|
| 2002 | ALMA Award | Nominated | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | Piñero |
References
edit- ^ Tomassini, Christine (May 26, 2003). Magill's Cinema Annual. Gale Research International, Limited. ISBN 9781558624597 – via Google Books.
- ^ DeMichael, Tom (December 1, 2012). James Bond FAQ: All That's Left to Know About Everyone's Favorite Superspy. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 9781480337855 – via Google Books.
- ^ Candelaria, Cordelia (December 26, 2004). Encyclopedia of Latino Popular Culture. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 9780313332111 – via Google Books.
- ^ Candelaria, Cordelia; Aldama, Arturo J.; García, Peter J. (2004). Encyclopedia of Latino popular culture. Vol. 2. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 778. ISBN 0-313-32215-5.
- ^ Miller, Samantha (April 29, 2002). "Benjamin's Surprise". People. 57 (16). ISSN 0093-7673.
- ^ a b c "Talisa Soto: Catwalk Queen Strides To New Life". New Sunday Times: 2. July 23, 1989.
- ^ a b Talisa Soto at Fashion Model Directory
- ^ Limnander, Armand (October 19, 2009). "Ray Petri's Enduring Style". nytimes.com. Retrieved November 20, 2009.
- ^ a b c "Talisa Soto Biography (1967-)". filmreference.com. Retrieved November 20, 2009.
- ^ "50 Most Beautiful People". People: 57. May 9, 1990. ISSN 0093-7673. Retrieved November 20, 2009.
- ^ "The 2002 Hot 100 List". maxim.com. April 20, 2009. Archived from the original on August 18, 2010. Retrieved November 20, 2009.
- ^ Silverman, Stephen M. (December 17, 2002). "New Bratt in the House for Ben, Talisa". people.com. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
- ^ "Benjamin Bratt & Wife Have a Boy". people.com. October 7, 2005. Archived from the original on June 29, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
- ^ Donnelly, Erin (March 14, 2022). "Benjamin Bratt reveals wife Talisa Soto was diagnosed with breast cancer during the pandemic". Yahoo! News. Retrieved March 30, 2024.