Sonya Eleonora Smith Jacquet ([ˈsonja eleoˈnoɾa (e)smit ((e)smiθ) ʝaˈket], born April 23, 1972) is an American and Venezuelan actress best known for her roles in telenovelas.

Sonya Smith
Born
Sonya Eleonora Smith

(1972-04-23) April 23, 1972 (age 52)
Citizenship
  • United States (by birthplace)
  • Venezualan (from mother)
OccupationActress
Years active1984–present
Parents

Biography

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Smith was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, of Venezuelan actress Ileana Jacquet and Frederick Smith, who is American. Her maternal great-grandfather was French and her maternal great-grandmother was Finnish.[1][2] After her parents divorced, her actress mother along with Smith went back to Venezuela; Smith grew up in Venezuela and identifies herself with the Venezuelan culture.[3] She speaks fluent Spanish, English, and German; the last learned from her mother, a German who grew up in Venezuela. She studied psychology at the Universidad Central de Venezuela.

Career

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Her breakthrough came in the early 1990s when she played Estrellita Montenegro, the main character in Cara Sucia, her most successful telenovela as the lead actress. Smith remains a popular actress not only in Venezuela, also in other countries where her telenovelas have shown. In 2006, she returned to telenovelas with Olvidarte Jamás, her biggest hit as the lead actress since Cara Sucia, which was shot in Miami; this is the time where Smith returned to her birth country, but this time in Miami. Later, in 2007, she reappeared in Acorralada, in which she was one of the main stars and which has been a huge success. There, she was Fedora Gaviota.

During 2005, Smith made her Hollywood debut, playing Angela La Salle in Cyxork 7, where she acted alongside Ray Wise; although Smith currently lives in the United States and appeared in a Hollywood film, she still wants to remain more in the Spanish media of the country because the Spanish media opened opportunities for her to fame.[4] In 2007, she participated in another Hollywood film, Ladrón que roba a Ladrón, where she shared credits with actors, Fernando Colunga, Gabriel Soto, Miguel Varoni, and Saúl Lisazo among others.

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2006 Cyxork 7 Angela LaSalle
2007 La misma luna Sra. Snyder
2007 Ladrón que roba a ladrón Veronica Valdez
2008 I Didn't Know Who I Was Michelle Short film
2010 Hunted by Night Tania
2012 Unknowns DA Veronica Riley
2017 Case Unknown Claudia Smith Short film

Television roles

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Year Title Role Notes
1985 Cristal Maggie Supporting role
1989 Alondra Vicentina Supporting role
1990 Gardenia Margarita Supporting role
1991 El desprecio Violeta Velandró Supporting role
1992 Cara sucia Estrella Montenegro Protagonist
1993 Rosangélica Rosangélica González Hernández / Elisa Montero Protagonist
1994 María Celeste María Celeste Paniagua Protagonist
1996 Guajira Sonia Arbeláez Protagonist
1997 Destino de Mujer Mariana Oropeza Protagonist
1999 Mariú Coralia Lozada de Gálvez Co-protagonist
2000 Milagros Milagros De La Torre Vargas / Chachita Vargas Protagonist
2006 Olvidarte jamás Luisa Domínguez / Victoria Salinas Protagonist
2007 Acorralada Fedora "La Gaviota" Garcés Ledezma Co-protagonist
Tiempo Final Claudia Episode: Falso cura
2007–08 Pecados ajenos Elena Sandoval Main Antagonist
2009 Vuélveme a querer Liliana Acosta Supporting role
2010 ¿Dónde está Elisa? Dana Riggs Protagonist
2010–11 Aurora Ángela Amenábar Protagonist
2012 Corazón valiente Isabel Uriarte de Arroyo Special participation
Secreteando Marisol Main cast member
Relaciones Peligrosas Lucrecia Guest appearance
2013–14 Marido en alquiler Griselda Carrasco Protagonist
2014–15 Tierra de reyes Cayetana Belmonte Vda. de Del Junco Main Antagonist / Co-protagonist
2016 Las Princesas Dolores Villanueva Antagonist
Off Script Dolores
2017 Milagros de Navidad Soledad Episode: "Adiós soledad"[5] Protagonist
2018[6] Mi familia perfecta Dakota Johnson[7] Antagonist
2018–21 Falsa identidad Fernanda Virrueta López Co-protagonist
2021–22 Si nos dejan Guest Speaker Guest; episode 83
2022 Repatriated April Supporting role
2023 4Ever Paulina Supporting role

Theater

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Year Title Role Notes
2012 Las Hijas[8]
Monologando
2017 Mujeres Infieles
2019 Divinas

Awards

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  • Latin Pride National Awards (for Outstanding Woman Achievement, 2008)
  • Miami Life Award[9] (2011)
  • Latino Wall Street Award (Reconocimiento a la Trayectoria Artística, 2024)

References

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  1. ^ Entrevista a Sonya Smith programa Área Restringida Parte 1 (in Spanish)
  2. ^ Sonya Smith "yo también estoy enojada" (in Spanish)
  3. ^ "Sonya Smith's Biography at Biografia DVD"
  4. ^ Cyxork7 "Interview with Sonya Smith"
  5. ^ "TELEMUNDO Presents MILAGROS DE NAVIDAD (CHRISTMAS MIRACLES), Uplifting Emotional Stories of Hope and Triumph Starting 11/27 at 8PM/7C". broadwayworld.com.
  6. ^ González, Moisés. "Así es Mi familia perfecta, la nueva telenovela de Telemundo que protagonizan tres actores de El señor de los cielos". peopleenespanol.com (in Spanish). People en Español. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  7. ^ González, Moisés. "Sonya Smith sorprende con su nuevo look en su regreso a las telenovelas". peopleenespanol.com (in Spanish). People en Español. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  8. ^ This is based on the novel La Casa de Bernarda Alba by Federico García Lorca
  9. ^ "Sonya Smith Miami Life Awards". YouTube. December 28, 2012.[dead link]

Entrevista con Luis Olavarrieta "La vida no me dió hijos"

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