Background and career
Elena Anaya Gutiérrez (born 17 July 1975) is a Spanish actress. She garnered public recognition in Spain for her performance in Sex and Lucia (2001), which also earned her a nomination to the Goya Award for Best Supporting Actress. She starred in The Skin I Live In (2011), for which she won the Goya Award for Best Actress. She is also known for her roles as one of Dracula's brides in Van Helsing (2004), the Spanish tourist in Room in Rome (2010) and Doctor Poison in Wonder Woman (2017).
Anaya was born in Palencia, Spain. She is the youngest of three children. Her mother, Elena (Nena), is a housewife who later owned a boarding house in Palencia. Her father, Juan José Anaya Gómez (1934–2011), was an industrial engineer.
Anaya moved to Cádiz to train as an actress, after which she landed roles in África (her film debut) and Familia. She first received international attention in 2001 for her role in the sexually explicit drama Sex and Lucia. She also had a small part the year after in Almodóvar's Talk to Her. Her best-known Hollywood film role was as Aleera, one of Dracula's brides in 2004's Van Helsing. That same year, Anaya was named as one of European films' Shooting Stars by European Film Promotion. In 2006, Anaya appeared in Justin Timberlake's music video for his single, "SexyBack".
She played supporting roles in international films such as Savage Grace (2007) and Cairo Time (2009), and then starring roles in 2010's Room in Rome and Almodóvar's 2011 The Skin I Live In. In 2017, Anaya appeared as Doctor Poison in the superhero blockbuster film, Wonder Woman.
Anaya is a lesbian. Anaya and director Beatriz Sanchís were reportedly in a relationship from 2008 to 2013. In November 2016, it was announced that Anaya was expecting her first child with her partner, Tina Afugu Cordero, a costume designer. In February 2017, Anaya gave birth to their son.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
