When she was just 8, Cecilia Roth confided to her mother: "Mom, I want to be an actress and make movies." Less than 10 years later, she fulfilled her dream by debuting in No toquen a la nena, or "Don't touch the girl" (1976), by Argentine filmmaker Juan José Jusid. With the passing of time, she not only became an actress, but is now one of the most valued and respected actresses of Spanish-language cinema. All About My Mother—the best movie by Pedro Almodóvar—flows with Roth's long-suffering and beautiful face, and it wouldn't have been the masterpiece it was without her carrying all the weight of its tragedy with an inspiring performance.

Cecilia Rotemberg Rot was born August 8, 1958 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Abrasha Rotemberg, a Ukrainian immigrant who at age 30 arrived in the country worked as an editor and journalist, and Dina Rot, a Chilean singer and actress. When Roth was 17, the whole family went into exile in Spain for a decade. After a failed relationship, Roth returned to Argentina, where she joined theater groups that served as springboards for film and television. She continued her career in Spain, and in the early 1980s met Almodóvar. Thus began their professional relationship, and she had small parts in Pepi, Luci, Bom and Other Girls Like Mom (1980), Labyrinth of Passion (1982), Dark Habits (1983) and What Have I Done to Deserve This? (1984). With All About My Mother (1999), which in addition to its success at international film festivals obtained the coveted Oscar as best foreign film, Roth received a Goya award and reached the pinnacle of her acting career.

Besides her work on film, where she's made more than 30 movies, she's also performed in theater and TV, participating in successful series like "Nueve lunas" (1995), "Laura y Zoe" (1998), "Epitafios" (2004) and "Killer Women" (2005).

Working nonstop lately has agreed with Roth. Otherwise, how can you explain her splendid maturity, self-assurance and great confidence in front of the cameras? It must be said that seeing Cecilia Roth is a gift every time she appears on the screen—she's a great actress rather than a shooting star.