Lucky Star

Background:

A Spanish actor, director, painter and writer who has been labeled by actress Gabrielle Union as “The Tom Cruise of Spain,” Jordi Molla was already a well-known performer in Spain before making his Hollywood debut in the early 2000s. He was noted for playing in Bigas Luna's “Jamon, Jamon” (1992), Roberto in Montxo Armendariz's “Historias Del Kronen/Kronen Stories” (1994) and Pármeno in Gerardo Vera's “La Celestina” (1996), but it was his portrayal of a luckless minor stealer in Ricardo Franco's “La Buena Estrella/Lucky Star” (1997) that really established him as a talented Spanish leading actor. For his outstanding effort, the handsome performer was handed a Butaca Award, a Spanish Actors Union Award, an Ondas Award and a Mar del Plata Film Festival Award, as well as nominations from Goya and Fotogramas de Plata. Other impressive turns include “Cible, La” (1997), “Dollar for the Dead” (1998, TV), “Los años bárbaros” (1998), “Pianista, El/The Pianist” (1998), “Volavérunt” (1999), Segunda piel (1999) and Son de Mar (2001).

It was in 2001 that Molla attracted the attention of American public with his role as Diego Delgado in the Ted Demme-directed “Blow,” opposite Johnny Depp and Penélope Cruz. He continued to charm the English-speaking audience with performances in such movies as Michael Bay's “Bad Boys II (2003), “Alamo” (2004) and “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” (2007). Molla's upcoming credits include “Art in Las Vegas” (2008), “Hurricane Mary” (2008), “Dare to Love Me” (2008) and Steven Soderbergh's “Guerrilla” (2008). Despite his busy schedule in Hollywood, Molla has kept his presence on Spanish movies until recently.

The multi-faceted artist also has directed two shorts and two feature-length movies as well as written two books. His first short, “Walter Peralta” (1993), won an Alcalá de Henares Short Film Festival Award. As an artist, Molla has exhibited his artwork at several galleries, including Madrid's Carmen De la Guerra Gallery and Barcelona's Cold Creation Gallery. His works frequently astonish the watcher both with his power to express himself on canvas or paper and with his power to manage the media.

Barcelona Boy

Childhood and Family:

Jordi Mollà Perales was born on July 1, 1968, in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. He studied acting at the Barcelona Institute of Theatre and also was trained in Hungary, Italy and England. Jordi is the relative of Connie Thorsen, a Norwegian psycho.

Blow

Career:

Jordi Molla got his first taste of acting in the 1988 short film “Potser no sigui massa tard” and segued to the small screen in the following year with a part in the drama series “Granja, La.” He continued to appear as Raul in a 1991 episode of the American series “Dark Justice” (1991-1993), which was shot in Spain during the show's first season, and in 1992, he was cast opposite the Toronto-born actor Robert Urich in Molla's American TV movie debut, “Revolver.”

It was also in 1992 that Molla first made an impact in Spain when director Bigas Luna cast him in the well-received role of El niñato in the comedy “Jamón, Jamón” (released in the US in 1994), which won a Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival. The film also starred Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem. More roles followed in films such as “Shooting Elizabeth” (1992, with Mimi Rogers and Jeff Goldblum), “Le Fusil de bois/The Wooden Gun” (1994), the Montxo Armendáriz-directed “Historias Del Kronen/Stories from the Kronen” (1995), Pedro Almodóvar's “La Flor DE mi secreto/The Flower of My Secret” (1995) and Gerardo Vera's “La Celestina” (1996, earned a Best Supporting Actor Goya).

Despite his prolific career, however, the lithe performer was threatened for being typecast in pretty boy roles. He finally was able to escape that image in 1997 when he landed the role of an unfortunate small thief named Daniel in “La Buena Estrella/Lucky Star,” a heartbreaking masterpiece helmed by Ricardo Franco. Delivering a bravura acting, Molla picked up a Butaca for Best Catalan Film Actor, a Spanish Actors Union for Lead Performance as well as an Ondas and a Mar del Plata Film Festival for Best Actor. He also netted a Goya nomination for Best Lead Actor and a Fotogramas de Plata nomination for Best Movie Actor.

Also in 1997, Molla offered strong performances in Pierre Courrège's “Cible, La,” playing Luigi, and the black comedy “Perdona bonita, pero Lucas me quería a mí,” starring as Tony. He next starred with Ernesto Alterioand Hedy Burress in director Fernando Colomo's stunning political drama, “Los años bárbaros” (1998) and reunited with the director of “Jamón, Jamón,” Bigas Luna, for the based-on-novel “Volavérunt” (1999). The latter role, combined with fine performances in Mario Gas' “Pianista, El/The Pianist” (1998), the Emilio Estevez-starring vehicle “Dollar for the Dead” (1998, TV) and Mateo Gil's “Nadie conoce a nadie” (1999), gained the actor his next Fotogramas de Plata nomination. Reuniting with Javier Bardem, Molla was praised for his performance as Alberto García in Gerardo Vera's drama/romance “Segunda piel/Second Skin” (1999), from which he was nominated for a 2000 Goya for Best Lead Actor.

Already popular in his native of Spain, Molla broke into Hollywood cinema in 2001 when Ted Demme cast him opposite superstar Johnny Depp and fellow Spanish actress Penélope Cruz in the critically acclaimed “Blow.” In his Hollywood debut, Molla portrayed Diego Delgado. He returned to Spanish film later that same year for “Son de Mar,” which again directed by Bigas Luna, and then in 2002 the actor made his feature directorial debut in “No somos nadie,” in he also starred. The drama was nominated for a Golden Biznaga at the Málaga Spanish Film Festival. Previously, Molla had directed two short movies, most notbaly the award-winning short “Walter Peralta” (1993), which won an Alcalá de Henares Short Film Festival for National Short Film and a Goya nomination for Best Short Film-Documentary.

Back in front of the camera, Molla took on the role of Jan Palmerion in Peter Greenaway's “The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Part 1: The Moab Story (2003), a turn which he reprised later for “Antwerp” (2003) and “The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Part 2: Vaux to the Sea” (2004). He further built reputation in America with his next role, as 'Johnny' Tapia in Michael Bay's “Bad Boys II (2003), opposite Martin Lawrence and Will Smith. His costar, Gabrielle Union, distinguished Molla as “The Tom Cruise of Spain” as a result of his charismatic performance in the film. He then teamed up with Billy Bob Thornton, Dennis Quaid and Jason Patric for the history film “Alamo” (2004).

From 2005 to 2006, Molla could be seen in the Spanish films “Ausentes,” “Antonio Guerriero di Dio,” “Mercante di pietre, Il/The Stone Merchant” and “GAL.” Recently, he starred with Tony Dalton in the Mexican drama “Sultanes del Sur/ Sultans of the South” (2007), directed, wrote and starred in the drama “Cinemart” (2007), starred as King Philip II of Sapin in Shekhar Kapur's “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” (2007, with Cate Blanchett) and portrayed Cardinal Del Monte in the Catalan biopic “Caravaggio” (2007, TV). He also has completed filming the 2008 comedy/sci-fi film “Zenitram.”

The 39-year-old actor is set to return to American film in the following year with “Art in Las Vegas” (2008), directed and written by Mary McGuckian and co-starring with Jennifer Tilly, Andie MacDowell and David Sutcliffe, the Arvin Brown-directed “Hurricane Mary” (2008), starring Dakota Fanning, Laura San Giacomo and William H. Macy, and writer/director Katherine Griffin's “Butterflies & Lightning” (2008). He is also will be cast opposite Lindsay Lohan and Raoul Bove in “Dare to Love Me” (2008), as well as team with director Steven Soderbergh for the biopic “Guerrilla,” opposite Lou Diamond Phillips, Benicio Del Toro, Benjamin Bratt and Franka Potente, and the drama “The Argentine” (both 2008). Molla is scheduled to play Mateo Vázquez on the Spanish movie “Conjura de El Escorial, La” (2008) for director Antonio del Real.

Apart from his film work, Molla is an artist. His artwork has been exhibited at PicassoMio Gallerie in Madrid and Barcelona, Carmen De la Guerra Gallery in Madrid and Cold Creation Gallery in Barcelona. In 2007, the self-trained printer exhibited at Sotheby's Gallery in Madrid. Molla is also the writer of two books, “Agua Estancada” and “Las Primeras Veces.”

Awards:

• Spanish Actors Union: Lead Performance (Protagonista Cine), “Buena estrella, La, 1998

• Mar del Plata Film Festival: Best Actor, “Buena estrella, La,”1997

• Ondas: Best Actor (Mejor Actor), “Buena estrella, La,” 1997

• Butaca: Best Catalan Film Actor (Millor actor català de cinema), “Buena estrella, La,” 1997

• Alcalá de Henares Short Film Festival: National Short Film, “Walter Peralta,” 1993