Mónica Cervera

Mónica Cervera
Born
Mónica Cervera Rodríguez

(1975-06-06) June 6, 1975
Málaga, Andalusia, Spain
OccupationActress
Years active1999–2016

Mónica Cervera Rodríguez (born 6 June 1975) is a Spanish actress best known for her role as Lourdes in Álex de la Iglesia's black comedy film Crimen Ferpecto (2004), for which she received a Goya Award nomination for Best New Actress.[1] She also appeared in films such as Piedras (2002) and 20 centímetros (2005), both directed by Ramón Salazar, and in the television series La que se avecina.[2] In January 2024, it was widely reported that Cervera had been living homeless in Marbella, generating significant media attention in Spain.[3]

Early life

Cervera was born on 6 June 1975 in the province of Málaga, Andalusia.[4] She grew up in Marbella, where her family settled.[5] She studied dance in Madrid and dramatic arts at her native Málaga.[6]

Career

Film

Cervera made her screen debut in the short film Hongos (1999), directed by Ramón Salazar, which won numerous awards at international film festivals including the Audience Award for Best Short Film at the Málaga Film Festival.[7] She went on to appear in the feature film Octavia (2002), directed by Basilio Martín Patino, and reunited with Salazar for Piedras (2002), which was selected for the Berlin International Film Festival.[8] She also appeared in Entre vivir y soñar (2004), directed by Alfonso Albacete and David Menkes, alongside Carmen Maura.[9]

Her breakthrough came with the role of Lourdes in Crimen Ferpecto (2004), a black comedy directed by Álex de la Iglesia and co-starring Guillermo Toledo.[10] The role earned her a nomination for the Goya Award for Best New Actress at the XIX Goya Awards ceremony in January 2005; the award was won by Belén Rueda for Mar adentro.[11]

In 2005, Cervera starred as Marieta in 20 centímetros, a musical comedy-drama directed by Ramón Salazar, in which she played a narcoleptic pre-operative transgender woman.[12]

Television

Cervera's first television role was in the Antena 3 comedy series Manos a la obra (2001).[13] She later appeared in Con dos tacones (2006) on TVE.[14] Her last acting work was in the Telecinco comedy La que se avecina (2013–2016), where she played María Josefa Rivas, the sister of the character Amador Rivas, in three episodes.[15] She has not participated in any acting project since 2016.[16]

Theatre

Cervera also worked in theatre, particularly in Spain's microtheater format. In 2015, she starred in La mujer que llegaba a las seis, an adaptation of a short story by Gabriel García Márquez, directed by Joaquín Luna and co-starring José Prieto.[17]

Personal life

In January 2024, the Spanish magazine Semana reported that Cervera had been living homeless on a park bench in Marbella.[18] The revelation generated widespread media coverage in Spain and prompted reactions from several fellow actresses, including Marisa Paredes and Lola Dueñas.[19]

In February 2025, Cervera was arrested in Marbella by the Policía Nacional on an outstanding judicial warrant and was placed in provisional detention.[20] It was subsequently reported that she had been sentenced in 2023 to eleven months in prison for attempted robbery with violence stemming from an incident in 2021 in Marbella.[21] As of June 2025, Cervera was reported to be incarcerated at the Algeciras prison in Cádiz province.[22]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleDirector
1999Hongos (short)MarisaRamón Salazar
2002PiedrasAnitaRamón Salazar
2002OctaviaToñiBasilio Martín Patino
2004Entre vivir y soñarRocíoAlfonso Albacete, David Menkes
2004Crimen FerpectoLourdesÁlex de la Iglesia
200520 centímetrosMarietaRamón Salazar

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2001Manos a la obraNicoAntena 3
2006Con dos taconesMalenaTVE
2013–2016La que se avecinaMaría Josefa RivasTelecinco; 3 episodes

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryWorkResult
2000Málaga Film FestivalAudience Award for Best Short FilmHongosWon
2005Goya AwardsBest New ActressCrimen FerpectoNominated

References

  1. ↑ "Crimen ferpecto" [The Ferpect Crime]. Premios Goya (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 March 2026.
  2. ↑ "Mónica Cervera ingresa en prisión provisional tras ser detenida en Marbella por una reclamación en una causa penal" [Mónica Cervera enters provisional prison after being arrested in Marbella for a pending criminal case]. Telecinco (in Spanish). 19 February 2025. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
  3. ↑ "La actriz Mónica Cervera, nominada al Goya por 'Crimen Ferpecto' vive en la indigencia" [Actress Mónica Cervera, Goya nominee for 'Crimen Ferpecto', lives in destitution]. Infobae (in Spanish). 3 January 2024. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
  4. ↑ "Mónica Cervera, la actriz de 'Crimen Ferpecto' y 'La que se avecina' vive en un banco de la calle, en Marbella" [Mónica Cervera, the actress from 'Crimen Ferpecto' and 'La que se avecina', lives on a street bench in Marbella]. Telecinco (in Spanish). 3 January 2024. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
  5. ↑ "Prisión provisional para la actriz Mónica Cervera por una orden requisitoria de causa penal" [Provisional prison for actress Mónica Cervera due to a criminal case warrant]. The Objective (in Spanish). 19 February 2025. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
  6. ↑ "Monica Cervera – Biografía" [Monica Cervera – Biography]. SensaCine (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 March 2026.
  7. ↑ "La actriz Mónica Cervera, de nominada al Goya por 'Crimen Ferpecto' a vivir en la calle" [Actress Mónica Cervera, from Goya nominee for 'Crimen Ferpecto' to living on the street]. Diario de Pontevedra (in Spanish). 4 January 2024. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
  8. ↑ "Mónica Cervera, actriz de 'La que se avecina', en prisión provisional por un delito contra el patrimonio" [Mónica Cervera, actress from 'La que se avecina', in provisional prison for a crime against property]. FórmulaTV (in Spanish). 20 February 2025. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
  9. ↑ "Entre vivir y soñar (2004)". FilmAffinity (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 March 2026.
  10. ↑ "Mónica Cervera, de estrella del 'Crimen Ferpecto', a vivir en la calle en indigencia" [Mónica Cervera, from star of 'Crimen Ferpecto' to living on the street in destitution]. El Tiempo (in Spanish). 3 January 2024. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
  11. ↑ "Todos los premios y nominaciones de Crimen ferpecto" [All awards and nominations for Crimen ferpecto]. FilmAffinity (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 March 2026.
  12. ↑ "Mónica Cervera: Biografía y Trayectoria de la Actriz Española" [Mónica Cervera: Biography and Career of the Spanish Actress]. Znaki FM (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 March 2026.
  13. ↑ "Mónica Cervera, actriz nominada al Goya, vive en la indigencia" [Mónica Cervera, Goya-nominated actress, lives in destitution]. El Plural (in Spanish). 3 January 2024. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
  14. ↑ "La realidad de la actriz Mónica Cervera: de triunfar en 'La que se avecina' a vivir en la calle" [The reality of actress Mónica Cervera: from succeeding in 'La que se avecina' to living on the street]. The Objective (in Spanish). 19 February 2025. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
  15. ↑ "Mónica Cervera, nominada al Goya por Crimen Ferpecto, vive en la indigencia" [Mónica Cervera, Goya nominee for Crimen Ferpecto, lives in destitution]. El Imparcial (in Spanish). 3 January 2024. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
  16. ↑ "Detenida y encarcelada Mónica Cervera, actriz de 'La que se avecina'" [Arrested and imprisoned Mónica Cervera, actress from 'La que se avecina']. Última Hora (in Spanish). 20 February 2025. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
  17. ↑ "Quién es Mónica Cervera, la actriz de 'La que se avecina' y nominada a un Goya que ha sido detenida" [Who is Mónica Cervera, the actress from 'La que se avecina' and Goya nominee who has been arrested]. Infobae (in Spanish). 20 February 2025. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
  18. ↑ "La actriz Mónica Cervera, nominada al Goya por 'Crimen Ferpecto' vive en la indigencia" [Actress Mónica Cervera, Goya nominee for 'Crimen Ferpecto', lives in destitution]. Última Hora (in Spanish). 3 January 2024. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
  19. ↑ "Mónica Cervera rompe su silencio tras conocerse que vive en la calle: "No quiero saber nada"" [Mónica Cervera breaks her silence after it becomes known she lives on the street: "I don't want to know anything"]. Infobae (in Spanish). 14 January 2024. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
  20. ↑ "Ingresa en prisión Mónica Cervera ('La que se avecina') tras ser detenida en Marbella" [Mónica Cervera ('La que se avecina') enters prison after being arrested in Marbella]. Libertad Digital (in Spanish). 20 February 2025. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
  21. ↑ "Condenan a 11 meses de prisión a la actriz Mónica Cervera por una tentativa de robo con violencia: quería cacahuetes" [Actress Mónica Cervera sentenced to 11 months in prison for attempted robbery with violence: she wanted peanuts]. El Español (in Spanish). 20 February 2025. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
  22. ↑ "La actriz Mónica Cervera, aislada por mala conducta en prisión: «No está bien, es violenta»" [Actress Mónica Cervera, isolated for bad conduct in prison: "She is not well, she is violent"]. The Objective (in Spanish). 10 June 2025. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
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