Rossy de Palma
Born: 1964-09-16 in Palma, Balearic Islands, Spain
Known For: Acting
Biography
Described by many as a Picasso come-to-life, de Palma broke the rules of beauty in 1988 when she starred in Pedro Almodóvar’s Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and became a model and muse for designers like Jean-Paul Gaultier, Thierry Mugler, and Sybilla. Her status as an iconic fashion character was further cemented with her role in Robert Altman’s 1994 satirical fashion film Prêt-à-Porter. Today, she is a theater actress, charity spokesperson for the Ghanian Charity OrphanAid Africa, and the face of luxury ad campaigns. Born in Palma de Mallorca, she was originally a singer and dancer for the band Peor Imposible before being discovered by filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar at a café in Madrid in 1986. He cast her in roles based on her unique, Picassoesque appearance. She is best known for her roles in Almodóvar films like La ley del deseo (Law of Desire), Kika, Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown) and La flor de mi secreto (The Flower of My Secret). She acts in France and does modeling. She appeared in Robert Altman's Prêt-à-Porter as Pilar. In 2007, she released a perfume line under her name through the French cosmetics company Etat libre d'Orange. In 2009, she posed nude in an information campaign on breast cancer for the magazine Marie Claire. She currently lives in France with her two sons. She was selected to be on the jury for the main competition section of the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.
Filmography
2026
- Bitter Christmas as Gabriela
- La Tarara
- Día de caza as Rosa
2025
- Pedro x Javis as Self
- Honeymoon Crasher as Gloria
- The Opera! Arias for an Eclipse as Moire
- Estrella, cometa, satélite y planeta
2024
- Dear Paris as Dolorès
- Inside the Dream: Mugler as Self
2023
- Late Xou con Marc Giró as Self - Guest
- Escort Boys as Mimi
- Têtàtête(s) as Self - Guest
- 3 Days Max as Alba Suarez
- La Mesías as Laia Baró (mayor)
- Apaches: Gang of Paris as Sarah Bernardt
- Carmen as Masilda
- El viaje de Julieta as Self
2022
- Drag Race France as Self - Guest Judge
- Once Upon a Time... Happily Never After as Narrator (voice) / María / Mamen
- The House as Brigida
- Cinco Tenedores as Jueza
- Rainbow
- The Sweet Taste of Success as Rossy de Palma
2021
- Drag Race España as Self - Guest Judge
- Parallel Mothers as Elena
- La Noche D as Self - Guest
- Carrément craignos as Héléna
- Do You Do You Saint-Tropez as Carmen
- LOL - Last One Laughing Spain as Self
- El refugio
2020
- Little Birds as Contessa Mandrax
- A Mermaid in Paris as Rossy
2019
- La gran il·lusió, relat intermitent del cinema català as Self (archive footage)
- My Brother Chases Dinosaurs as Auntie Rock / Zia Dolores
- Despite Everything as Inés
- I Miss You as Rosaura
- The Rodriguez and the Beyond as Doctora Pilar
- For the Ones We Loved as Artémis
2018
- La resistencia as Invitada
- The Man Who Killed Don Quixote
- Lo Siguiente as Self - Presenter
- Maestros de la costura as Invitada
- Bailando con las estrellas as Self - Contestant
- Brillantissime as Charline
- Jean Paul Gaultier : Freak & Chic as Self
- Black Is Beltza as Ruth Abramson (voice)
- Jean Paul Gaultier fait son show as Self
- ¡Ay, Carmen! as Self - Actress
- Le vieux juif Blonde as Voyante
2017
- Dani&Flo con Lara Álvarez as Self - Interviewee
- The White Princess as Isabella I of Castile
- The Exchange as Dómina
- Madame as Maria
- Toc Toc as Ana María
- Lord, Give Me Patience as María Ramos
2016
- Julieta as Marian
- En tu cabeza as Milagros (Vecina)
- Almodóvar, todo sobre ellas as Self
- 10 Years with Bebe as self
2015
- Anchored as Palmira
- Spy Time as Madre de Katia
- The Material Boy as Self
- Just a Little Chemistry as Bárbara Sullivan
- Stranded as Mercè
- French Cinema Mon Amour as Self
- Graziella as Graziella
2014
- Planeta Calleja as Self - Guest
- Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart as Luna (voice)
- Do Not Disturb as Maria
- Love of My Loves as Carmina
- Untied! Reflections on Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! as Self
2013
- Me resbala as Self - Contestant
- Three Many Weddings as Madre de Ruth
- I Don't Know Whether to Slit My Wrists or Leave Them Long as Lola
- &Me as Edurne's Mother
2012
- Bright Spin as Amie de Patrick
- Run a way as La benemérita
2011
- Danse avec les stars as Self - Candidate
2010
- Gigola as Dominique
- Miss Tacuarembo as Patricia Peinado
2009
- Broken Embraces as Julieta
- No Pasaran as Inès
2007
- La que se avecina as María Luisa Romero
2006
- Girlfriends as La mère de Marie
- Les Aristos as La duchesse Maria de Malaga i Benidorm
2005
- Caterina e le sue figlie as Estrella Toledo
- 20 Centimeters as La Frío
2004
- Double zéro as Le Monocle
- People : Jet Set 2 as Pilar
- Have You Met Claudia? as Aldo's Claudia
2003
- Leave Your Hands on My Hips as Myriam Bardem
2002
- Dead Weight as Pauline Reggio
2001
- L'origine du monde as The Sphynx
2000
- The Mule as La Colombienne
1999
- The Damned Rib as Margarita
- The Loss of Sexual Innocence as Blind Woman
- Nag la Bombe as Leïla
1998
- Talk of Angels as Elena
- Foul Play as Concepcion Alibera
- Franchesca Page as Veronica
1997
- Airbag as Carmiña, mujer de Pazos en una fotografía
- La Femme du cosmonaute as Catherine
1996
- De pé a pá as Self
- Chicken Park as Necrophilia
- A Body in the Woods as Teniente Cifuentes
- The Worker and the Hairdresser in a Whirlwind of Sex and Politics
1995
- The Flower of My Secret as Rosa
- What's It All About as Librarian
- Peggio di così si muore as Myrna
1994
- Prêt-à-Porter as Pilar
- Fea
- La Machine Mode as Self
1993
- Kika as Juana
- Mutant Action as Invitada de lujo
- Rose rosse per una squillo as Juliette
1992
- Aquí, el que no corre... vuela
- Sam's Enough as Chichi
- The Naked Target as Dama 2
1991
- Madonna: Truth or Dare as Self
- The Family Jewels as Donatella
1990
- Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! as Camello en Vespa
- Don Juan, My Dear Ghost as Viuda de Prodini
- In The Rose Garden as Rosy
1988
1987
- Law of Desire as Locutora tele