From Child Star to Crime Drama: Ivana Baquero Talks Goyas, Kevin Costner, and La Viuda Negra with Vanity Fair Spain

The actress plays Maje en La Viuda Negra (A Widow's Game in english), a Netflix film that arrives on the platform on May 30, where Baquero shares the screen with Carmen Machi.

Ivana Baquero has been enjoying herself on a film set since she was a child. At just 8 years old, she worked with Paco Plaza, and at 12, she went on stage to collect her first Goya Award for her performance in Pan's Labyrinth. The actress now plays Maje in La Viuda Negra, the new Netflix film premiering May 30th, which tells the story of La Viuda Negra de Patraix, a true crime that took place in 2017. The film also stars Carmen Machi and Tristán Ulloa. We spoke with Ivana Baquero about this project and her beginnings in the acting world.

We all know Maje's story, since it's a true story, but how did you deal with this high-profile figure who did something so terrible?

Above all, I approached it with respect and sensitivity, given that it's based on real events and there's a real victim. I tried to be as sensitive as possible. That said, we made a fiction film, so it's not exactly a documentary. When I discussed it with Ramón Campos and Carlos, we ultimately decided I would rely on the documentation everyone has, those wiretapped calls so I could get a sense of the real Maje's voice and gestures, and on the script, which is primarily what we followed. I had no access to either her entourage or Maje herself. It was about trying to do justice to the story and embody the character as truthfully as possible.

I don't know if it's a bit scary to put a face to a character like that on screen...

Not so much fear of repercussions or what might be said, but rather a responsibility to do justice to the story and the project they presented to me. Ramón Campos did a great deal of research and was very clear about what they wanted. I have a responsibility as an actress to do justice to the material. Beyond that, any fear I may have about what's real goes beyond me choosing the project, I chose it because it seemed very interesting to me.

Ivana Baquero as Maje in La Viuda Negra.

I suppose that despite this being a terrible case, you as an actress have not judged Maje.

Let's see... There's a process (laughs). I didn't know the real case; I think I'm the only one who didn't. When I read it for the first time, I had a personal reaction to Maje, rejecting everything that happened, but as an actress, I have to be able to empathize with the actions in the script and understand how she does certain things and how she gets there without judging her at that moment. My job is to reach the darkest of those emotions; otherwise, I wouldn't do justice to the story and it wouldn't make sense. Once we got into the rehearsal process, which was very long, we had weeks and months to talk about the project. Once you're in it, you have to do the exercise of getting into the skin of the character as if she were completely fictional and bring her to life.

In the movie you share the screen with Carmen Machi, among other actors. What was it like working with her?

It was the first time I worked with her, and I swear she's the most wonderful person and the most charming and generous actress I've ever met. Many such established actors tend to come to a job and leave, but Carmen is so kind and did everything she could to make me feel welcome and accepted. It was a luxury. The only regret was not having more scenes together because the ones we had were very tense and with absolute animosity between the characters, but it was an incredible experience.

Are you a fan of true crimes movies or series?

Huge fan, I love true crimes, I've always watch them. They seem very interesting not only because of the cases and the dark side of the human mind, but also because, from a legal perspective, it's very interesting and educational.

Let's rewind a bit, when you were 12 you won a Goya for your role in Pan's Labyrinth, directed by Guillermo del Toro and starring Maribel Verdú. How do you remember that moment now?

Well, I didn't expect it at all. In fact, I don't even remember being nervous because of the innocence of being there, and thinking that they weren't going to give it to me. It was very emotional because it's an award given to you by your colleagues in the profession and industry, and it was a huge boost in my career because that's when I realized that what I was doing made sense and that people appreciated and respected it. I think it was a turning point in what I wanted to do, even though I was only 12 years old. Maybe if I hadn't won that Goya and hadn't been given the opportunities it gave me, maybe I wouldn't be an actress today. For me, it's a very important part of my career.

The legend of the Goya curse hasn't affected you, has it?

It's hard to understand because I was a child and didn't have an excessive workload. I don't know if I would have experienced it differently as an adult. The day after winning the Goya, I went to school, continued with my normal life, and my parents and I were very selective about the jobs I chose so I could continue in school. It was beneficial for me, but I do know people who have won a Goya and don't have opportunities. That said, it's a complicated industry.

Before winning the Goya you had worked on six movies. When did your passion for acting begin?

It was strange because I would never have considered being an actress, because there's no one in my family who's creative or involved in the arts industry. I went to an American school, and for the production of Paco Plaza's Roma Santa, they needed a girl who spoke English very well, and they couldn't find any. So they held a casting call at my school; all the girls in my class applied, and I asked my mother for permission to do it. I did, they chose me right away, and it was a super special shoot that left a deep mark on me because it was filmed in Galicia. Suddenly, I went to Galicia to film with horses, with Elsa Pataky and Julian Sands. I was 8 years old. It was like: "Wow, there's a world beyond school." It opened up a whole new horizon for me, and that's when I told my mother I wanted to do more similar things, and I was lucky because I landed many projects in a row.

You studied law. Did the idea of ​​working as a lawyer ever crossed your mind?

I sometimes say it was a backup plan, but I actually started studying law because we have so much free time during filming that I'd rather study a Civil Code than do nothing. I love literature. You give me a number and I get overwhelmed, but with literature, I love memorizing and arguing, and law has a lot of that. I liked it. Could it be a backup plan? Maybe. I didn't finish the degree, but I do get a few credits from time to time.

In 2009 you played the daughter of Kevin Costner in The New Daughter. What was it like working with a star of Costner's caliber?

It was my mom's greatest achievement! (laughs) I was 14. I got that role because I had an American team, and at that point I already had a manager and agent in the United States. I got the job through castings. And meeting Kevin was fantastic because he had a band and was very involved in it, and on weekends he'd invite us to his house and put on house concerts. He's very down-to-earth, very humble, and he came to the shoot with his wife and kids. For me, it was a unique, beautiful, and very welcoming experience.

In 2016, you made The Shannara Chronicles and filmed in New Zealand. I imagine that must have been another amazing experience!

The truth is, yes. I was there for two years filming, and now I've been there for another six months making Spartacus. New Zealand is a very special and magical place for me, firstly because it seems like life takes me there. You can't go any further, and I've already made two series there. Plus, my partner is New Zealander. I'm very attached to the country, and beside the fact that he's from there, they keep calling me to work there.

You spend a lot of time in Los Angeles. Javier Bardem said the other day that although he likes working in Hollywood, he enjoys working most in Spain. I don't know if you feel the same way.

I'm more or less living here, but in practice, I move wherever work is, something I love. In the end, I'm always packing my suitcase. I totally agree with Bardem. When I heard that interview, I empathized with absolutely everything he said and was glad I wasn't the only one who thought that way. Because it's true that, as he said, the United States has opened its doors to us and provided us with unique experiences. We've made a home here, and it's benefited us greatly in terms of work. But in the end, my roots are in Spain, and I'm Spanish, and the quality of life we ​​have in Spain, the work ethic, and the way we do things is very different. You always want to return to what you know, and yes, I would like to work more in Spain and spend more time here.

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Photos by: Valerio Rioja

© Vanity Fair Spain (May 2025)

(c) Interview by Vanity Fair Spain.

Translation by Ivana Baquero Italia.