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Actress, Singer, Writer and Producer, Daniela Vega is best known for her performance in ‘A Fantastic Woman’, a film that won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film Language in 2018. In the same year, TIME named her one of the top 100 most influential people in the world. Vega was the first ever transgender presenter at the Academy Awards in 2018.
Since then the Chilean artist has continued to bring change to cinema. Recently, ‘Roma’s’ Yalitza Aparicio, ‘A Fantastic Woman’s’ Vega have signed on to host a four-part documentary series about Latin American women who have survived state and gender violence, ‘Peace Peace Now Now,’ which Vega has spearheaded and executive produces.
Born in the Santiago Province of Chile, Daniela began studying opera as an eight year old with her grandmother. “It was a self-discovery for me to move from imitating others to me growing to sing in my own voice. The opera was difficult and it felt like a personal conquest,“ she told W in 2017.
As an advocate for trans rights, her role in ‘A Fantastic Woman’ was extremely significant as films in the past have casted non-trans actors to play trans roles. In an interview with EW, the actress said that art allows the trans community, “usually silenced,” to tear down walls and open the ways to understanding.
One of her dreams is to work with Spanish director Pedro Almodovar. Congratulations, Daniela as you are a true Latina Powerhouse!