Talisa Soto:
• is an American actress and model
• holds American nationality, of Puerto Rican origin
• started modelling at the age of 15 and worked for Revlon, Clarins, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Salvatore Ferragamo
• landed her first acting role in 1984 and most famously played Princess Kitana in the "Mortal Kombat" movies
• married actor Benjamin Bratt in 2002 and has two children with him
• has a net worth of $7.5 million
Known for movies
Licence to Kill (1989)
as Lupe Lamora
Mortal Kombat (1995)
as Kitana
Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997)
as Kitana
Don Juan DeMarco (1994)
as Doña Julia
Short Info
| Spouse | Benjamin Bratt, Costas Mandylor |
| Fact | Second child with Benjamin Bratt, son Mateo Bravery, born October 3, 2005, in Los Angeles, weighing 7lbs 7oz. |
Talisa Soto is a popular American actress, who is most famous for playing Princess Kitana in the “Mortal Kombat” movies. She woke up famous after playing Lupe Lamora in “Licence to Kill”, opposite Timothy Dalton.
Contents
Early life and family
Miriam Talisa Soto was born on 27 March 1967, in Brooklyn, New York City USA, so she holds American nationality, and her zodiac sign is Aries. Talisa is of Puerto Rican origin, as her parents, Clari and Hector Soto are both from Puerto Rico. Her mother is a retired nutritionist, while her father’s profession is not known. Talisa is the youngest daughter of her parents; she has three older siblings. When Talisa was a young girl, her family moved from Puerto Rico to Northampton, Massachusetts.
Educational background
Talisa matriculated from her local high school in Northampton in 1985, even though she struggled a lot during her senior years, as she tried hard to balance between her classes and busy working schedule as a model. She didn’t enter any college after her matriculation, pursuing her modelling career, having plenty of job offers even without a higher education.
Career
Modeling career
Talisa started modelling when she’d just turned 15. A talent scout from Click Model Management noticed her, so Talisa soon signed her first contract, gracing the cover of British Vogue the very same year! She worked during her summer vacations, and even traveled to Paris to participate in another Vogue shooting.
After matriculating from her high school, Talisa was free to spend as much time at work as she could, so she accepted every offer she got, and appeared in such popular magazines as British Elle, Glamour, Mademoiselle, Self, etc. She also worked with such worldwide famous brands as Cartier, Versace, Calvin Klein and many others. Talisa was one of the youngest models who signed commercial contracts with Revlon and Clarins, as well as Saks Fifth Avenue and Salvatore Ferragamo. She could also be seen on catwalks of John Galliano, Gianni Versace and many other legendary designers. During her successful modelling career – which is still developing, as of 2020, even though Talisa is 53 – she had a chance to work with such skillful photographers as Bruce Weber, Sante D’Orazio and many others.
Interesting facts about Talisa’s modelling career
It is worth mentioning that Talisa is a former winner of the pageant Miss Galaxy Beauty Contest. She is also famous for turning down the offer from Playboy Magazine in 1989: as most of the actresses who played James Bond’s girlfriends in the movies about the legendary Agent 007, she was offered to pose for the cover of the magazine, but Talisa refused, never explaining the reason of her decision. People Magazine included Talisa in the list of 50 Most Beautiful People in the World in 1990, and she was also featured by Sports Illustrated in 1995 in its heading “Swimsuit Issue”. In 2002, Maxim ranked Talisa as #58 in the annual list of the Hot 100 Women of the Year. Harper’s Bazaar Magazine ranked Talisa as #18 in the list of Top Super Star Models.
While being in relationship with Nick Kamen, Talisa appeared in Madonna’s music video “Each Time You Break My Heart”, along with her boyfriend. Nick and Talisa worked together for a some time, often modelling for Ray Petri, who is a late British creator and fashion stylist. Talisa has never changed her model agency, and still works for Click Model Management.
Acting career
Talisa debuted as an extras actress in “The Pope of Greenwich Village” in 1984. In 1988 she landed her first role in the episodes “The Cowboy and the Frenchman” and “Les Gaulois” of the mini-series “The French as Seen By…”, portraying a French girl. The same year she appeared as India in “Spike of Bensonhurst”, a drama about a young Italian guy who wanted to become a boxer.
The following year Talisa’s acting career took a giant leap, as she landed the role of James Bond’s girl, Lupe Lamora, in “Licence to Kill”, starring Timothy Dalton. She even won the ShoWest Convention Award as the Female Star of Tomorrow in 1989.
In 1990 she played Marianna Herrera in the TV film “Silhouette”, and Rosina in “Prison Stories: Women on the Inside” in 1991. She then landed the role of Maria Rivera in “The Mambo Kings”, starring Armand Assante, Pablo Calogero and Antonio Banderas. From 1993 to 1994, Talisa appeared as Cassie in the recurring cast of “Harts of the West” series; she appeared in 15 episodes of the show. After portraying Doña Julia in Jeremy Leven’s “Don Juan DeMarco” (1994), starring Marlon Brando and Johnny Depp, Talisa played one of her most recognizable roles in her acting career – Princess Kitana in “Mortal Kombat”, sharing the screen with Christopher Lambert, Linden Ashby and Bridgette Wilson-Sampras.
Later acting activities
Before appearing in the sequel of “Mortal Kombat” in 1997, Talisa appeared in several more movies, such as “The Sunchaser” as Navajo Woman, “Spy Hard” as a seductress in the hotel room, and “The Corporate Ladder”, in which she could be seen as Susan Taylor. However, after a few more films including “Flypaper”, “Flight of Fancy” and “Island of the Dead”, she met Benjamin Bratt, a fellow actor, and married him, later focusing on the role of a wife and mother. She paused her acting career after appearing in “Piñero” (2001) as Sugar, “Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever” (2002) as Vinn and “La Mission”, the movie of 2009 as Ana.
Personal life, husband Benjamin Bratt
Talisa was married to an actor Costas Mandylor from 1997 to 2000.
Talisa Soto (L) and actor Benjamin Bratt attend The Los Angeles World Premiere of Marvel Studios’ "Doctor Strange” in Hollywood, CA on Oct. 20th, 2016.
Posted by Marvel Studios on Friday, October 21, 2016
Little is known about their relationship, however, the couple divorced without any loud headlines in the media. Talisa met her future second husband on the set of “Piñero” in 2001, and the couple married on 13 April 2002 in a modest wedding ceremony in San Francisco. Talisa gave birth to their first daughter, Sophia Rosalinda, on 6 December 2002; some sources stated that Sophia got a birth injury on her brain which made her suffer from physical disabilities. Talisa and Bratt did everything they could to find the best therapists who could provide their daughter a proper rehabilitation, and as of 2020, Sophia is not reported to suffer from any kind of disability.
On 3 October 2005, Talisa gave birth to her second child, a son they named Mateo Bravery.
Both Bratt and Talisa take their parenting very seriously: ‘The stakes are much higher on every level. The work that you choose will draw you away from that which you care for most, your family, [and] gets a whole new scrutiny’, Bratt shared in his interview with People magazine in 2010. Talisa also shared that she enjoyed talking to her kids, having conversations with them as soon as they learned to speak, and shared that she was very interested ‘to see their perspective on things’. It is worth mentioning that before meeting Talisa, Benjamin was engaged to Julia Roberts for four years from 1997 to 2001; however, the engagement was annulled when Benjamin started dating Talisa.
Who is Benjamin Bratt?
Talisa’s husband Benjamin George Bratt, was born on 16 December 1963, in San Francisco, California USA. He is mostly famous for starring in such movies as “Traffic” (2000), “Miss Congeniality” (2000) and “Despicable Me 2” (2013). From 2010 to 2020 he played the role of Javier Delgado in the popular sitcom “Modern Family”. He is also known for portraying Jahil Rivera in the “Star” series, starring Ryan Destiny, Jude Demorest and Queen Latifah.
Hobbies, favorite things and interesting facts
Talisa is still into fitness, frequently sharing photos and videos from her workout routine on her social media accounts. She also likes doing climbing from time to time. As to her favorite food, Talisa enjoys Italian cuisine.
Appearance, clothing style
Talisa has long straight dark brown hair, and dark brown eyes. She is 5ft 8ins (1.73m) tall weighs around 136lbs (62kgs), and her vital statistics are 35-25-35. Talisa doesn’t have any tattoos. As to her clothing style, she likes cotton mid-length dresses with floral patterns and mostly sticks to casual outfit style, wearing enough of luxury clothes at work.
Net worth and salary
As of 2020, Talisa’s net worth is reported to be $7.5 million. As she keeps on working as a model, having an on-going contract with Click Model Management, her net worth will continue to grow. As to her husband, Benjamin Bratt, his net worth is reputedly around $12 million.
General Info
| Full Name | Talisa Soto |
| Height | 1.77 m |
| Profession | Actor, Model |
| Nationality | American |
Family
| Spouse | Benjamin Bratt, Costas Mandylor |
| Children | Mateo Bravery Bratt, Sophia Rosalinda Bratt |
Accomplishments
| Nominations | ALMA Award for Favorite Movie Actress - Supporting Role |
| Movies | Licence to Kill, Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Don Juan DeMarco, Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever, Piñero, La Mission, The Mambo Kings, Spike of Bensonhurst, Spy Hard, Sunchaser, Flypaper, Island of the Dead, Vampirella, Prison Stories: Women on the Inside, Flight of Fancy, Hostage, The Corp... |
| TV Shows | Harts of the West |
Social profile links
Facts
| # | Fact |
|---|---|
| 1 | She worked with Carey Lowell in Licence to Kill (1989) while her husband Benjamin Bratt worked with her in Law & Order (1990). |
| 2 | Sister-in-law of Peter Bratt. |
| 3 | Second child with Benjamin Bratt, son Mateo Bravery, born October 3, 2005, in Los Angeles, weighing 7lbs 7oz. |
| 4 | Former sister-in-law of Louis Mandylor. |
| 5 | Turned down an offer to pose for "Playboy" in conjunction with her turn as a James Bond girl in Licence to Kill (1989). |
| 6 | Talisa and Benjamin Bratt had a baby girl on December 6, 2002, in New York City. Her name is Sophia Rosalinda Bratt and she weighed in at 7 lbs. |
| 7 | Engaged to Benjamin Bratt (April 2002), whom she met while filming Piñero (2001) in 2001. |
| 8 | Chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the world. [1990] |
| 9 | She currently lives in Los Angeles "in a lovely house up in the hills with no pool but lots of balconies and great views". |
| 10 | She got her first modeling job at age 15. |
Pictures
Movies
Actress
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elysium | 2013/I | Tisha (uncredited) | |
| La Mission | 2009 | Ana (as Talisa Soto Bratt) | |
| Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever | 2002 | Vinn / Rayne | |
| Piñero | 2001 | Sugar | |
| That Summer in LA | 2000 | Marisabel | |
| Island of the Dead | 2000 | TV Movie | Melissa O'Keefe |
| Flight of Fancy | 2000 | Mercedes Marquez | |
| Flypaper | 1999 | Amanda | |
| C-16: FBI | 1998 | TV Series | Rosemary Vargas |
| Mortal Kombat: Annihilation | 1997 | Kitana | |
| The Corporate Ladder | 1997 | Susan Taylor | |
| Vampirella | 1996 | Video | Vampirella |
| Spy Hard | 1996 | Seductress in Hotel Room (as Desiree More) | |
| The Sunchaser | 1996 | Navajo Woman | |
| Mortal Kombat | 1995 | Kitana | |
| Don Juan DeMarco | 1994 | Doña Julia | |
| Harts of the West | 1993-1994 | TV Series | Cassie |
| Hostage | 1992 | Joanna | |
| The Mambo Kings | 1992 | Maria Rivera | |
| Prison Stories: Women on the Inside | 1991 | TV Movie | Rosina |
| Silhouette | 1990 | TV Movie | Marianna Herrera |
| Licence to Kill | 1989 | Lupe Lamora | |
| Spike of Bensonhurst | 1988 | India | |
| Les Français vus par | 1988 | TV Mini-Series | French Girl |
| The Pope of Greenwich Village | 1984 | Studio Dancer (uncredited) |
Thanks
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance | 2002 | Video Game special thanks: artistic contribution |
Self
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 25: Oprah Behind the Scenes | 2011 | TV Series | Herself |
| 2009 Alma Awards | 2009 | TV Special | Herself |
| The 79th Annual Academy Awards | 2007 | TV Special | Herself |
| California Entertainment Weekly | 2005 | TV Series | Herself, Model |
| The Greatest | 2002 | TV Series documentary | Herself |
| 2002 ALMA Awards | 2002 | TV Special | Herself |
| NBC 75th Anniversary Special | 2002 | TV Special | Herself |
| The 59th Annual Golden Globe Awards | 2002 | TV Special documentary | Herself |
| The 49th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards | 1997 | TV Special | Herself |
| Mortal Kombat: Behind the Dragon | 1995 | TV Movie documentary | Herself |
| Mortal Kombat: Behind the Scenes | 1995 | Video documentary short | Herself |
| The 46th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards | 1994 | TV Special | Herself |
| The 45th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards | 1993 | TV Special | Herself - Audience Member |
| The Pat Sajak Show | 1989 | TV Series | Herself |
| Live with Kelly and Ryan | 1989 | TV Series | Herself |
| Wogan | 1989 | TV Series |
Archive Footage
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premiere Bond: Opening Nights | 2006 | Video documentary short | Herself |
| Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance | 2002 | Video Game | Princess Kitana |
| The Short Films of David Lynch | 2002 | Video documentary | French Girl ("The Cowboy and the Frenchman") |
Awards
Won Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | ShoWest Award | ShoWest Convention, USA | Female Star of Tomorrow |
Nominated Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | ALMA Award | ALMA Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | Piñero (2001) |
Source: IMDb, Wikipedia
