New Hollywood 2011

Born in Uruguay, Barbara Mori moved to Mexico after her parents divorced when she was just 3 years old. She enjoyed a normal childhood in Mexico -- until, at the age of 14, she was discovered by famed fashion designer Marcos Toledo while she was working at a restaurant. Impressed with her poise and uncommon beauty, Marcos offered Barbara a job as a model and it wasn’t long before the up-and-coming beauty was living the high life and rubbing shoulders with the best and brightest in her field.

Once she realized that models generally have a limited shelf life, Barbara began to think about her future, eventually settling on a possible career as an actress. With that realization, Barbara enrolled in acting classes and began the slow process of auditioning.

In 1997, Barbara landed her first gig -- a spot on a Mexican soap called Al norte del corazón. Barbara followed that up in ’98 with a starring role on Azul tequila. Although she spent the next several years appearing in a slew of TV shows and movies, Barbara’s big break came in 2004 when she was cast in the lead role in the high-profile soap, Rubi.

Already a star in Mexico, Barbara was finally introduced to the rest of the world in 2005 with the release of the critically-acclaimed La Mujer de mi hermano. Barbara’s future is bright and it’s just a matter of time before she establishes herself as the next hot import -- think Penelope Cruz or Salma Hayek.