Elsa Pataky

Elsa Lafuente Medianu, known professionally as Elsa Pataky, is a Spanish model and actress. She first captured the limelight in the Spanish teen drama Al salir de Clase (1997-2002) before earning international recognition as Elena Neves in the Fast & Furious franchise. She appeared in films like Snakes on a Plane (2006), Giallo (2009), and Give 'Em Hell, Malone (2009), and starred in the Spanish film Di Di Hollywood (2010). She also played the dual role of Mr. Norton and the Vuvalini General in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024).

Born in Madrid, Spain, Pataky is the daughter of José Francisco Lafuente, a Spanish biochemist, and Cristina Medianu Pataky, a Romanian publicist. She has a younger half-brother, Cristian Prieto Medianu, a director. Pataky attended Universidad CEU San Pablo where she studied journalism and took acting classes. In addition to Spanish and Romanian, she is fluent in English, Italian, Portuguese, and French. Pataky had an impressive theatre stint with Madrid's Teatro Cámara de Ángel Gutiérrez. She made a mark in TV series like Queen of Swords, Los Serrano, and Mujeres Asesinas. She has acted in over 10 Spanish films and co-starred in the French film Iznogoud (2004). Pataky reprised her role as Elena Neves in Fast & Furious 6 (2013), Furious 7 (2015), and The Fate of the Furious (2017). In 2018, she starred in the Australian web series Tidelands. She also co-founded a skincare brand, Purely Byron.