Karla Souza

**Karla Susana Olivares Souza** (born 11 December 1985) is a critically acclaimed Mexican actress recognized globally for her portrayals of *Laurel Castillo* on the ABC legal drama series *How to Get Away with Murder* and *Marina Hayworth* on the ABC sitcom *Home Economics*. She was awarded the International Emmy Award for Best Actress in 2023 for her role as Mariel Saenz in the television movie *La Caída*. Souza's life started in Mexico City, to Chilean father and Mexican mother, Mónica. She lived the early years of her life in Aspen, Colorado, crediting her grandmother's immigration to the U.S as the reason for her American passport. Souza began her acting studies at the Centro de Educación Artística in Mexico City, eventually attending acting school in France and doing theatre tours across the country. She rejected a chance to be on the reality TV show *Star Academy* on receiving an invite to London's Central School of Speech and Drama. Souza graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in acting, winning accolades as a promising actress in London. She debuted on television in 2009 with the Mexican telenovela *Verano de amor*. She picked up roles in Mexican sitcoms and films, leading up to her move to Los Angeles in 2014 to pursue English-language film and television roles. The career-defining role came in *How to Get Away with Murder* opposite Viola Davis. Since 2021, she has played Marina in *Home Economics*.