Ivana Baquero is one of the talented child stars who successfully transitioned into adult roles and carved a remarkable path in international cinema and television. The Spanish actress has been in the spotlight since childhood, making her first notable impression on audiences when she portrayed Ofelia in Guillermo del Toro‘s critically acclaimed fantasy film Pan’s Labyrinth (2006). Baquero’s performance in the movie solidified her status as one of the most promising talents to grace the silver screen, and she has lived up to the title. She also earned several awards and recognitions for the role.
Her breakthrough performance opened the door to a diverse range of projects, including international collaborations. She appeared in notable roles in the fantasy-adventure series The Shannara Chronicles and the Spanish thriller High Seas, showcasing her versatility. Baquero is fluent in Spanish, Catalan, and English, which she has successfully leveraged to break into the European and global entertainment industries. With a career spanning over two decades, Baquero continues to evolve as an actress, and her impression as a series regular on Spartacus: House of Ashur is proof she’s not slowing down.
Ivana Baquero’s Film Career Began in the Early 2000s
Born in Barcelona on June 11, 1994, Ivana Baquero began acting at the age of 8, playing small roles in several movies. She received her first official acting credit in the Spanish-Italian-British horror film Romasanta and the science fiction horror Rottweiler, both in 2004. The movies were directed by Paco Plaza and Brian Yuzna, respectively. The next year, she played Mandy in Fragile, another horror film directed by Jaume Balagueró. Out of hundreds of talented young performers, Baquero impressed legendary director Guillermo del Toro enough to cast her as Ofelia in Pan’s Labyrinth. Although the character was supposed to be eight years old, the script was altered to suit Baquero’s age (11) at the time.
Ultimately, Baquero first captivated audiences with her performance in Pan’s Labyrinth, earning her widespread recognition. The role also established her as a shining star in both Spanish cinema and international screens. Despite her fame at an early age, Baquero continued her education and graduated from high school at The American School of Barcelona and reportedly went on to study law.
After her breakthrough on the silver screen, Baquero starred as Paloma in The Anarchist’s Wife (2008) and landed her first American role as Louisa James in the feature film The New Daughter, alongside Kevin Costner. In 2013, she appeared alongside Sophie Turner in Another Me as Kaylie. She also appeared in significant roles in The Misfits Club (2014), Sister of Mine (2017), and Black Friday! (2021). Ivana Baquero led the cast of A Widow’s Game in 2025.
She is Building Her Television Credits with Major Roles
While she gained initial fame on the big screen, Ivana Baquero is also taking the small screen by storm with back-to-back major roles. She made her debut on the small screen in two television films in 2005. From 2016 to 2017, she was part of the cast of The Shannara Chronicles, having beaten over 400 performers for the role. Based on Terry Brooks‘ bestselling novel The Elfstones of Shannara, the movie also stars Poppy Drayton (Amberle), Manu Bennett (Allanon), and Austin Butler (Wil Ohmsford). Baquero also portrayed Eva Villanueva in the Netflix series High Seas from 2019 to 2020. Baquero is playing one of her most popular roles as a series regular in the Spartacus spinoff television series Spartacus: House of Ashur.
Awards and Career Recognition
Ivana Baquero was 11 years old when she was cast to play Ofelia in Pan’s Labyrinth and ultimately became the youngest Spanish actress to win the prestigious Goya Award for Best New Actress at the age of 12. In fact, her critically acclaimed performance in Pan’s Labyrinth won all five awards for which she was nominated, including the Imagen Awards for Best Actress in Film and the Saturn Awards for Best Performance by a Younger Actor.
Beyond Pan’s Labyrinth, Baquero won the Best Actress category at the Zonazine Silver Biznaga in 2017 for her lead performance in Sister of Mine (Demonios tus ojos). She was also nominated for Best Actress at the 2017 Sophia Awards for her role in Gelo. At the time of writing this piece, Baquero has yet to win an award for her television credits. Still, it might not be far-fetched with her exceptional performance on Spartacus: House of Ashur, which has sparked excitement among fans of the franchise.
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