Saura Lightfoot-Leon

Last updated
Saura Lightfoot-Leon
Born (1998-01-01) 1 January 1998 (age 27) [1]
Leiden, Netherlands
Nationality
  • British
  • Dutch
  • Spanish
Other namesSaura Lightfoot Leon
Alma mater Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Years active2020–present

Saura Lightfoot-Leon (born 1 January 1998) is a Dutch-born English-Spanish actress. For her debut feature film Hoard (2023), [2] she received two British Independent Film Award nominations. She was named a 2024 Screen International Star of Tomorrow [3] and a 2025 Brit to Watch by Variety . [4]

Contents

Early life

Lightfoot-Leon was born in Leiden, Netherlands [5] to English father Paul Lightfoot and Spanish mother Sol León, both dancers and choreographers, and grew up in The Hague. [6] Lightfoot-Leon graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Acting. [7]

Career

As a child, Lightfoot-Leon appeared in the projected background videos of her parents' ballet and contemporary dance productions, such as Silent Screen (2005) [8] and Stop-Motion (2014) at Lucent Danstheater in The Hague. [9] [10] Stop-Motion was also staged in 2018 at Sadler's Wells Theatre in London. [11] Upon graduating from RADA in 2020, [12] Lightfoot-Leon was also featured in their project with Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT), She Remembers, [13] which was staged virtually. [14]

Lightfoot-Leon's television debut was in an episode of the BBC One miniseries Life After Life in 2022. She made her feature film debut as Maria, the leading role in Luna Carmoon's film Hoard , co-starring Joseph Quinn and Hayley Squires. For her performance in Hoard, she was awarded a Special Jury Mention at the 80th Venice International Film Festival. [15] [16] [17] She was nominated for the 2024 British Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Performance and jointly nominated for Best Joint Lead Performance with Quinn.

In 2024, Lightfoot-Leon had a major role in the Paramount+ series The Agency , playing CIA field officer Daniela Ruiz Morata. She also appeared in the Apple TV+ WWII drama series Masters of the Air and completed work on the Netflix limited series American Primeval , a period Western. [18]

Filmography

Key
†Denotes titles that have not yet been released

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2020GrapesRaeShort film
2020Hard PassShort film
2023 Hoard Maria

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2022 Life After Life Hilde1 episode
2024 Masters of the Air Louise2 episodes
2024 The Agency Daniela Ruiz Morata8 episodes
2025 American Primeval Abish6 episodes

Stage

YearTitleRoleNotes
2005Silent Screen
2014Stop-MotionLucent Danstheater, The Hague
2020She Remembers Nederlands Dans Theater (virtual)

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryWorkResultRef.
2023Venice International Film Critics WeekSpecial Jury MentionHoardWon [19] [20]
2024 British Independent Film Award Best Joint Lead PerformanceNominated [21]
Breakthrough Performance Nominated

References

  1. ↑ https://www.tvinsider.com/people/saura-lightfoot-leon/
  2. ↑ "Rising Stars: Saura Lightfoot-Leon". The Media Eye. 15 May 2024. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  3. ↑ Jolin, Dan (26 June 2024). "Stars of Tomorrow 2024: Saura Lightfoot-Leon (actor)". Screen Daily. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  4. ↑ Various (6 February 2025). "Variety's 10 Brits to Watch for 2025: Mia Tharia, Erin Kellyman, Nabhaan Rizwan Among Honorees". Variety. Retrieved 7 February 2025.
  5. ↑ "Residencies: Sol León and Paul Lightfoot". Orsolina 28. July 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  6. ↑ Mottram, James (28 March 2024). "Saura Lightfoot-Leon is riding a tornado". Next Big Thing. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  7. ↑ "Saura Lightfoot-Leon". RADA. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  8. ↑ "Silent Screen". The National Ballet of Canada. 2024. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  9. ↑ "Stop-Motion". Nederlands Dans Theater. January 2014. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  10. ↑ "Sol León & Paul Lightfoot - STOP-MOTION Nederlands Dans Theater / NDT 1". Kumquat Performing Arts Paris. 2014. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  11. ↑ Mead, David (2 July 2018). "Defining contemporary dance today: Nederlands Dans Theater in London". SeeingDance. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  12. ↑ Watts, Graham (22 July 2020). "Nederlands Dans Theater – Paul Lightfoot and Sol León lockdown streamed premieres". DanceTabs. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  13. ↑ Embrechts, Annette (29 July 2020). "Paul Lightfoot en Sol León nemen met twee dansfilms afscheid van hun eigen Nederlands Dans Theater". de Volksrant (in Dutch). Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  14. ↑ Liber, Vera (15 July 2020). "Stream review: Standby / She Remembers". British Theatre Guide. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  15. ↑ Grater, Tom (25 April 2022). "Saura Lightfoot Leon, Hayley Squires & Joseph Quinn Starring In UK Debut 'Hoard'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  16. ↑ Corá, Angelina (3 September 2023). "Interview with Joseph Quinn and Saura Lightfoot-Leon: 'Hoard' and the catalogues of love". The Italian Rêve. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  17. ↑ Seghedoni, Serena (4 September 2023). "Hoard Interview: Luna Carmoon, Saura Lightfoot Leon & Joseph Quinn". Loud and Clear Reviews. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  18. ↑ Thao, Phillipe (24 January 2023). "'American Primeval' Unleashes Its Full Cast into the Wilderness". Tudum by Netflix. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  19. ↑ Dalton, Ben (8 September 2023). "Luna Carmoon's 'Hoard' takes three prizes including audience award at Venice Critics' Week". Screen International. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  20. ↑ "The winners of the 38. Semitta Internazionale della Critica". Semitta internazionale della critica. September 2023. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  21. ↑ Pulver, Andrew (2024-11-05). "Kneecap leads nominations for British independent film awards". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-11-05.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.