María del Pilar López de Ayala Arroyo (Madrid, September 18, 1978) is a Spanish actress.
She began working in television series such as
Menudo es mi padre (1996). From there she went to
Al salir de clase (1997) and soon made the leap to film with
Fill Me with Life (2000). Her character of Rocío, an upper middle class Cadiz woman in the film
Besos para todos (2000), earned her a Goya nomination for best new actress. But her definitive confirmation came with the leading role in
Mad Love (2001) of
Vicente Aranda, which earned her a Goya award for best female performance playing Juana and the Concha de Plata for best female performance at the San Sebastian Film Festival. Her new status as a star of Spanish cinema led her to be chosen by the cava brand Freixenet to star in its well-known Christmas spot.
In 2005 she released
Obaba (2005) of
Montxo Armendáriz, a film for which she obtained a new nomination at the Goya Awards, this time as Best Supporting Actress.
Obaba (2005) was nominated by Spain for the 2005 Oscars, although in the end it was not nominated among the five candidates for Best Foreign Film.
Other titles in her filmography are
The Bridge of San Luis Rey (2004),
Captain Alatriste: The Spanish Musketeer (2006),
Walking Vengeance (2008) or
Intruders (2011) with
Clive Owen. Her latest film to date is
Agadah (2017).
Away from cinema, Pilar went to New York to study Art History.
En la alcoba del sultán(2024)
El molino(2024)as Mayte
Agadah(2017)as Rebecca
Rumbos(2016)as Lucía
Night Has Settled(2014)as Luna Nicholas
Obaba(2005)
Días de cine(1991)as Self - Interviewee
23 premios Forqué(2018)as Self - Presenter
Cinema 3(1984)as Self - Interviewee
Los Goya 29 edición(2015)as Self - Presenter
101(2012)as Self
Gala 20 aniversario(2010)as Carlota Chacón
23 premios Goya(2009)as Paloma
XXII Premios Anuales de la Academia(2008)as Blanca
Sexo en el plató(2007)as Juana la Loca
