Talisa Soto

Talisa Soto is an American retired actress and model. She is widely recognized for playing Bond girl Lupe Lamora in the 1989 James Bond film Licence to Kill. She is also known for portraying Kitana in the 1995 fantasy action film Mortal Kombat and its 1997 sequel, Mortal Kombat Annihilation. Prior to her acting career, Soto established a successful career as a model, appearing in major fashion publications and advertising campaigns.

Soto was born on March 27, 1967, in Brooklyn, New York City, as the youngest of four children. Her parents moved to New York from Puerto Rico. During her early childhood, her family relocated to Northampton, Massachusetts, where she and her siblings were raised and educated in public schools.

At age 15, Soto signed with Click Model Management and began modeling during summer vacations. Weeks after signing, she traveled to Paris to appear in a layout for Vogue photographed by Bruce Weber. She returned to Northampton to complete her schooling and modeled only occasionally until after her high school graduation. Soto was later featured on the covers of American and British Vogue, British Elle, Mademoiselle, Glamour, and Self. She also appeared in ad campaigns for brands such as Calvin Klein, Cartier, Clarins, Revlon, Salvatore Ferragamo, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Versace. Additionally, she was featured in a music video with former boyfriend Nick Kamen for Madonna's song "Each Time You Break My Heart" and modeled for fashion stylist Ray Petri.

In 1988, after returning to the United States, Soto made her feature film debut as India in the comedy Spike of Bensonhurst. That same year, she was cast as Lupe Lamora in the James Bond movie Licence to Kill, starring opposite Timothy Dalton, and appeared as Maria Rivera in The Mambo Kings.

Over her career, Soto appeared in more than twenty films. In 1995, she played Kitana in Mortal Kombat and portrayed Doña Julia in the romantic comedy Don Juan DeMarco. She starred in the title role of the 1996 film Vampirella and appeared in Marc Anthony's music video for "I Need to Know". Her other projects included Island of the Dead, Piñero (2001), two guest appearances on C-16: FBI, and Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever (2002). Following Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever, she retired from acting after marrying Benjamin Bratt, though she later appeared in the 2009 film La Mission, directed by her brother-in-law Peter Bratt.

Soto's career also brought her media recognition. In 1990, People selected her as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World. She appeared in the 1995 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and was ranked No. 58 on the Maxim Hot 100 Women of 2002 list.

In her personal life, Soto was married to actor Costas Mandylor from 1997 until their divorce in 2000. She married actor Benjamin Bratt on April 13, 2002, in San Francisco, after reconnecting while filming Piñero. The couple has two children: a daughter born in December 2002 and a son born in October 2005. In 2022, it was revealed that Soto was diagnosed with breast cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic, and she has since been deemed cancer-free.