Laura Bayonas

Bayonas, a European actress, moved to Los Angeles from Madrid, Spain in 1995. She hails from a family of filmmakers and artists. Her career in front of the camera began at the age of four with a TV commercial, and in 1970, she played her first lead role directed by Augusto Martinez Torres in "Correo DE Guerra". Since then, she has built a strong career in Europe, starring in films and TV series with renowned Spanish directors such as José Luis Buñuel, Jaime Chavarri, Julio Medem, Alfonso Ungría, Augusto Fernández Torres, Jesús García DE Dueñas, Fernando Fernán Gómez, José Luis Cuerda, Manolo Matji, José Luis Berlanga, among others.

She gained significant media attention as a controversial artist during the cultural movement originating from Madrid, "Movida Madrileña" (La Movida). Known for her mysterious, dark, and complex roles, she surprised media and film critics by appearing on the cover of Interview magazine, aiming to attract film director Bigas Luna to cast her in "The Ages of Lulu".

She achieved literary success with the novel "Yes Father, No Father", a radical critique of parental education, which became a bestseller in the 1990s and was translated into multiple languages. Additionally, she received an award from the ICAA, Ministry of Culture of Spain, for her first screenplay "Panfilas".

She studied piano for ten years under the guidance of her godfather, the classical soloist Spanish pianist Manuel Carra, and studied for five years with John Strasberg (Actors Studio New York) at the Piamonte School of Film Art in Madrid. She also studied and worked with the late Joe Palese in his Theater Space/Scene Study at "The Actors Space" in Los Angeles, CA. She is the daughter of Lola Salvador Maldonado, a well-known Spanish scriptwriter, novelist, and film producer, and the late Jose Luis Bayonas, an Australian TV script writer, painter, and classical pianist.

"I accepted the challenge of moving to Hollywood for personal reasons, knowing it could potentially affect not only my career but also my artistic soul. Moving to a place where everyone does the same thing is confusing and overwhelming. Hollywood feels like a factory that produces massive talent but can also stifle creativity. It is a true industry from which we, in the Spanish market, must learn to protect our independent cultural film legacy. I feel that immigrating to a new country with my son will likely lead to personal growth, as the youthful energy of the United States will ignite my determination and fighting spirit. It is time to face this challenge head-on and embrace the fight ahead." - El País, Weekly Cover by Jorge Berlanga (1994) (Bayonas was preparing to immigrate to the US with her eight years old son, William). She was offered a role by Paul Verhoeven in "The Crusaders". She was interviewed several times in 1994 by El País, Diario 16, and other Spanish national newspapers about Oliver Stone's interest in casting her as "Evita" in his upcoming feature film, which was ultimately directed by Alan Parker. Bayonas had to audition again for Parker but did not get the part.)

She married in Las Vegas in 1996 with assistant film director and TV Commercial Producer Ziv Gidrón and together they welcome their second child, Lola Gidrón-Bayonas .

Her career was ultimately interrupted by the terminal illness of her son, William Grubb-Bayonas, with whom she fought for 21 years, ultimately losing the battle to brain cancer. Bayonas is a founding member of the "Academia De Las Artes y Las Ciencias Cinematográficas of Spain" (GOYA Awards) and is presently an active member and activist of SAG-AFTRA. She considers film director Lewis Teague her mentor and friend, and together they produced and wrote "CharlottaTS", in which she portrayed a "transgender woman".

She has directed her first short film "Farewell" (2023/2024) Bayonas (2024), is active in TV and film in Los Angeles, independently writing and producing.

(2024), Co-producing, writing, and co-hosting the late-night show/Digital Stream Experiment "Club DE Las Manuelas" .

She is also into production of two feature length films she wrote, "Two hearts" (an adapted version of short film "Dos Corazones"), and "Upon a Time" (A biopic about her beloved son William Grubb Bayonas), scheduled for 2025-26.

IMDb Mini Biography By: L. Osborne