Talisa Soto
A model turned actress who brought exotic elegance to the screen as a Bond girl and the warrior princess Kitana in Mortal Kombat.
Born 1967 (age 59)·American actress and model·Birthday: March 27·Generation X
Biography
Talisa Soto's career began on the glossy pages of fashion magazines, where her striking looks made her a sought-after model for publications like Elle and Glamour. Hollywood soon called, casting her in roles that capitalized on her poised, enigmatic beauty. Her breakthrough came as Lupe Lamora, the vengeful lover of a drug lord in the James Bond film 'Licence to Kill' (1989). She brought a grounded vulnerability to the part, a contrast to the film's high-octane action. Several years later, she found a new generation of fans by embodying Kitana, the Edenian princess with lethal fans, in the live-action 'Mortal Kombat' (1995) and its sequel. While her filmography is selective, her performances in these cult franchises cemented her place in 1990s pop culture. She stepped back from acting in the early 2000s, focusing on family life.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Talisa was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Talisa Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Talisa's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Portrayed Bond girl Lupe Lamora in the 1989 James Bond film 'Licence to Kill' opposite Timothy Dalton.
- Played the iconic role of Princess Kitana in the live-action 'Mortal Kombat' (1995) and 'Mortal Kombat: Annihilation' (1997).
- Appeared as a high-fashion model in magazines including Mademoiselle, Glamour, and Elle in the late 1980s.
- Starred alongside Benjamin Bratt in the film 'Piñero' (2001), a biopic about the poet Miguel Piñero.
Did You Know?
She is of Puerto Rican descent.
She was married to actor Costas Mandylor from 1997 to 2000.
She later married financier and philanthropist George G. Roberts in 2002.
She made a guest appearance on the popular TV series 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' in the episode 'First Contact' (1991).
“I learned early on that you have to be your own advocate in this business.”
