While Mel Gibson returns to the cinema map with The Resurrection of Christ, sequel to The Passion of the Christ (2004), an actress makes her way among the cast. And she is a Cuban.
Accompanied by the Finnish Jaakko Ohtonen as Jesus, Mariela Garriga, 36, embodies the character of Mary Magdalene.
According to Varietythe first part will hit theaters on March 26, 2027, Good Friday, and the second on May 6, Ascension Day. Gibson, in charge of the script along with Randall Wallace, described the plot as an “acid trip,” trying to show that it is an innovative narrative.
meteoric rise
Mariela Garriga has charted a meteoric rise since her origins in Cuba.
Born in Havana, she grew up protected by her mother, but at the age of 12, after her illness, she assumed family responsibility by working as a model and professional dancer. “It was hard, but I didn’t victimize myself. I was sad for my mother, but happy to be able to help,” confessed to The Country.
At 19, she moved to Milan to continue her modeling career, facing loneliness and an agency that closed due to bad practices. “It was the hardest experience of my life,” he said.
There she met her partner, Stefano Mongardi, her emotional anchor. His jump to Hollywood came with Mission Impossible: Reckoningwhen Tom Cruise, whom she considers her “mentor,” personally selected her.
“His persistence is out of this world,” he said of the actor, who highlights his discipline as an inspiration.
Garriga has also shone in the Spanish series When no one sees us (HBO Max) alongside Maribel Verdú and in the thriller Zeta with Mario Casas and Luis Zahera, where she enjoyed a professional and playful atmosphere, says the young woman.
Soon, the Cuban will premiere Hex (Osha’s rule). In addition to acting, Garriga is a screenwriter and producer, with documentaries that reflect her passion for telling meaningful stories.
His childhood marked by needs shaped his austere character. “I don’t go shopping, it’s not in my essence,” he revealed to the newspaper.
Living between Los Angeles and Madrid, where she feels at home in the Chamberí neighborhood — “it seems like a little town” — Garriga embodies the triumph of a Cuban who, after overcoming rejections and adversities, has set out to conquer the world.
