Nicaragua is not a major producer of artistic talent. However, Barbara Carrera is one of the nation's few internationally renowned stars.
Carrera's birth is somewhat of a mystery. According to IMDB, she was born on December 31, 1945 in Bluefields, Nicaragua. However, Movie Actors and NNDB has her listed as being born in 1951. She was born to a Nicaraguan mother and an American father. Her parents separated early on in her life and she promptly left for the United States with her father at the age of 10. She lived in Memphis for a few years before moving to New York at the age of 15. She broke into modeling at age 17 where she worked for the Eileen Ford Agency.
In 1972, she appeared publicly in an ad for Chiquita Bananas and shortly after, her screen career took off. Her first big screen debut came in the 1970 film, "Puzzle of a Downfall Child," but she became a household name for her role of Eula in "The Master Gunfighter" in 1975. She earned her first of two Golden Globe nominations for the film when she was given a nod for "Best Acting Debut in a Motion Picture - Female."
She also made appearances in such films as "Embryo (1976)," "The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977)" and "When Time Ran Out... (1980)." She made appearances in such TV mini-series as "Masada" and "Centennial" early on in her career.
Her biggest break came in 1983 when she played the seductive Fatima Blush in the 007 film "Never Say Never Again" alongside Sean Connery. Regarding her performance NotComing.com wrote, "Barbara Carrera plays the truly weird, snake- and shark-wielding hit-woman, Fatima Blush." She was given her second Golden Globe nomination for the performance.
Overall, the actress appeared in over 39 films and TV series throughout her career. She last appeared in 2004's TV Series "Judging Amy."
In addition to her acting career, Carrera has appeared on a number of different magazines including Vogue, Paris Match and Harper's Bazaar; she also posed for Playboy on two occasions.
She is also a renowned artist and has painted portraits of such celebrities as Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Greta Garbo, Charlie Chaplin and James Dean among others. She launched a website in 2010 to promote her work.