María Paz Campos Trigo (better known as Paz Vega [paθ ˈβeɣa]; born 2 January 1976) is a Spanish actress.
Vega was born in Seville to a homemaker mother and a retired bullfighter father. Vega's younger sister has performed as a flamenco dancer. Vega has described her family as "traditional" and Catholic. She took her stage name from her grandmother. She decided to become an actress after attending a performance of Federico García Lorca's La casa de Bernarda Alba at the age of 15. After completing compulsory education at 16, she was accepted at the prestigious Centro Andaluz de Teatro stage school. After two years at the stage school and two more years studying journalism, Vega moved to Madrid.
Vega made her television debut in the Spanish TV series, Menudo es mi padre, which starred rumba singer El Fary. After appearing in two other series in 1997—Más que amigos and teen drama Compañeros—she went on to the silver screen in 1999 in Zapping. The same year she also had a minor role in the David Menkes movie I Will Survive (Sobreviviré) alongside Emma Suárez, Juan Diego Botto and a cameo from Boy George.