Carmen Maura

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988) is a lively way into Maura's Spanish-language career. As Pepa, she gives Pedro Almodóvar's elaborate comic machinery an emotional centre. Volver (2006), where she plays Irene, offers a later reunion with the director and a different balance of comedy, secrecy and family feeling. Follow the timing of her reactions: even an outlandish situation can become recognisable through the way she receives a piece of news.