Personal details
Born:
- Birthday: 1983-08-24
- Born Place: Villa Hermosa, Tabasco, Mexico
Also Known As:
Марта Игареда, Martha Elba Higareda Cervantes, مارتا هیگاردا, Martha Higareda Howes
Martha Higareda
Martha Higareda, born Martha Elba Guadalupe Higareda Cervantes on August 24, 1983, in Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico, is a prominent Mexican actress, producer, and screenwriter. Coming from an artistic family – her mother, Martha Cervantes, is an actress, and her father, José Luis Higareda, is an artist and therapist – she developed an early passion for performance. She began acting on stage at a very young age, also studying various dance forms.At 14, Higareda moved to Mexico City to pursue her acting career more seriously. Despite her busy schedule with acting school in the evenings and theater on weekends, she enrolled in college at 15, initially studying Communications before changing her major to the Performing Arts. A significant early opportunity came when she was offered a role in Alfonso Cuarón's "Y Tu Mamá También," but she was unable to take it due to being underage and the film's nudity. However, Cuarón encouraged her to continue, which fueled her determination.Higareda's breakthrough came with the Mexican film "Amar te duele" (2002), which launched her into the spotlight and earned her the nickname "the Mexican sweetheart." She quickly gained popularity in Mexican cinema and television, starring in numerous successful productions.Her career soon expanded into Hollywood. She made her American film debut in "Borderland" (2007) and has since appeared in several notable U.S. productions, including "Street Kings" (2008) alongside Keanu Reeves, "Smokin' Aces 2: Assassins' Ball" (2010), and the Disney film "McFarland, USA" (2015). On television, she has been seen in series like "Hawaii Five-0," "Royal Pains," and gained widespread recognition for her role as Kristin Ortega in the Netflix sci-fi series "Altered Carbon" (2018-2020).Beyond acting, Martha Higareda has also made significant strides as a producer and screenwriter. She co-wrote and produced her first independent film, "Te presento a Laura" (2010), which was a box office success in Mexico. She has gone on to produce and write other popular Mexican films like "Cásese quien pueda" (2014), "No Manches Frida" (2016) and its sequel "No Manches Frida 2" (2019), and "Tod@s Caen" (2019).Her recent work includes the film "Queens on the Run" (2023), and the 2025 Mexican drama thriller "Juegos de Seducción" (English title: "Follow"), where she plays the enigmatic character Carolina and also served as a producer.In her personal life, Martha Higareda was previously married to Cory Brusseau from 2016 to 2020. She married motivational speaker and author Lewis Howes in 2025. The couple has been open about their journey to marriage and their efforts to build a strong foundation. In 2025, it was announced that she and Lewis Howes were expecting their first child.
