Varela was born in Santiago, Chile, the daughter of Leonor, a massage therapist, and the famous Chilean biologist and cognitive neuroscientist Francisco Varela. She has one sister Alejandra and two brothers, Javier and Gabriel. Varela's family fled to Costa Rica in her early childhood when her homeland was overtaken by a military regime. She subsequently resided in Germany, the U.S., and France. Read more...

Varela's first job was in 1995, playing Anette in Pony Trek, a children's film. Filming was in Iceland and Leonor was riding horses for three months. Then, referred to a French filmmaker by her dentist, she played in Shooting Stars (1997). Varela found her popularity on the rise at home when she was cast in the Chilean soap opera Tic Tac.

After appearing in a few more television productions Read more...

Leonor Varela Palma (born December 29, 1972) is a Chilean actress, spokesperson, and model. Leonor plays the character Cleopatra on the 1999 successful film Cleopatra. She also has actively participated in various ecological causes as "Save Whales Again".