Catalina Sandino Moreno (born April 19, 1981) is a Colombian actress. She received a nomination for Best Actress at the Academy Awards for her role in Maria Full of Grace.

Sandino was born in Bogotá, Colombia to a pathologist mother and a veterinarian father. Before becoming an actress, she studied advertising at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá. After she was noticed for her talent at the Rubén Di Pietro acting school in Bogotá she relocated to New York City in 2004. She was then referred to an audition for the 2004 film Maria Full of Grace where she beat over 900 girls for the lead role. Sandino's role in this movie made her the first Colombian and third Hispanic actress nominated for an Academy Award.

Sandino is married to motion picture electrician David Elwell whom she met working on Maria Full of Grace. They married on April 15, 2006 in a small ceremony held in Cartagena de Indias.

Filmography

• Maria Full of Grace (2004) as María Álvarez
• Journey to the End of the Night [English, Portuguese] (2006) as Angie
• Fast Food Nation [English] (2006) as Sylvia
• Paris, je t'aime [English, French, Spanish] (2007) as Ana
• The Hottest State [English] (2007) as Sarah
• Heart of the Earth (El corazón de la tierra) [Spanish] (2007) as Blanca Bosco
• Love in the Time of Cholera [English] (2007) as Hildebranda Sanchez
• The Argentine [Spanish] (2008) as Aleida March de Guevara
• Guerrilla [Spanish] (2008) as Aleida March de Guevara
• The Twilight Saga: Eclipse [English] (2010)as Maria