// the cast Salma Hayek as Frida Kahlo Frida Kahlo was a painter whose work fascinated prominent and diverse artists around the world. The wife of world-renowned Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, Kahlo forged a place in the art world that was completely of her own. Her dramatic work consisted primarily of self-portraits, although she did capture her family and friends on canvas on occasion. Some critics contend that Kahlo's paintings were reflections of her personal history, her relationship with Diego Rivera; her damaged physical condition, her philosophy of nature and life, and her individual and mythological worldview. Although Kahlo never had formal training in art, she developed into an artist who fascinated wide range of fellow artist, including Soviet filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein, painter Pablo Picasso, and novelist Andre Breton. In addition to these literary and artistic luminaries, her circle included political figures such as Leon Trotsky and the Rockefeller family. [Read more] Alfred Molina as Diego Rivera Diego Rivera was the most important man in the life of Frida Kahlo. They met first when she was still at school, where he painted a mural. Frida was only 19 years old while Diego was 36. Matilde Kahlo, Frida's mother, liked to call their relationship the romance between an elephant and a dove. Frida and Diego could not have been more different from each other. Frida married Diego and got to know the world of art and freedom. However she had to endure numerous affairs which her husband had with women that posed for his paintings including Frida's beloved sister Cristina. In return Frida started being unfaithful to Diego and she also had affairs with women. Although Diego knew of them he never interferred. In 1939 they divorced. Nevertheless they married again and stayed together until Frida's death. Ashley Judd as Tina Modotti Tina Modotti was an intimate friend and arrived in Mexico in 1932, accompanying the photographer Edward Weston. She was a photographer that learned from Edward Weston and she also was a model to Diego Rivera for the murals he painted in the School of Agriculture of Chapingo. They had a short love affair that triggered the divorce of Diego and Guadalupe Marín. Edward Norton as Nelson Rockefeller Nelson Rockefeller ordered Diego Rivera to paint a mural in the famous Rockefeller Center. Although the sketches were approved the situation started getting difficult when a newspaper declared the painting to be of "communist" origin. The consequence was a scandal in which the followers of the capitalist system protested in front of the Rockefeller Center and outside of the house of Nelson. Therefore the mural was hidden and finally erased. Geoffrey Rush as Leon Trotsky Leon Trotsky and his wife Natalia arrived in Mexico in 1937. Trotsky had to flee from Europe and was granted exile by president Lazaro at the request of Tina Modotti. The couple lived in the famous Blue House with Frida and Diego. Shortly afterwards a love affair between Frida and Trotsky began. The lovers exchanged secret letters in books and had sporadic encounters in the house of Cristina Kahlo. They spoke English when Trotsky's wife was present, however she found out about their affair. Antonio Banderas as David Siqueiros (in talks) Passion is one of the words that can describe the personality of the Mexican painter. He was a friend of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, with whom he shared communist ideals. As follower of Stalin he participated in an attempt to murder Leon Trotsky. Siquieros and a group of stalinists burst into the house of Trotsky, located in the district of Coyoacán, and attempted to kill him. The assault failed and Siqueiros had to spend less than a year in jail. Afterwards he traveled to Chile afterwards. Mia Maestro as Cristina Kahlo Cristina Kahlo was Frida's youngest sister. They had a very intimate relationship until the time when Diego started an affair with her. Frida was used to his sexual relationships with other women but this one was too much to tolerate. She stopped talking to her sister. Later they reunited and even lived together in the same house. Roger Rees as Guillermo Kahlo Frida's father Guillermo Kahlo was born as Wilhelm in Baden-Baden Germany in 1872. When he started studying in Nurenberg he endured an accident and started suffering from epileptic strokes. Soon afterwards his mother died and his father married a woman he couldn't stand. At age 19 Guillermo Kahlo immigrated to Mexico and changed his first name to Guillermo. He became a very successful photographer and built the house in which Frida was living for so many years in Coyoacán. Patricia Reyes Spíndola as Matilde Kahlo Matilde Calderón y González married Guillerma Kahlo at age 24. She was his second wife after his first had died when she gave birth to a child. Frida said that Matilde never loved Diego but she made him fall in love with photography.