Born in Linares, Spain, Leni Rico used to be a professional basketball player for 11 years assisting her teammates to triumph in Spain's 1st Division Championship. After graduating in Tourism Management she quickly moved from the tourism industry and from the luxury cars sales to performing. Though she loved to play basketball professionally too she realized that her real passion was acting. she followed her real passion that was acting. She first started performing when she was a child in small neighborhood performances. Once she made the choice to go into acting she, enrolled in the best acting, modeling and dancing schools in the south of Spain, at Escuela de Artes Escénicas de Malaga, ESAEM. Leni soon got her first movies, short films, and pilots in Spain. Leni had a great beginning on her performance of multiple leading roles in the award winning western musical, "La Debutante" in the 48 Hours Film Festival in Granada. Leni also starred in the dramatic film "The Print" directed by Ibai Fernandez. The Print was selected from over 600 entrees to be screened at the Phillips Cinema Parallel Lines Contest and was judged by 3-time Academy Award nominee Sir Ridley Scott. Due to such a great feedback and Leni's outstanding performance in "The Print" she was asked to star in Ibai Fernandez next movie "6:09" which was selected to be screened at the Los Baños del Carmen Film Festival in Malaga. On a trip to Miami she got a spot in a soap opera and the idea of living in USA entered her mind. Soon she moved to LA. "I chose LA because it's the best place for actors." Show less «