Paloma - whose Christian name is the Spanish for 'Dove' - was born on
May 1st 1975 in London. Her parents, an English mother and Mexican
father were hippie musicians and, when Paloma was a baby they moved to
live in Mexico City, where she stayed until she was nine and the
parents separated. She returned to England with her mother, began
acting in school plays and read English and Performing Arts at Bristol
University. Since then she has appeared on the London stage and in
several popular television dramas. She has also directed two short
films.
Born in London of Anglo-Mexican parentage, she spent her childhood growing up in Mexico.
Her real-life partner is Alex Garland the writer who wrote the novel on which The Beach (2000) is based, and the screenplay for 28 Days Later (2002). They have two children together: a son named Milo and a daughter named Eva.