Her first work experience was as a model in
spots and fashion magazines for known commercial firms. Her first television opportunity was given to her at 13, featuring in the anthology series
La huella del crimen, Shot in 1985, the film underwent a
production hell, and was not released until 1991. Her first appearance in a theatrical release was thus in the 1986 film
El orden cómico.
27 Hours, by
Montxo Armendáriz, about a girl who is a
drug addict, was one of the most powerful experiences in her life, up to that point. After this film, other more important films started coming her way, including
Hostages in the Barrio by
Eloy de la Iglesia and
Year of Enlightment by
Fernando Trueba. Later, Verdú said that her role in
Lovers marked a turning point in her screen career and has brought about maturity as a performer. Thereafter, she worked with such directors as
José Luis Garci in
Cradle Song;
Bigas Luna in
Golden Balls; again with Trueba in the
Academy Award winner
Belle Époque;
Emilio Martínez-Lázaro in
Backroads;
Carlos Saura in
Goya in Bordeaux; and
Gonzalo Suárez in
The Goalkeeper and
Oviedo Express. Verdú's performance in drama
Lucky Star (1997) earned her another goya award nomination; she played one-eyed pregnant Marina, in a love triangle with a gelded butcher and a handsome criminal. She made her debut in an international work in
Y tu mamá también (2001), portraying Luisa Cortés, an exotic
madrileña who ends up accepting a trip offer across rural Mexico from a Mexican cousin-in-law and his friend. In 2002, she starred as the title character in comedy
peplum Lisístrata, playing an Athenian woman setting up a sex strike. She was cast against type to portray maid and guerrilla informant Mercedes in ''
Pan's Labyrinth'' (2006). Verdú was invited to membership in the AMPAS in 2007. Verdú's performance in
Seven Billiard Tables (2007) earned Verdú her first
Goya Award for Best Actress. In 2010, Maribel starred in a music video for
Alejandro Sanz's song "
Lola Soledad". Verdú's portrayal of Encarna (the
evil stepmother) in black-and-white and silent drama film
Snow White (2012) won her a second Goya Award. In 2017, she appeared in
Abracadabra, starring as Carmen, a housewife who sees her husband's personality transformed as a result of an informal hypnosis session. She made her theater debut in 1986, starring as the character of Julieta and has since then combined theater with cinema. She has also intertwined the two in television shows, such as
Turno de oficio and
Segunda enseñanza. In 2018, she starred in comedy film
Empowered, portraying Paz, an undervalued middle-aged woman who stops keeping quiet about things, and in black comedy
Crime Wave as Leyre, a housewife covering the murder of her son's father, unleashing a wave of crimes. She also portrayed Agatha, a villainess from planet Chitón, in superhero comedy film
Superlópez, based on the comic book character of the same name. In 2020, she began shooting legal thriller television series
ANA. all in, her first acting credit in television since her work in
Código fuego (2003). She starred as Ana Tramel, a drug-addicted lawyer who turns in after her gambling brother is accused of murder in a casino. In March 2021, she was cast as
Barry Allen/The Flash's mother
Nora Allen in the
DC Extended Universe film
The Flash, which was released in June 2023. She also appeared as eccentric millionaire Olivia Uriarte in whodunit film
A Deadly Invitation. She also portrayed Carmen, a toxic mother and bon vivant, in season 7 of teen drama series
Elite, and the girlfriend and advisor of Leo (
Daniel Giménez Cacho) in
Familia. In 2024, she was reported to have joined the shooting of
Max series
When No One Sees Us, set to star as Lucía Gutiérrez (a
Guardia Civil agent investigating a suicide case in
Morón de la Frontera) alongside
Dani Rovira,
Mariela Garriga,
Austin Amelio, and
Ben Temple. In December 2024, she was awarded the
Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts. ==Personal life==