Candela Peña, one of Spain's most acclaimed actresses, reportedly said in an interview attributed to Fotogramas that she used Ozempic while preparing for her role in the Netflix thriller La desconocida. The reported decision reflects the physical demands of the character, a devastated woman at the center of the film, and the lengths actors may go to achieve a specific on-screen appearance.
Peña reportedly explained that rigorous training and support from a personal coach had not produced the physique she wanted, despite changes to her diet. She also cited age as a factor that made the change harder to achieve through conventional methods. Ozempic contains semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist that acts on appetite and blood-sugar regulation. Her reported use is an account of preparation for a role, not a treatment recommendation.
Under U.S. Food and Drug Administration labeling, Ozempic is prescribed for adults with type 2 diabetes to improve blood-sugar control and reduce certain cardiovascular risks in eligible patients. It is distinct from Wegovy, which contains the same active ingredient but is approved in the United States for chronic weight management under a different dosing regimen. Using Ozempic for weight loss alone falls outside its labeled weight-management indication. That distinction matters because weight-loss results reported in studies of higher-dose semaglutide regimens cannot automatically be applied to Ozempic use.
Semaglutide can cause gastrointestinal effects, including nausea. Vomiting and diarrhea are also possible, particularly during dose escalation. Ozempic’s U.S. labeling includes a boxed warning about thyroid C-cell tumors observed in rodents. It also contraindicates use for people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2. Other warnings cover pancreatitis and gallbladder problems. Kidney injury may follow dehydration. These are general medication risks, not claims about Peña’s individual experience.
Peña’s co-stars, Ana Rujas and Pol López, also underwent demanding physical preparation for their roles. Rujas faced the additional challenge of portraying a character with memory loss, while the cast’s transformations have fueled discussion around the film. La desconocida follows detective Anna Ripoll as she investigates the murder of a woman whose body is found in a container at the Port of Barcelona. The thriller has drawn attention for its storyline and cast, amid wider public interest in weight-loss medicines.
Peña has not said whether she will continue using the medication. Her reported experience sits within a broader debate about body image, health and the physical pressures placed on performers. In Spain, as elsewhere, discussion of semaglutide has also raised questions about access and prescribing, as well as the influence of celebrity culture on health decisions.
