Born in Antofagasta, Nieves Yankovic lived in Europe from 1928 to 1942. She was one of the founders of the University of Chile Experimental Theatre. A film actress under the name Nieves Yanko, she made her debut in Luis Moglia Barth's Romance de medio sieglo (Romance of half a century, 1944). She also acted in Carlos Borcosque's Amarga verdad (1945), Roberto de Ribón's El Padre Pitillo (1946), Carlos Hugo Christensen's