Jennifer Connelly's son Kai was in the film. She was holding him in the scene in which Fielding was at the church.
Jennifer Connelly also portrayed a character named Sarah Williams in Labyrinth (1986), which was released 13 prior to Waking the Dead (2000).
Years before the production, the book was originally developed by Warner Brothers, who were not involved in the final film.
This is the second film based in some way in Chilean dictatorship background in which Jennifer Connelly starred. In this film, her character is loosely based on Roni Moffitt, Political Activist and secretary of Orlando Letelier, former minister of president Salvador Allende . Moffitt and Letelier were assassinated in Washington via the use of a car bomb in 1976 by Pinochet regime's secret police. The other Film is Of Love and Shadows (1994) (De amor y de sombra) where she plays Irene who is engaged to an officer in the Pinochet's fascist regime but she meets Francisco who opens her eyes to truth and love.