Penélope Cruz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Penélope Cruz
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Cruz in 2024
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Penélope Cruz Sánchez
28 April 1974 Alcobendas, Spain
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| Years active | 1989–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Mónica Cruz (sister) |
| Awards | Full list |
Penélope Cruz Sánchez (born on April 28, 1974) is a famous Spanish actress. She has starred in many movies, both in Spanish and English. She has won lots of important awards, including an Academy Award (also known as an Oscar), a BAFTA Award, and three Goya Awards.
Penélope Cruz started acting on TV when she was 16. Her first movie role was in Jamón Jamón (1992). She became well-known for her work with Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar in films like All About My Mother (1999) and Volver (2006).
In 2008, she won an Oscar for her role in Woody Allen's movie Vicky Cristina Barcelona. She is the only Spanish actress to have won an Academy Award and to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Besides acting, she has also modeled for big brands like Chanel and L'Oréal. She also spends time helping charities.
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Early Life and Training
Penélope Cruz was born on April 28, 1974, in Alcobendas, Spain. Her mother, Encarna Sánchez, was a hairdresser, and her father, Eduardo Cruz, was a retailer and car mechanic. She has two siblings, Mónica Cruz, who is also an actress, and Eduardo, a singer.
Penélope had a happy childhood. She loved playing pretend and acting out characters. She studied classical ballet for nine years at Spain's National Conservatory. She also took Spanish ballet and theater classes. She believes that ballet taught her discipline, which helped her a lot in her acting career.
When she was a teenager, Penélope became very interested in acting after seeing a film by director Pedro Almodóvar. She tried out for an agent many times but was told she was too young. However, she kept trying and finally got accepted at age 15. Her agent, Katrina Bayonas, said Penélope was "absolutely magic" at the audition.
Acting Career Highlights
Early Roles and Spanish Films (1989–1997)
Penélope Cruz began her acting journey in 1989 at age 15, appearing in a music video. From 1990 to 1991, she hosted a Spanish TV show for teenagers called La Quinta Marcha.
In 1991, she made her first movie, Jamón, jamón. She played Silvia, a young woman expecting a baby. This role helped her become very well-known. The same year, she appeared in the Oscar-winning film Belle Époque.
From 1993 to 1996, Penélope acted in many Spanish and Italian films. She also lived in New York for two years to study ballet and learn English better. In 1997, she appeared in the Spanish comedy Love Can Seriously Damage Your Health. She also had a role in Pedro Almodóvar's film Live Flesh and the Spanish sci-fi drama Open Your Eyes. Critics praised her performance in Open Your Eyes, calling her charming and believable.
First American Movies (1998–2000)
In 1998, Penélope Cruz appeared in her first American film, The Hi-Lo Country. She found it a bit hard to understand English speakers at first. She was nominated for an ALMA Award for her role in this film.
Also in 1998, she starred in the Spanish film The Girl of Your Dreams. She played Macarena Granada, a singer who travels to Germany during the Spanish Civil War. Critics highly praised her performance, saying she was an actress first and a pretty face second. She won a Goya Award for this role. In 1999, she worked with director Almodóvar again in All About My Mother, playing a nun. This film was very successful around the world.
In 2000, she had her first main role in an American film, Woman on Top, playing a chef. Critics liked her charming accent and performance. She also appeared in All the Pretty Horses, a film based on a popular western novel.
Becoming a Global Star (2001–2005)
The year 2001 was a big one for Penélope Cruz. She starred in Vanilla Sky, a remake of her earlier film Open Your Eyes. She played Sofia Serrano, the main character's love interest. The film earned over $200 million worldwide, and critics enjoyed her performance. Her next film was Blow, where she played the wife of the main character.
In 2001, she also appeared in Don't Tempt Me and Captain Corelli's Mandolin. In 2003, she had a supporting role in the horror film Gothika.
In 2004, Penélope starred in the Christmas film Noel and the romantic drama Head in the Clouds. She also appeared in the Italian film Don't Move. She learned Italian for this role and won the David di Donatello award for her acting.
In 2005, she played Dr. Eva Rojas in the action-adventure film Sahara. She also appeared in Chromophobia.
Worldwide Recognition (2006–2009)
In 2006, Penélope Cruz starred with her friend Salma Hayek in the comedy film Bandidas. Also in 2006, she received great reviews for her role as Raimunda in Pedro Almodóvar's film Volver. She played a strong working-class woman protecting her daughter. Critics praised her performance, calling her earthy and glamorous. She won a Best Actress award at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for an Oscar, making her the first Spanish actress to be nominated for an Academy Award.
In 2007, she appeared in Manolete, a film about a bullfighter. She also played two characters, Anna and Melody, in The Good Night.
In 2008, Penélope starred in Elegy. That same year, she appeared in Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona as María Elena. Her performance was highly praised, with critics saying she was "on fire" and "walks off with the film". For this role, she won her first Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. This made her the first Spanish actress to win an Academy Award.
In 2009, Cruz voiced a guinea pig spy named Juarez in the kid-friendly film G-Force, which was a big success. She also appeared in Broken Embraces and the musical film Nine. For her role in Nine, she was nominated for another Oscar.
Established Actress (2010–2015)
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In 2010, Penélope had a small role in ... and the City 2. In 2011, she starred in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the fourth movie in the series, alongside Johnny Depp. She played Angelica, a former love interest of Jack Sparrow. She trained for two months for the role, learning fencing. This film was a huge success, earning over $1 billion worldwide. On April 1, 2011, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, becoming the first Spanish actress to get one.
In 2012, Penélope appeared in a Nintendo commercial. She also spoke Italian again in Woody Allen's comedy To Rome with Love. She reunited with Italian director Sergio Castellitto in his film Twice Born.
In 2013, Cruz appeared in The Counselor, a crime thriller. She played Laura, the only innocent character in the story. The same year, she had a small role in Pedro Almodóvar's comedy I'm So Excited.
In 2015, Penélope co-produced and starred in the Spanish drama film Ma Ma. She played Magda, a brave mother diagnosed with breast cancer. She called this one of the most complex and beautiful characters she had ever played. Her performance earned her another Goya nomination.
Recent Work (2016–Present)
In 2016, Penélope's first film was the American comedy Zoolander 2, where she played a secret Interpol agent. She also appeared in the British spy comedy Grimsby. Later that year, she rejoined director Fernando Trueba for The Queen of Spain, a sequel to her 1998 film The Girl of Your Dreams. She played an actress who becomes a Hollywood star and returns to Spain.
In 2017, she starred in the Spanish drama film Loving Pablo with her husband, Javier Bardem. She played Virginia Vallejo, a journalist. She also had a supporting role in Kenneth Branagh's mystery film Murder on the Orient Express.
In 2018, Penélope made her TV debut playing Donatella Versace in the series The Assassination of Gianni Versace. Her performance was highly praised, and she was nominated for an Emmy Award. She also worked with Javier Bardem again in the Spanish thriller Everybody Knows.
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In 2021, Cruz starred in Official Competition and reunited with Almodóvar for Parallel Mothers. Her performance in Parallel Mothers was highly praised, winning her the Volpi Cup for Best Actress and earning her fourth Oscar nomination. She was honored at the Museum of Modern Art in New York for her career achievements.
In 2022, she appeared in the spy action film The 355. She also acted in the Italian drama film L'immensità and the Spanish thriller On the Fringe, which she also helped produce. In 2023, she played Laura, Enzo Ferrari's wife, in the biopic Ferrari.
In 2023, Penélope Cruz became a brand ambassador for Emirates airline and Geox. In 2024, she won a Latin Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video for her collaboration on the song "313".
Charity Work
Penélope Cruz has given her time and money to many charities. She has volunteered in Uganda and India, where she worked with Mother Teresa and helped in a clinic. This trip inspired her to help start a foundation to support homeless girls in India. She even donated her salary from her first Hollywood film, The Hi-Lo Country, to Mother Teresa's mission.
She has also photographed children in Tibet for an exhibition and residents at a home for young people who have faced tough challenges. She supports the fight against AIDS and has posed for ads supporting PETA's anti-fur campaign.
Personal Life
Penélope Cruz is married to Spanish actor Javier Bardem. They first met while filming Jamón jamón in 1992. They started dating in 2007 after working together again on Vicky Cristina Barcelona. They also appeared together in The Counselor (2013) and Everybody Knows (2018).
They got married in July 2010 in a private ceremony. They have a son, Leo, born in January 2011, and a daughter, Luna, born in July 2013. Penélope has spoken about the importance of breastfeeding after having her children.
Before marrying Javier Bardem, Penélope had a relationship with actor Tom Cruise after they starred in Vanilla Sky together.
Penélope is known to her friends as Pe. She owns a clothing store in Madrid and has designed jewelry and handbags with her younger sister Mónica Cruz.
Awards and Recognitions
Penélope Cruz has received many awards and nominations for her acting:
- 79th Academy Awards: Nominated for Best Actress for Volver (2006)
- 81st Academy Awards: Won Best Supporting Actress for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
- 82nd Academy Awards: Nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Nine (2009)
- 94th Academy Awards: Nominated for Best Actress for Parallel Mothers (2021)
She has also been nominated for two British Academy Film Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, an Emmy Award, five Screen Actors Guild Awards, and fourteen Goya Awards. In 2006, she won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress for Volver, and in 2021, she won the Venice International Film Festival's Volpi Cup for Best Actress for Parallel Mothers.
See also
In Spanish: Penélope Cruz para niños
