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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| Occupation |
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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 28 April 1974) is a famous Spanish actress. She has acted in many films, both in Spanish and English. Penélope has won several important awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and three Goya Awards.
She started acting on TV when she was 16. Her first movie was Jamón Jamón (1992). Penélope is well-known for working often with Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar. Some of their movies together include All About My Mother (1999) and Volver (2006).
Penélope Cruz won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008). She was also nominated for Oscars for her roles in Volver (2006), Nine (2009), and Parallel Mothers (2021). Other popular films she has been in are Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) and Murder on the Orient Express (2017).
She also played Donatella Versace in the TV series The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (2018). For this role, she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. Penélope Cruz is the only Spanish actress to have won an Academy Award. She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Besides acting, Cruz has modeled for brands like Mango and L'Oréal. She has also designed clothes with her younger sister, Mónica Cruz. She has helped with charity work in Uganda and India. She even worked with Mother Teresa for a week.
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Early Life and Beginnings
Penélope Cruz was born on 28 April 1974 in Alcobendas, Spain. Her mother, Encarna Sánchez, was a hairdresser. 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. She also has a half-sister named Salma.
Penélope grew up in Alcobendas and had a happy childhood. She remembers pretending to be different characters when she played with friends.
Discovering Dance and Acting
At first, Penélope loved to dance. 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 acting.
When she was about ten or eleven, her father bought a Betamax machine. This was quite rare then and allowed her to watch many movies.
As a teenager, Penélope became very interested in acting. She saw the film Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1990) by director Pedro Almodóvar. She tried to find an agent but was told she was too young several times. However, she kept trying. In 1989, at age 15, she won an audition where over 300 other girls tried out. Her agent, Katrina Bayonas, said Penélope was "absolutely magic" at the audition.
Her father, Eduardo, passed away in 2015 at age 62.
Her Acting Journey
Starting Her Career (1989-1997)
In 1989, Penélope Cruz, at 15, first appeared in a music video for the Spanish pop group Mecano. From 1990 to 1991, she hosted a Spanish TV show called La Quinta Marcha. This show was hosted by teenagers for a teenage audience.
In 1991, Penélope made her first movie, the comedy-drama Jamón, jamón. Critics liked the film, and her role as Silvia was called "enchanting." She was nominated for a Goya Award for Best Actress for this film. The same year, she was in the Oscar-winning movie Belle Époque. People magazine noted that her role in this film showed her acting range.
Between 1993 and 1996, Cruz acted in ten Spanish and Italian films. When she was 20, she lived in New York for two years. There, she studied ballet and English between her movie projects. She learned English "kind of late," knowing only a few phrases before then.
In 1997, Cruz was in the Spanish comedy Love Can Seriously Damage Your Health. She played Diana, a fan of the Beatles' John Lennon. Later that year, she appeared in the opening scene of Pedro Almodóvar's Live Flesh. Her last film in 1997 was the Spanish sci-fi drama Open Your Eyes. She played Sofia, the main character's love interest. This movie received good reviews and was later remade in the U.S. as Vanilla Sky, with Penélope playing the same role.
First Steps in Hollywood (1998-2000)
In 1998, Penélope Cruz appeared in her first American film, The Hi-Lo Country. She found it hard to understand people speaking English during filming. The film was not very successful. However, she was nominated for an ALMA Award for Best Actress for her role.
Also in 1998, Cruz was in Don Juan and the Spanish drama The Girl of Your Dreams. In The Girl of Your Dreams, she played Macarena Granada, a singer. Critics highly praised her performance, saying it showed she was an actress first and a pretty face second. This role was seen as her biggest one at the time. She won a Goya Award for it. In 1999, Cruz worked with Almodóvar again in All About My Mother, playing a nun. The film was very successful worldwide.
In 2000, she had her first main role in an American film, Woman on Top. She played Isabelle, a chef who gets motion sickness. Critics praised her performance, noting her charming accent. That same year, she played Alejandra Villarreal in the film All the Pretty Horses.
Becoming a Star (2001-2005)
The year 2001 was a big one for Penélope Cruz. She starred in Vanilla Sky and Blow. In Vanilla Sky, she played Sofia Serrano, the love interest of Tom Cruise's character. The film earned $200 million worldwide, and critics liked her performance. Her next film, Blow, saw her in a supporting role as Mirtha Jung. This film made $80 million worldwide.
In 2001, she also appeared in Don't Tempt Me and Captain Corelli's Mandolin. In the latter, she played Pelagia, who falls in love during wartime. In 2002, she had a small role in Waking Up in Reno. The next year, Cruz had a supporting role in the horror film Gothika.
In 2004, Cruz appeared in the Christmas film Noel and the romantic drama Head in the Clouds. Critics felt she stood out in Head in the Clouds, even though the film itself struggled. She also starred in Don't Move. For this film, she learned Italian and won the David di Donatello award. She also won the European Film Award for Best Actress in 2004.
In 2005, Cruz played Dr. Eva Rojas in the action-adventure film Sahara. She earned $1.6 million for this role. The film made $110 million worldwide but did not make back its large budget. She also appeared in Chromophobia and her final 2005 film was Don't Move, playing Italia.
Worldwide Recognition (2006-2009)
In 2006, Cruz starred with her friend Salma Hayek in the Western comedy Bandidas. Critics noted their strong presence in the film. Also in 2006, Cruz received great reviews for her role as Raimunda in Pedro Almodóvar's Volver. She played a working-class woman who goes to great lengths to protect her daughter.
For Volver, Cruz won a Best Actress award at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival with her co-stars. She also won a Goya Award and a European Film Award. She was nominated for a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a BAFTA Award, and an Academy Award for Best Actress. This made her the first Spanish actress ever nominated for an Oscar.
In 2007, Cruz played Antoñita "Lupe" Sino in Manolete, a movie about a bullfighter. The film was not well-received. She also appeared in The Good Night, playing two characters, Anna and Melody.
In 2008, Cruz starred with Ben Kingsley in Elegy. Her performance was described as "outstanding." That same year, Cruz appeared in Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona as María Elena, a passionate and artistic woman. Her performance received high praise. Critics said she was "on fire" and "never been better in an American film." Cruz won a Goya Award, her first Academy Award, and a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress for this role. She became the first Spanish actress to win an Academy Award.
Cruz's next film was the family-friendly G-Force (2009), where she voiced a guinea pig spy. G-Force was a big success, making over $290 million worldwide. Also in 2009, she appeared in the film Broken Embraces. Her final film of 2009 was the movie version of the musical Nine, where she played Carla Albanese. She trained for three months for the dance routines. Her performance as Carla was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and SAG Awards.
An Established Actress (2010-2015)
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In 2010, Cruz had a small role in Sex and the City 2. In 2011, she appeared in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, the fourth movie in the series, opposite Johnny Depp. She played Angelica, a former love interest of Jack Sparrow. Penélope was the only actress considered for the role. She spent two months training and learning fencing. During filming, she found out she was pregnant. Her sister Mónica Cruz helped by being her double in risky scenes. On Stranger Tides was a huge success, earning over $1 billion worldwide. On 1 April 2011, Penélope Cruz received the 2,436th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She was the first Spanish actress to get a star.
In 2012, Cruz appeared in a Nintendo commercial, playing Mario. She also spoke Italian again in Woody Allen's comedy To Rome with Love. Her performance was well-received. The same year, Cruz reunited with Italian director Sergio Castellitto in Twice Born. She played a character at different stages of her life, from her twenties to her forties.
In 2013, Cruz appeared in The Counselor, which had many famous actors. The film received mixed reviews. The same year, Cruz and Antonio Banderas made a brief appearance in Pedro Almodóvar's comedy I'm So Excited.
In 2015, Cruz co-produced and starred in the Spanish drama Ma Ma. She played Magda, a brave mother and teacher who faces a serious illness. Cruz called this role "one of the most complex, beautiful characters I've ever been offered." Her performance was highly praised, earning her a Goya nomination.
Recent Work (2016-Present)
Cruz's first film of 2016 was the American comedy Zoolander 2, where she played a secret Interpol agent. She was a fan of the first Zoolander movie. The film received mixed reviews. Her other film that year was the British spy comedy Grimsby. Also in 2016, Cruz rejoined director Fernando Trueba for The Queen of Spain, a sequel to her 1998 film The Girl of Your Dreams. She played her role again as an actress who becomes a Hollywood star.
Loving Pablo, a Spanish drama, was released in 2017. Cruz starred as Virginia Vallejo, with her husband, Javier Bardem, playing Pablo Escobar. Cruz studied many interviews to prepare for her role. Cruz also had a supporting role in Kenneth Branagh's mystery film Murder on the Orient Express (2017). She played missionary Pilar Estravados. The film was a financial success.
In 2018, Cruz made her TV debut in The Assassination of Gianni Versace, playing Donatella Versace. Critics highly praised her performance, and she received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. Also in 2018, Cruz worked with Bardem again in the Spanish thriller Everybody Knows. Critics praised their natural chemistry in the film.
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In 2021, Cruz starred in Official Competition with Antonio Banderas. She also reunited with Almodóvar for Parallel Mothers. In this film, she played Janis, a photographer who becomes pregnant and faces unexpected challenges. Both films premiered at the 78th Venice International Film Festival. Her performance in Parallel Mothers was highly praised. She won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress and received her fourth Academy Award nomination. Critics called it "the best performance of her career." Following these films, she was honored at the Museum of Modern Art in New York for her career.
The following year, she appeared in the spy action film The 355. Also in 2022, Cruz acted in the Italian drama film L'immensità and the Spanish thriller On the Fringe, which she also helped produce. She played Laura, Enzo Ferrari's wife, in the biopic Ferrari, directed by Michael Mann.
In 2023, 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."
Giving Back
Penélope Cruz has given both money and her time to charity. She has volunteered in Uganda and India, spending a week working with Mother Teresa. This trip inspired her to help start a foundation for homeless girls in India, where she supports two young women. She even donated her salary from her first Hollywood film, The Hi-Lo Country, to Mother Teresa's mission.
In the early 2000s, she photographed Tibetan children in Nepal for an exhibition. On World AIDS Day in 2010, a pregnant Cruz showed her support for fighting AIDS by lighting up the Empire State Building in red. She also posed for ads supporting PETA's anti-fur campaign in 2012 and 2018.
Personal Life
Penélope Cruz is married to Spanish actor Javier Bardem. They first met on the set of Jamón jamón (1992). They started dating in 2007 after working together again on Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008). They also appeared in the films The Counselor (2013) and Everybody Knows (2018).
They got married in early July 2010 in a private ceremony in the Bahamas. They have a son named Leo Encinas Cruz, born in January 2011, and a daughter named Luna Encinas Cruz, born in July 2013.
Cruz had a three-year relationship with Tom Cruise after they starred together in Vanilla Sky (2001). This relationship ended in January 2004.
Her friends call her Pe. Cruz owns a clothing store in Madrid. She has also designed jewelry and handbags with her younger sister for a company in Japan.
Awards and Recognitions
Penélope Cruz has been recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for these performances:
- 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, a Primetime 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. 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
